This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 584

I am absolutely necessary.

Given that I’ve heard such a statement, the answer I could give in return was pretty much set in stone.

“Why me of all people?”

Honestly, if I could just restore Dogun’s left arm to its original state?

It didn’t really matter who the trading partner was.

To say it bluntly, as long as I get to Seoul, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that woman referred to as a doctor who can fix Dogun’s left arm.

And since I’m going to be used anyway, I wanted to clearly understand the reason why I’m being used.

So, when I asked, did she already anticipate that I would respond with that?

The answer to my question came right back.

“Well, it’s because there’s no one more suitable than Yoonseo.”

“Really now? Is that so?”

“It’s not just a coincidence; it’s a fact.”

Her voice was laden with conviction.

So, for now, I decided to listen to what she had to say.

“A hero stronger than Yoonseo? Honestly, you could find plenty if you looked. Just look at the top-ranked heroes in Korea, including Lightning Lady, and you’d see.”

That was… certainly an undeniable fact.

Recently, I’ve been feeling that the standard has risen quite a bit, yet if you were to pit me against Chae-rim, I couldn’t picture myself winning at all.

The same goes for the other two Special-Class heroes.

No, was it really necessary to go as far as Special-Class?

There are quite a few among the First-Class heroes who seem much more formidable than me.

Thus, her statement about finding a stronger hero than me is likely sincere.

Knowing that only deepened my curiosity.

After all, if they purposely singled me out for the joining request despite there being plenty of stronger heroes, it implies there must be a compelling reason behind it.

What that reason is, I have no clue.

“However… they have no reason to take risks.”

I didn’t intend to belittle others with this situation, but I certainly couldn’t disagree with that.

“When you look at the heroes who volunteered for the exploration team formed by the Korean Hero Association, aren’t there some famous names among them?”

As if she had caught on to my inner thoughts, she added that remark perfectly timed.

Even though I hadn’t mentioned anything about the exploration team, it was as if she could see right through the situation that was treated as confidential within the Association.

There wasn’t even a moment to be shocked by that comment.

Because rather than being stunned by having my secret exposed, my initial thought was, “Well, that does make sense.”

Indeed, just as she said, it was true.

I’m not trying to belittle those who dared to volunteer for the exploration team at the risk of their lives, but the truth is that the so-called “real” ones aren’t included among those currently signed up.

Of course, one could argue that from the Association’s perspective, not fully understanding what exactly the Heogye is or what dangers it might harbor would lead them to take the most cautious approach.

If I’m being honest, given that nothing has been made clear about the Heogye, it wouldn’t make sense to recklessly throw all their resources into it only to end up unable to bring those people back.

Recruiting heroes for the exploration team based on volunteers was likely part of that reasoning too.

If the Association were to “select” personnel themselves, there would inevitably be backlash if things went south later, but if they formed the exploration team solely from people who volunteered, they could use that as a plausible excuse if something went wrong.

Sure, one could say that’s too petty for such a large organization, but considering the current state of the Association, it’s entirely understandable for them to adopt such a stance.

From the Association’s standpoint, they had every reason to feel that way since any further “failure” would be hard for them to stomach.

After all, the reason the Association, which initially had no thoughts of forming an exploration team, hastily pulled the unprecedented card of outsourcing was because they were pushed by public opinion questioning what the Association was doing.

But to have this initiative go wrong and collapse?

What do you think would happen to the already simmering public opinion?

You can bet it would erupt like a volcano now.

That had to be a burden for the Association.

And so, it was no surprise they made a choice like the one they did now.

What can I say?

Everyone isn’t openly saying it, but anyone affiliated with the exploration team is already half-convinced that the Association has no plans to proceed with any further explorations.

As evidence, even though the exploration team provided information that the Association couldn’t dare to overlook, it still hasn’t received much feedback.

This means that the higher-ups didn’t even engage in simple discussions about the information they received, instead opting to brush it aside unilaterally.

“At least I know my sister isn’t to blame.”

Due to her position as the Vice-Chairwoman of the Association, and the obligation to protect Dogun from various influences, she couldn’t act freely. But if she had received that information?

She would have definitely acted immediately.

However, when I met her before to talk about Miss Almighty, it seems she didn’t even mention it… which means someone intentionally omitted that information from the report.

Who could that possibly be?

Honestly, it’s pretty obvious.

Considering my sister’s title as Vice-Chairwoman makes it even clearer.

“…the Association Chairman.”

Yeah, it was probably his doing.

My sister mentioned that the Chairman tends to be an extreme safety-first type.

She even said that laws for forcibly isolating young people with awakened abilities in facilities similar to special facilities were created under his leadership.

Given his perspective, the information about the nest where that Peculiar Entity was born… could be seen as a potential risk that might disrupt the current system.

If they succeeded in breaching the “nest,” it would be a great outcome, but if they failed, it would only result in the people’s distrust toward the Association.

For the Chairman, who has tirelessly invested astronomical amounts into image-making every quarter, there’s no way he’d accept a situation where things turn that way.

Considering that, it’s understandable why he would want to bury my report.

However, that’s only rationally. Emotionally, I absolutely cannot accept it.

If you’re going to bury important information like this, then why did you even bother to form an exploration team in the first place?

While other countries are already stepping into Heogye, what the heck is our country’s Association doing, pressured by public opinion to form an exploration team, only to behave so half-heartedly when the critical moment arrives?

At this rate, all the hardships I’ve endured while lying to Dogun would feel utterly pointless.

And if the Association isn’t going to fulfill its duties?

Then for me, there’s no longer any reason to uphold my end of the deal with them.

In this situation where time is running out, I found myself staring blankly at the face of the person sitting across from me and the hand they had extended towards me as if urging me to take it.

If I grasped that hand now…

There would be no turning back on many things.

I would surely be marked as a target by the Chairman, who was trying to bury this matter.

Thinking about my future as a hero, this was a choice I should never make.

But my hand was already moving toward the extended hand before me.

The reason was simple.

Future as a hero?

Who cares about that.

What mattered more to me was the future with Dogun.

Honestly, if the situation becomes too unfavorable, isn’t it okay to retire early?

“More than anything…”

If it weren’t for Dogun, who’d been looking after me so attentively since I was little, I probably wouldn’t have even become a hero.

But was there really a reason to think about anything else?

So here—

“This is right.”

And with that… I grasped the extended hand.

I shook it firmly as a means of expressing my hope for our cooperation moving forward.