Chapter 22

〈 Chapter 22 〉 Part 1-2 (8)

“Hello, aspiring heroes. I am ‘Magistrate,’ Hero Yu Yinghuo.”

The man bowed slightly as the auditorium erupted in applause. The faces of the young men filling the seats were all filled with respect and trust.

“Haha. Thank you all for coming to my special lecture today. Shall we get straight to the point?”

Yu Yinghuo tapped on his smartwatch to change the screen. The massive wall display showed the words “Response Measures When Dimensional Gates Appear” in large letters.

“Dimensional gates. A phenomenon that has occurred worldwide since 1999. Whether it’s a natural or artificial phenomenon is still debated among scholars without clear conclusions.”

As Yu Yinghuo changed the screen, various photos appeared. Mountains, seas, cities, even school playgrounds – the eerie dimensional gates floating in mid-air emitting strange magical energy grew larger with each picture.

“On average, one or two times a month. These unpredictable dimensional gates are one of the greatest threats humanity faces that the Hero Association monitors closely.”

Click. As the next slide appeared, silence fell over the audience. The size of the dimensional gate captured by satellite was comparable to an entire baseball stadium.

“Do you remember the ‘Dodgers Gate’ incident two years ago in LA? An event where three SS-Rank monsters appeared. It caused massive casualties requiring six members of the Round Table to urgently fly to America.”

Yu Yinghuo made the sign of victory to honor the fallen as the audience bowed their heads respectfully. Clearing his throat, he continued lecturing.

“Why have dimensional gates grown so large? That they increase in size over time and spew out stronger and more numerous monsters proportional to their expansion is something you all know well.”

Yinghuo played a short video clip. The battle between the SS-Rank monsters and six Round Table heroes unfolded in chaotic combat. Destroying entire city blocks, the heroes systematically subdued the monsters and closed the dimensional gate.

“If not for the heroes of the Round Table, LA might have become a land of monsters like the Amazon by now.”

After drinking some water, Yu Yinghuo pointed at the screen and continued.

The photo on the slide showed a very small dimensional gate captured on CCTV.

“This dimensional gate initially only produced D-Rank monsters when it first appeared. The hero who first discovered it…”

Even after drinking water, Yu Yinghuo had to swallow hard at the sore throat. This topic always brought pain when discussed.

“…was watching a baseball game with his family. While the hero struggled to close the dimensional gate, an escaped monster attacked his son.”

The audience let out a collective sigh. This was the dilemma every hero facing a dimensional gate had to confront.

“Yes. Just before completely destroying the dimensional gate, the hero went to save his family. However, the incompletely closed gate went berserk, expanding exponentially. Though he successfully saved his son, the hero who caused hundreds of casualties couldn’t bear the guilt and took his own life atop the destroyed gate.”

Yu Yinghuo maintained the somber atmosphere as he continued.

“So you must ponder this question: What would you do if faced with such a situation? If forced to weigh your family against the future of humanity, what choice would you make? As aspiring heroes, you need to deeply consider these scenarios and remember what actions to take.”

Yu Yinghuo pointed at a youth sitting in the front row whose eyes shone brightly.

“You there, number 38, right? Please stand up. What would you do?”

A microphone was passed to agent 38.

“Let’s assume a dimensional gate opens where you are. Next to you is the woman you secretly love – someone you’d give everything for. What would you do? Would you evacuate her to safety first, or rush to close the dimensional gate?”

Agent 38 hesitated briefly before answering resolutely.

“I’d head straight to close the dimensional gate without hesitation!”

“Oh ho, decisive aren’t you? Why is that?”

Despite Yu Yinghuo’s somewhat sarcastic tone, Agent 38’s eyes remained steadfast.

“Because it’s the first thing that must be done for the peace of humanity!”

“What if during that time, your beloved gets attacked by a monster?”

“After closing the dimensional gate, I’d immediately go save her!”

“…Your words sound impressive.”

Yu Yinghuo looked down at Agent 38 with a serious expression while the entire audience’s gaze fixed on him.

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing under tension could be heard clearly. Yu Yinghuo smiled inwardly as he asked:

“What’s your name?”

Rustle rustle.

The auditorium suddenly buzzed with whispers. In the academy where everyone was called by numbers to maintain fairness, asking for a name was clearly a rule violation.

“Don’t worry. You’re all graduating soon anyway, right? This will be my last year teaching here before heading to the field.”

Yu Yinghuo’s bombshell statement mixed envy and admiration in the gazes directed at Agent 38. Being asked for one’s name by the Magistrate was essentially a public declaration of intent to recruit them upon graduation.

