This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 538

While discussions about the Another Ones were circulating at the headquarters of the Association, coincidentally, similar chatter was echoing from the Korean Hero Association.

However, unlike the headquarters, which was guzzling down their fervent hatred for the Another Ones, the atmosphere at the Korean Hero Association was a tad different… As evidence of this, only a few high-ranking officials entered and exited the Association Chairman’s office, in stark contrast to the hurried meetings that were already being organized at headquarters upon receiving the troubling information.

At the center of this trend stood the Association Chairman, who sat cooped up in their office, pinching their forehead.

It was as if they were saying, “This is a real headache.”

No, it wasn’t just a headache; what they were facing was genuinely troublesome.

Other countries—specifically, right next door in China and Japan—were participating in the activities, so how could it be acceptable for our country to sit idly while we’re excluded? With a logic and status that made their voices overwhelmingly loud compared to ordinary people, they were forced to reluctantly organize an exploration team. However, given that most of the team consisted of external personnel, there weren’t really any expectations for achievements.

To make matters worse, not only had they managed to capture a famous foreign villain hiding in Heogye, they had also secured information that, if spread among the public, would send the country into chaos.

No matter how you cut it, while it’s true that you never know how things will turn out until they do, wasn’t this just too perfect?

The issue was that this was hardly a positive signal for the current Association or South Korea.

“I’ve lost too much…”

Thanks to the prior ambush, they had tragically lost some regular staff members, and while their vacant positions were somewhat being filled again, the gaps left by those actively known as “Heroes” were still far from being addressed.

In fact, this was somewhat to be expected.

After all, the title of “Hero” wasn’t something anyone could just wear like a badge.

From the get-go, the aim of the Association was to maintain a select few, hence one had to pass a notoriously difficult qualification exam to earn the right to bear that title.

Furthermore, with only one chance to take this exam in a lifetime, there were many who fell short by a narrow margin.

Of course, the reason that there was only one opportunity to take the exam in a lifetime was to prevent a swarm of valuable human resources from converging towards the Association, thanks to persistent efforts by other organizations to keep tabs on it. So, citing that the situation was as serious as during the initial Great Assault meant that, if they temporarily lifted or relaxed that condition, securing an enormous number of Awakened individuals would be possible…

But that was a method that was only worth considering when you could no longer see any future ahead.

It was understandable that, even though it was “temporary,” lowering the hurdles would inevitably draw the ire of those who had passed with difficulty before and of those who would pass after the brief relaxation.

And such grievances would soon lead to a Rift, inevitably resulting in the collapse of the Association.

During the first Great Assault, how many disputes arose from mere cracks?

Having witnessed that scene from start to finish, I understood far too well just how lethal that kind of Rift could be for a collective.

Thus, unless the Association was at a point of no return, making a choice that would inevitably lead to its collapse simply because things were difficult was out of the question.

After all, what had I held onto the position of Association Chairman for, despite my repeated retirement?

To prevent another horrific tragedy like “that incident,” yes, but also because I wanted to somehow manage the chaotic situation in Korea, which had been hit hard by the first and second Great Assaults one after the other.

And… looking back on the path I had walked, I couldn’t say I had done everything right, but I felt I had managed decently so far.

But now, to consider laying the groundwork for a future collapse of the Association simply due to some present difficulty?

I could rather take responsibility for how things ended up like this and step down from the position. But I just couldn’t do that.

“The problem is…”

The moment the information I currently held spread among the people, the likelihood of demanding such a decision from the Association would rise tremendously.

“Though I’ve told everyone to stay silent since I can’t confirm that it’s solid information…”

How long could such measures truly last?

To be honest, I had no confidence it would hold.

Even though there were only a handful of people aware of this particular information, all of whom occupied significant roles within the Association, that alone was worrying.

Because that’s just how fickle human nature can be.

Even knowing they must keep the secret, thoughts like, “If it’s this person, maybe just whispering it to family would be fine,” could easily creep in.

As evidence of that, someone stationed at the headquarters was already passing on the information, claiming that the atmosphere over there was unsettling.

Upon hearing that news, it seemed frantic inquiries made it clear that while nothing major occurred, the key players within the headquarters were gathered for a meeting, seemingly too busy to attend to anything else.

If that’s the case, it likely meant that this information had already leaked to headquarters.

Delving into it more might clarify things, but it was highly probable they had already caught wind of it.

If that’s the case, how could I relax and hope that this secret would remain secure?

So rather than just relying on that point, it would be better to take preparations for various situations during this time.

“Still…”

If there’s anything fortunate about this chaotic situation, it was that the leadership, who could genuinely deal with the Another Ones, had requested this information.

The original organization was formed by a fervent assembly of Another-haters, the Giant Monster Special Taskforce, so they were probably mulling over in various ways how to deal with the Another Ones, having just received the information.

And once some conclusion was reached… “That woman” would take action.

Considering scale alone, the Chinese Hero Association or the Russian Hero Association could hold their ground, but what kept the headquarters up and running was “that woman.”

And once she stepped into action, the burden on our side would surely lessen significantly.

So this could indeed be viewed as a positive signal.

However, I couldn’t simply leave it all to headquarters and sit back. I needed to send at least one or two members over.

Now, who would be good to send?

Who could go with minimal power leakage and integrate smoothly into the task force that would soon begin organizing over at headquarters?

“Chae-rim is definitely out…”

First of all, she wouldn’t be inclined to accept such a decision, and the fact that the Association managed to endure this long had a lot to do with her steadfast presence.

Having Chae-rim around instilled the belief that, no matter what happened, somehow, she would handle it.

For similar reasons, it felt a bit off to dispatch other Special-Class heroes as well.

Particularly for the Sprinter, who was currently managing workloads that seemed to multiply thanks to her exceptional mobility.

But to think she’d suddenly vanish just because she needed to be dispatched?

Filling that gap would be anything but easy.

Especially now, when every hand counted, and it felt like I’d want to borrow even a cat’s paw if it meant getting help.

“Yet it feels odd to send anyone aside from those two to the mission…”

The talent I possessed didn’t quite align with the objectives of the task force.

This was partly because that junior of mine was skilled in protection but lacked offensive prowess.

Regardless, the fact that she reached the pinnacle of being a Special-Class Hero was a testament to her talent being so immense that it eclipsed that flaw completely.

Honestly, had that junior been in the Association’s building during the previous ambush?

The Another Ones would’ve found themselves caught in clear barriers, utterly outmatched and taken down without a fight.

With talent that outstanding, it was a shame she didn’t fit the mission the headquarters was about to execute, so it was best to exclude her.

“So it seems… the only choice may be to select one from the First-Class heroes.”

But everyone already had their own tasks…

That was when the Association Chairman was lost in deep contemplation.

Boom—!

A violent tremor shook the building she sat in.