Korean Supernatural Association.
A conference room offering an unobstructed view of Seoul.
The Association President, as always, sent out a notice mandating attendance for all S-rank and above Heroes.
The effect of ‘Dark Knight’ was remarkable.
An unprecedented attendance rate.
With meetings usually attracting a mere thirty percent of members, this one had a staggering eighty percent turnout.
The Heroes were a diverse group; some were close friends while others were bitter rivals, creating a generally tense atmosphere.
Yet, one commonality united them all— their somber expressions.
It was due to the recent killings of Heroes by ‘Dark Knight.’
While Villains occasionally targeted Heroes, the general belief was that a line was still somewhat respected. That ‘Dark Knight’ crossed this line shocked them.
They weren’t entirely adversarial toward ‘Dark Knight,’ knowing that some villains were beyond redemption.
Some even appreciated how ‘Dark Knight’ addressed certain issues.
At least, until he started killing Heroes.
In the past few days, ‘Dark Knight’s actions had grown increasingly radical—Hero killings and jailbreaks.
He was clearly overstepping boundaries.
The Korean Association, more meritocratic than authoritarian, placed great emphasis on the opinions of powerful Heroes.
Today’s meeting was to decide the treatment of ‘Dark Knight.’
At the head of the table sat the Association President.
The first-ever Hero of Korea and association president, ‘Mask Rider,’ was a young man in his thirties with prosthetic arms.
His rise to the position wasn’t due to strength alone but rather symbolic significance.
‘Mask Rider’ was the first A-rank Awakened One to criticize and punish illegal activities by Hunters.
At first, his actions were merely private sanctions, like ‘Dark Knight’s are now.
The main difference being that ‘Mask Rider’ strictly adhered to a principle of non-lethality.
Soon, more Awakened Ones joined his cause, which gained governmental recognition, marking the birth of the modern Hero.
“More of you showed up than I expected.”
‘Mask Rider’ glanced toward the rarest attendees— the three S-rank Heroes present domestically.
S-rank Hero ‘Invincible’ Joo Joon-cheol.
A Hero with the ability to reduce damage by up to 80% and a life-leech skill. Before becoming a Hero, he had a wealth of experience as a Hunter.
This was the first meeting he’d attended since the Association’s establishment, a testament to his interest in ‘Dark Knight.’
Joo Joon-cheol gave a slight nod to the Association President.
The lineup of A-rank Heroes was impressive as well.
‘Voltman,’ ‘Office Lady,’ and even the elusive ‘Silvertail’ were in attendance.
Most of the A-rank Heroes had gathered.
‘Voltman,’ upon seeing ‘Silvertail,’ teased him.
“Lost interest in showbiz? Wow, you’re actually doing your Hero duties today~”
“…”
‘Silvertail’ glared at him with a hardened look.
“Feeling punchy, are you?”
Despite not fully dedicating himself to Hero work, ‘Silvertail’ was celebrated as one of the first Hero idols, leading to jealousy from some Heroes.
A fellow Hero nearby cautioned ‘Voltman.’
In a low whisper, he said to ‘Voltman,’
“Hey, weren’t he and Medusa an item?”
“Huh? Really? Oh, uh,”
‘Voltman’ turned his attention elsewhere, pretending to read the documents on his table.
The documents detailed ‘Dark Knight’s assumed stat sheet.
His power levels were nothing short of extraordinary.
‘Voltman’ couldn’t help but nod, realizing that defeating the notorious ‘K Pharmaceutical Villain’ required such capabilities.
The President gently clapped to regain everyone’s attention and began the meeting.
“You’ve all heard about Dark Knight’s killing of Medusa.”
‘Silvertail’s teeth gritted.
The cunning Hwang Harin always played the role of an innocent, pure girl in front of him.
And thus, he believed the allegations Medusa faced were all framed. The recordings were a result of coercion by ‘Dark Knight.’
“That nice Harin couldn’t have done those things…”
With guilt, ‘Silvertail’ thought about how, had he searched for her that day, he might have saved her.
The President spoke firmly,
“It doesn’t matter what she did in the past or who she once was. If she committed a crime, it’s our responsibility to expel her from the Hero ranks and let the legal system deal with the matter. The fact remains that ‘Dark Knight’ killed a Hero.”
“Next, the matter of the jailbreak incident.”
‘Mask Rider’ presented some slides.