And the young man wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity. Tightening his core muscles, he shouted loudly:

“I’m Agent 38, Seung-hyeong!”

“Good. Then would you read this aloud, Seung-hyeong?”

Following Yu Yinghuo’s guidance, Seung-hyeong loudly read the text displayed on the screen:

– When a dimensional gate appears, the top priority for all heroes is to destroy the gate.

[From the Hero Code of Conduct, Chapter 5, Crisis Response Guidelines.]

* * *

Clearly, this wouldn’t work. Stopping to catch his breath halfway up the mountain trail, Seung-hyeong turned back.

“Huh. Seung-hyeong, snap out of it. Did you forget what Senior Yinghuo said?”

Slapping his cheeks with both hands, Seung-hyeong recalled Yinghuo’s words to regain focus. The mission of a hero facing a dimensional gate. Another tragedy like the Dodgers Gate must never happen again.

‘But…!’

Sensing Seung-hyeong’s presence, the monsters cleverly fled downhill instead of confronting him directly. They were going to attack people below regardless of whether the dimensional gate was sealed.

I could die. An image of Gaeul lying lifelessly, bleeding, flashed through Seung-hyeong’s mind.

Seung-hyeong checked his remaining mana after several battles with monsters encountered on the way up. Though somewhat depleted from those skirmishes, he still had enough mana left for over ten full-speed round trips up the mountain.

Crunch.

Without realizing it, Seung-hyeong took a step downhill.

At the same moment, he remembered Magistrate Yu Yinghuo’s proud face from the lecture.

Hesitating.

Seung-hyeong’s body turned halfway toward the mountain peak. The ominous mana sensation indicated the dimensional gate was just a minute’s run away.

Should I go? What if I’m attacked by monsters?

But what if I escape the monster attacks safely? Or receive help from a hero or hunter arriving soon?

What if the dimensional gate expands twofold while I’m down there? Worst case scenario, I reach Gaeul only to find she’s already dead and the dimensional gate expands beyond control?

Continuous internal conflict churned Seung-hyeong’s thoughts. Clutching his throbbing head, the face of his agency president appeared in his mind.

The president, formerly a model, had given this advice when Seung-hyeong was conflicted for other reasons:

“If you’re going to regret it anyway, choose the path that gives you peace of mind.”

Just as Seung-hyeong closed his eyes to turn his head, a pine tree branch descended toward the hiking trail and stabbed into his eye.

“Aaah?!”

Even enhanced with mana, painful things remain painful. Squinting painfully, Seung-hyeong glared at the offending tree.

“Ah.”

– Seunghyung, please go seal the dimensional gate. That’s what a hero should do, right?

Was this the harsh punishment for suppressing the hero’s mission and indulging selfish desires? At this dark moment of temptation, the image of Gaeul emerged from the pine tree that pierced his eye.

“…Right.”

Seung-hyeong redirected his gaze toward the summit, circulating all his mana once more.

“Gaeul will be fine. She’s a strong-willed woman who survived the cutthroat entertainment industry since childhood.”

That’s why he fell for her. Every moment he saw her on screen and acted alongside her was filled with charm.

“When I return-”

He would definitely confess his feelings. Seung-hyeong’s steps running straight down the mountain became even faster, ignoring the hiking trails entirely.

* * *

His eyes opened.

Blink blink.

“Where am I?”

The world looked different. The Seoul skyline stretched far into the distance, as if viewed from a tall lighthouse.

“Surely, the last thing I remember-”

The excruciating pain ended, causing him to lose consciousness momentarily. Looking around for Phoenix, Deokbae moved his feet.

Boom!

“What the…?”

Was my footsteps really this loud? Deokbae’s gaze naturally dropped to the ground and

” ”

He silently screamed. His legs – presumed to be his – were engulfed in blue flames, burning fiercely.

– Your perspective will change.

Deokbae recalled Phoenix’s parting words. Considering all the bizarre actions and nonsensical behavior Phoenix had shown so far, there was only one conclusion.

“Gulliver, huh.”

Unless this was a special effects shooting scene, the land before him was undoubtedly Seoul, and he had transformed into a giant consumed by blue flames. Chuckling wryly, Deokbae took another, much larger step.

Boom!

“There’s no way to avoid drawing aggro.”

An old residential building crumbled completely under his step. Clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly, Deokbae turned his gaze northward.

“Wow…”

His reflection in the building windows caught his attention.

Truly, a giant of blue flames. Near his chest, a gray rock-like orb was embedded.

“That’s definitely me.”

With high probability – no, 100% certainty – this had to be where his original body should be. Since this was likely the host’s first attempt, Deokbae had no choice but to judge for himself.

