This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 553

“Has it been about 7 years now?”

“Yes? What are you talking about?”

“I’m referring to the hero power ranking announced by the World Hero Association headquarters.”

“Now that you mention it, I suppose it has been around that long.”

Thinking back, I realized that was indeed the case.

It felt like ages, yet in reality, it wasn’t as long as I thought.

“I believe that’s the first time in the association’s history, right? Putting heroes from various countries on the same level and openly comparing them to rank them.”

“Oh, really?”

That was something I wasn’t aware of.

It made sense though, since I hadn’t particularly shown interest in such matters.

Whenever I combed through the internet looking for necessary info, I often stumbled upon national hero rankings published by respective country associations, like they were everywhere.

Given the current state of affairs, I thought people liked to line each other up and compare like that.

I never thought it was the first time, though.

Considering that I hadn’t heard any updates since then, it was probably both the first and last time it happened.

I wondered what kind of wind blew through the normally quiet association headquarters for them to make such an announcement.

Perhaps I had been silently curious about it.

Just then, Chae-rim’s voice followed.

“Honestly, I think comparing domestic heroes to rank them is dangerous.”

“Is it because of pride?”

“That’s part of it. Generally speaking, anyone active enough to bear the title of hero has a pretty inflated ego. If someone like that hears ‘you’re below that guy,’ what do you think would happen?”

“Well, naturally…”

They’d probably refuse to acknowledge the ranking and try to prove themselves instead.

As I said that, Chae-rim nodded as if it was obvious.

“That’s why it’s risky.”

“Especially since if heroes start brawling privately, resulting in one of them getting seriously hurt or killed, it would be a calamity like no other for the association.”

“Exactly. So recently, many places have started scoring each hero’s missions to generate their rankings based on that.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

Like I said before, heroes are prideful beings at their core.

If they incited some friendly competition like that, it might motivate those who just meet their quotas to work harder.

“If they announce monthly rankings and promise advantages to those who place high during promotion evaluations, don’t you think they’d act with more passion than now?”

“I was already thinking about whether we should implement that, but Dogun, your idea might not be bad.”

Chae-rim added a short “anyway” at the end of her statement.

“Comparing heroes from the same country can bring its own set of risks, but what about comparing heroes representing different countries?”

That was obvious even without looking.

This was an issue not just about individual pride but also about national pride. They would surely unite against it if that happened.

“Moreover, imagine someone who believed they were the strongest in the world until that announcement, only to see an unknown name rank above them?”

“I can only imagine their rage would rise to the top of their heads.”

And as I said that, one name popped into my mind.

Natasha Sergeyevna Izmailova.

Known as the ‘Fighting Saint,’ she was a hero from the Russian Hero Association and was considered Russia’s strongest hero.

I said ‘was’ because her activities had significantly decreased in recent years.

Yet, no one denied that she represented Russia as a hero… the reason was simple.

‘Because she was strong.’

Overwhelmingly so.

Moreover, she was known to have reached the pinnacle of the relatively common physical enhancement abilities.

Even though it was a talent considered somewhat typical, she was proof that with relentless training, one could achieve an extreme level in such abilities.

‘Exactly which type of physical enhancement talent was unknown, but…’

According to rumors, her abilities had reached such extremes that she could rip steel apart with her bare hands, deflected nearly everything thrown at her, and even when injured, could regenerate in an instant.

That was right; it felt right to describe her that way.

Anyway, the Fighting Saint was famously hot-headed, and one incident that showcased her temperament was the event in Korea dubbed ‘The Final Fate of the Crazed Girls Who Bad-Mouthed Heroes.’

I’m not entirely sure of the details, but apparently, she kidnapped—no, assembled—everyone who was bad-mouthing her online without reason and threw them in the middle of the Siberian wilderness, providing them only with minimal winter gear.

What was scarier was that in the midst of this, she insisted on training as well, so she rolled around in the snow with those online trolls in attire that was practically no more than underwear.

Would someone with that temper truly accept the ranking announced by the association headquarters as it was?

In my opinion, she would not.

Given her temperament, she would probably burst into the association headquarters and demand to see Miss Almighty.

‘Of course, the headquarters wouldn’t just comply with her request.’

Who would dare to do that?

She was a presence the association had been discreetly hiding away like a secret weapon.

It sparked wild theories claiming that Miss Almighty didn’t even exist—that the hero was merely a fictional character created by the World Hero Association to maintain their current power structure.

This theory shifted when the association’s “Miss Almighty” showed up a few times in crisis situations or at official events, changing the narrative that what they presented was merely a stand-in.

Yet, even such ridiculous conspiracy theories gained popularity, making Miss Almighty a figure shrouded in mystery. So, even if the strongest hero from Russia came to stir things up, the association would likely refuse her outright.

But then again, I thought, if that was how it ended, Chae-rim wouldn’t have bothered to bring up this story at all.

The moment that thought occupied my mind, a possibility suddenly dashed through my mind.

“Could it be… did the two actually face off?”

“…That’s right.”

Goodness.

A battle between the current number one and number two in the hero power rankings.

What must their fight have been like?

Did it end in the blink of an eye, synonymous with a duel between known masters?

Or did they resist each other for hours, displaying their evenly matched abilities?

‘It probably didn’t end quickly…’

While nothing was known about Miss Almighty’s talents, ‘Fighting Saint’ could theoretically go on fighting for days if she set her mind to it.

If she decided to endure, she’d be a type that was difficult to capture.

And her fiery personality didn’t mean she was foolish; surely she would begin by testing the waters and trying to figure out her opponent’s abilities.

Taking that into account, the chances of their battle wrapping up in an instant dwindled even further.

‘Darn…’

Was there any footage of the fight?

If there was, I’d love to see it…

More than that, I wanted to show it to my senior or Yoonseo.

For it was one thing to wonder about Miss Almighty, but regarding the Fighting Saint, it’s presumed she had honed her talents to extremes.

Despite the notion that everything connects in the end, observing her methods would undoubtedly provide Yoonseo and my senior with something valuable.

That’s why I hoped to find a video of their fight, not just for my own viewing but to share with them, yet… it seemed almost impossible.

There was no guarantee that such footage existed, and even if it did, the association headquarters wouldn’t release it to just anyone.

Due to that thought, I found myself feeling slightly disappointed.

“They did fight. Not just the Fighting Saint, but all the ranked heroes who were there that day.”

Chae-rim’s voice carried an odd revelation.

All the ranked heroes present that day fought?

Given the tone of her words, it felt as if heroes representing various countries jointly attacked Miss Almighty.

“Could it be… no way, right?”

As I casually threw out my question, Chae-rim’s face revealed a wry smile.

“She really was strong. A true powerhouse, that’s for sure.”

That smile seemed like one a human would make when confronted with a true wall of strength.