A prison destroyed by fire. The cells were filled with bodies charred black, their forms curled like shrimp.
“According to the investigation, this is likely the work of someone imitating ‘Dark Knight.’ Too much evidence suggests this wasn’t his doing.”
‘Invincible’ questioned,
“What’s the Association’s plan?”
“After discussion with the police, we won’t release the full investigation details. However, we do need to emphasize that there were innocent victims involved. Public sentiment towards ‘Dark Knight’ has grown too favorable; it needs some tempering.”
“You’ve changed,” muttered someone.
“Are you uncomfortable with this plan, Invincible?”
“No. If that’s the decision of the Association, I’ll abide by it. There’s no place for someone like ‘Dark Knight’ now.”
‘Invincible’ thought ‘Dark Knight’ resembled the former president. He had assumed the President might be partial.
“Next, regarding ‘Dark Knight’s identity. Please reference the documents in front of you. Based on eyewitness accounts and video data, this is an estimated stat sheet.”
————<Stat Sheet>————
◈ Name
Dark Knight
◈ Abilities (Estimate)
[Strength A++]
[Agility S++]
[Intelligence S++] – Can almost infinitely use skills. Minimum S-rank mana level.
[Luck ?]
[Overall A++]
◈ Skills (Estimate)
[Fog Transformation A++] – Turns body into mist (nullifies physical attacks).
[Short-Range Teleport C] – Has not been seen teleporting longer distances.
[Flame Ability A++] – Burns opponents instantly with blue flames.
[Obfuscation B] – Even when facing ‘Dark Knight’ head-on, one cannot determine height or build.
The above is purely speculative and might not be accurate.
Please consider this fact carefully.
———————————–
“Ho…”
“Hmm…”
They were all impressed in quiet awe.
Before new Gates appeared, Dungeons were all under the Guilds’ control.
New Awakened Ones’ development was fully managed within their grasp.
A structure that wouldn’t easily allow an A-rank to spring up out of nowhere.
‘Dark Knight’ was an irregular.
“Any chance he’s an ex-Hunter?”
At someone’s murmur, ‘Invincible’ shook his head.
“There was no one like him among the high-tier Hunters.”
The President asserted,
“Then he must be a foreigner.”
“That much is clear. We don’t have complete foreign intel though.”
“He could be an overseas Villain…”
‘Voltman’ countered,
“But he writes in Korean on post-its, doesn’t he?”
“Korean can be learned by anyone in a week. He must have studied it.”
The President moved on.
“Our main issue: what do we do about ‘Dark Knight’? Medusa may have been killed, but she was technically not qualified to be a Hero. Typically, we’d pour all our resources into capturing anyone who kills a Hero, but this situation is quite ambiguous.”
‘Silvertail’ frowned at the mention of “unqualified,” but he didn’t speak. Given his weaker status among A-ranks and lack of dedication, his influence was limited.
This was the very reason ‘Invincible’ had come here. He was concerned about a potential power vacuum with many Hunters retiring. The rise of a dangerous Gate was a worry.
“The Gates are appearing again, and international tensions are high. How about we try to recruit ‘Dark Knight’? If the President agrees, naturally.”
“Agreed. What do the rest of you think?”
No one had much to say. With ‘Invincible,’ an S-rank, suggesting the course, dissenting would have been awkward.
“I concur.”
“Agreed.”
“Support.”
“I will follow the President’s decision.”
‘Silvertail’ voiced his opposition,
“That guy must be arrested and face justice. How can you all take his word and so hastily decide Medusa was guilty! Wasn’t it a confession induced by coercion?”
‘Office Lady,’ Jang Seo-yoon, answered politely,
“There’s also the petrified corpse of Seo-yoon and the confessions of Medusa’s accomplices. Even if they died at the hands of a fake ‘Dark Knight.'”
“That’s not possible! The corpse could have been tampered with, and those confessions could have been bought…”
“Enough. I understand your grief over the loss of your lover, but facts remain facts. Medusa greatly tarnished the Hero’s reputation.”
Other Heroes nodded in agreement.
‘Silvertail’ could only sit in his frustration.
‘Mask Rider’ then announced the conclusion:
“To summarize, while the priority is ‘Dark Knight’s capture, consider trying to talk him down if you assess your power as insufficient. Official memos will be sent out to each management today.”
An attempt to consider ‘Silvertail’s feelings.
With that, the President closed the meeting.