“Annoying. Really.”

What was he supposed to do now, transforming into such a giant right in the middle of Seoul? Should he dash off at full speed?

Bang!

Something struck the back of Deokbae’s head.

Taking a step forward with his right foot to barely keep his balance, Deokbae confirmed what had hit the back of his head.

“Hahaha! All bark and no bite despite your huge size!”

A hunter equipped with flight gear spun a mana-made rope and threw it toward Deokbae.

Whoosh!

Blue flames erupted from Deokbae’s arm, incinerating the mana rope. The hunter’s eyes widened in panic as he retreated.

Vroom!

Deokbae swatted the air with his hand like chasing away a fly. The hunter narrowly escaped by activating his thrusters.

“Hahaha! Monsters are fun to mess with!”

‘This guy’s annoying, seriously.’

The hunter buzzing around like a fly and chattering incessantly reminded him so much of his master.

“Hey, hunting time! I’m taking the core!”

“Find the weak points! Must charge mana to deal damage!”

Hunters disembarking from trucks laid out their equipment and licked their lips as they approached Deokbae.

Deokbae felt like a boar being hunted, which made him feel rather melancholic.

‘So you want me to draw aggro, huh?’

Then I’ll give you what you want. Thoroughly.

Deokbae bent his knees and leaped high into the sky.

“Eh, eeeeh?!”

A giant, roughly the size of a decent-sized building, spread his arms wide above his head in mid-air. One of the hunters who had just recharged his thruster’s mana exclaimed:

“Diving Body Press?”

KUUUUUUM!

A massive cloud of dust rose near Doksan Station.

* * *

Cheon Gaeul.

This woman, playing both villain and chapter boss in the early story, was nicknamed “Newbie Slayer” and “Wall of Lamentation.”

Her top-tier illusion magic ability copied the opponent’s appearance, voice, memories, and even part of their powers.

Already fighting in pitch-black buildings without any light sources, she disguised herself as allies to ambush heroic teammates.

I’ve teamed up with her exactly twice. After getting thoroughly beaten up in the beginning, I analyzed all her patterns and managed to subdue her smoothly, locking her up successfully.

That was during the period when the entire community was hyped about the “villain recruitment” trend.

– Bro, I recruited that serial killer as my teammate lol. Got roasted for it but died and got game over lol

– Kazeuma is “real”.

– Jason’s electric saw got sliced clean through!

As expected, there were many perverts out there, and some even cleared the game using only villains as teammates. Since faction leaders were originally antagonists anyway, there was no real reason to prevent recruiting villains as allies.

The developers even acknowledged it.

“Recruiting villains as allies is possible! So players, please enjoy the game without worries.”

In the original work, when recruited under the pretext of “resocialization,” their abilities were nerfed and their reputation scores weren’t great, but performance-wise they were similar to other companions, so there wasn’t a significant difficulty issue.

It was simply a matter of whether one felt uncomfortable having remorseless criminals as allies, even in virtual reality games.

And among them, Cheon Gaeul was one of the top three most evil female villains.

“So why are you here?”

I brought the unconscious Cheon Gaeul into the lounge of the lecture building and laid her on the sofa. Chang-yeom’s veil wrapped around her neck served as a thin blanket covering Cheon Gaeul’s body.

“This isn’t fake, right?”

I found her ID hidden in the smartphone case. It wasn’t a driver’s license or powerholder registration card, but a “New Seoul Resident Permit.” The profile matched my memory perfectly.

“…”

I grabbed a drink from the vending machine in the hallway.

Precisely speaking, I didn’t pay but simply reached inside the vending machine and grabbed any random beverage.

Clang!

The crisp sound of opening the can filled the hallway. The refreshing sensation sliding down my throat was clear, but my mind became increasingly complicated.

‘Should I just throw her outside and leave her to awaken her power? No, it’s too late for that. Moreover, she’s seen me. Should I kill her so she doesn’t testify that an infernal fire user saved me? Before that, isn’t she the main heroine? And events involving her will lead to the protagonist meeting the main heroine?’

If she were just any ordinary villain, I could burn her without a second thought. But Cheon Gaeul isn’t just any villain; she’s the main heroine with individual routes, which is quite concerning.

I recalled how people used to describe her before she was revealed as the main heroine.

Highly infamous, but performs well.

Looks decent without makeup.

Top-notch figure among Korean heroines.

Substitute option when desired companions or enemies aren’t available.

‘Who would have imagined she had an individual ending as the main heroine?’

She possessed C-Rank level abilities at best. With the minimum cut-off for revealed heroines being 1.5-Tier, some were even Round Table members, so discovering that a supporting antagonist character was actually the main heroine shocked me enough to immediately attempt courting her in the next cycle.

‘Is this really the notorious villain I know?’

The novice-like Cheon Gaeul, tightly hugging the veil, slept soundly without a care in the world.

Frustrating. If only she’d wake up so I could ask her something.

“Why are you here today of all days?”

Watching Cheon Gaeul sleeping peacefully on the lounge sofa, I covered my face with both hands.

‘Are you comfortable? Is sleep coming to you right now?’

Though I could relax knowing I survived a near-death experience from monsters, knowing the upcoming developments made my stomach churn.

‘Doesn’t she need to awaken her powers?’

The protagonist from America gaining the trust of the Korean Hero Association stemmed from the achievement of capturing Cheon Gaeul.

All sorts of events tied to forming bonds with early companions revolved around Cheon Gaeul.

“Should I have not saved her?”

Though regrettable, there’s nothing to be done about it. If she hadn’t awakened her powers and died, it wouldn’t just mean one person’s death; it would block access to the true ending altogether.

“Is it too much to ask me to block all death flags starting five years ago because the original work alone isn’t enough? Ugh.”

Isn’t it too harsh? Even when following her own route, she merely wished to cover up her past. Yet somehow, the woman I saved without thinking turned out to be Cheon Gaeul, which is terrifying and sends shivers down my spine.

What if I had ignored the dimensional gate alert?


What if I had gone straight to Yeouido?


What if I hadn’t saved her from the monster attack?

“Isn’t the world being too cruel to me?”

I want to go back. But I don’t know how.

Perhaps clearing the game will allow me to return? But what if I’m trapped in this world forever? Then I must find the only way for me to survive.

“True ending, survival flag… sigh.”

Enough of these headache-inducing complex thoughts.

I quietly ascended to the building rooftop so as not to wake Cheon Gaeul. The monsters wandering around the university campus avoided the lecture building, sensing my aura.

“The poachers will have Deokbae intentionally drawing attention.”

No need to see to know how much he’s cursing me inside. When will I get to use A-Rank power again? This will all be excellent experience turning into Deokbae’s flesh and blood.

“As for Cheon Gaeul… let’s protect her this way.”

I manipulated the magical flame like clay, carefully shaping it into a small marble-sized sphere.

Dark Legion officers’ identity lies in monster production. But having awakened as a spirit, I can create lower spirits instead of monsters. They may look the same to humans, but…

“Light up the night, child of the sun.”

Whoosh. The rooftop filled with intense heat as the sphere began to quiver.

Crack! Snap!

The sphere shattered, releasing flames that formed the shape of a small bird.

♪♪

“Hmm. Yes, aren’t you cute?”

The tiny bird perched on my index finger, resembling a canary but named “Mini Phoenix,” meaning it will excellently serve as a sentry.

– Understood.

To regular people, it sounds like a bird chirping, but I heard its clear reply with my spirit-enhanced ears. Was I mistaken?

“And if any monsters try to attack the building, you may chase them away.”

– Can I eat them?

They say familiars resemble their masters. Why is this one like this? I nodded approvingly and released the Mini Phoenix into the sky.

“Sigh, then.”

I heightened my senses and swept through the Guanaksan area for magical energies. Heroes defending against the geysering monsters revealed an expert deployment.

‘They’re setting up defenses?’

It’s the optimal formation to surround the mountain using all available resources. Though there are gaps due to the poachers dealing with Deokbae, it’s a commendable strategy worthy of praise even from someone experienced in thousands of battles.

But does this mean they’re deliberately leaving the dimensional gate open?

‘There are two possibilities.’

Either they’re delaying closing the gate to collect monster cores or quickly dispatching powerful heroes to close it while others protect civilian areas.

The intention behind the deployment isn’t the former.

‘So someone went alone to seal the dimensional gate breaking through the monsters?’

The foreign energy rushing toward the mountain peak amidst the ominous magical forces caught my attention. The amount of magical power was substantial, but more importantly, its nature was concerning.

“Fire attribute?”

To encounter a hero with fire attribute magic here. I added more power to the Mini Phoenix circling above the building and leaped off.

‘I must see who this is.’

Possessing the protagonist’s attribute and being one of the rare fire attribute users numbering less than a thousand worldwide according to the original work.

‘It can’t possibly be the protagonist, right?’

That’s impossible since he’s in America right now.

‘Yet Cheon Gaeul is here.’

Uncertain, I chased after the trail left by the wielder of magical power, sprinting along the mountain trail.

Everything remains uncertain until I confirm it with my own eyes.