BXBX NOVEL Chapter 428: Lily of the Valley (3)
Chapter 428: Lily of the Valley (3)
In the world of superheroes, where villains run amok on a daily basis, hero associations are pretty important.
In most countries, they have similar power to the government, and in some countries, they’re even more powerful than the government.
Of course, this is only when heroes and villains are on the rampage.
[[BREAKING] US Hero Association power curtailment formalized… White House Declares ‘The Age of Heroes is Over’]
When all heroes and villains lose their powers and become ordinary people the Hero Associations become nothing more than a taxpayer-funded cesspool. They have nothing to do anymore, so what are they doing?
Naturally, the organization pushed back.
[90-minute tearful speech by the head of the International Heroes Association… ‘This is too much for the heroes who risked their lives for their country’]
[‘There are still a lot of villains out there who are still carrying out terrorist acts.’…The Heroes Association’s existence will be decided in May.]
The organization’s argument seemed to have some merit, given how much they had done for the country.
If it wasn’t for the revelation of how much the heroes are paid, including their means of survival…
[(1B) Massive layoffs of US heroes]
The result was this.
There must be someone to throw away trash so there can be a garbage collector.
‘Don’t move, Class A villain Uncoming! You are already surrounded! Surrender!’
‘Okay, okay, I’ll just turn myself in…’
‘…??’
After their powers were gone, the villains who had developed metacognition and realized how pathetic they were overnight were either captured or reformed and disappeared. It was a blessing for the planet.
…However, as a result, most associations were forced to undergo harsh restructuring. Many heroes became unemployed. Isn’t it a good thing that those who risked their lives to defend the country, didn’t have to risk their lives to defend it, only to be fired from their jobs…?
Of course, there are also quite a few heroes who lost their sense of self overnight and became depressed…but that’s a story for another time.
Anyway, many of these countries’ hero associations have fallen, except for one country in East Asia.
“Uh, Mr. Egostic, what’s up?”
“Gentlemen. Mr. Egostic is here!”
The headquarters of the Hero Association of South Korea.
As I emerged from the elevator, the place quickly became crowded with people who recognized me.
“Haha. Hello, everyone.”
I waved, and they waved back, quite pleased to see me.
They were all the Association’s elite, the few remaining after a harsh restructuring.
…though somehow they seemed to be my fans.
And so I made my entrance into the Association.
When I appeared on the top floor, I was greeted by the President of the Association, who greeted me with a shit-eating expression.
“Egostic, you’re finally coming back, it’s been almost three months.”
“Haha, yeah. I’ve been busy myself.”
“…Although I don’t know if I should believe you.”
Sighing, I just smiled at the president of the association.
How could I, a villain, walk into an association and have such a friendly conversation with the president?
The story flashes back to three years ago.
‘So you’re…What?’
‘I’m Egostic.’
‘…Mmm, mmm. I see. You’re here to turn yourself in? Hmm, well, there’s plenty of other villains here to turn themselves in so get down there and get in line. We’re busy right now.’
Three years ago.
A few days after the incident of loss of ability, the president of the association spoke so comfortably as he saw me barging into the association wearing a mask. He also took a sip of coffee in an elegant manner.
‘But you see, my ability didn’t disappear.’
Until I snapped my fingers and sent a bunch of guns into the air.
And the president of the association saw that.
‘Phew.’
Immediately, he dropped his cup, coffee spilling from his mouth.
It was a natural reaction. This is a world where all powers are gone. There shouldn’t be anyone like me with any abilities left.
‘Well… guns are a joke. Here.’
I slammed my hand against the wall, and the guns mostly fell back to the ground.
Just like that, I’d made a perfect preemptive strike, and smirked behind my mask.
‘There you go. Now, are you in the mood to talk?’
That was the beginning of my relationship with the Association.
Since the dawn of the Age of Incapacitation, most heroes and villains have lost their powers. As such, most ordinary people assumed that everyone’s powers were gone.
But not me, who knew the precedent of this incapacitation event.
The loss of abilities was strictly due to the annihilation of the Sun God, so we can assume that the abilities of those not under the Sun God’s influence were not lost.
For example, Stardus and the Moonlight Cult’s shrine maiden…
‘No, but didn’t Stardus lost her powers anyway?’
‘No… you, how can you do that?’
So I tried it, and it was as expected.
If so, it’s a breeze.
After that day, I told the president of the association everything. That I had actually become a villain for Stardus, that I knew every remaining villain in the country.
And that I have a heart to help.
‘…And you expect me to believe that?’
The president’s first reaction was “…you expect me to believe that?”, but my subsequent actions have forced him to recognize me.
I stopped the terrorism and captured several other villains so I and the Association became friends.
In a world where all heroes have lost their powers, the Korean Hero Association, with its only remaining hero, became the center of the world’s attention, but that’s another story.
“…..”
Well. Speaking only of my choices now, the reason I worked with the association was simple. After-sales service.
Most of the villains had lost their abilities, but a few were still a threat. The ones that didn’t rely on abilities like Weapon Maker, who is just good at making weapons, Monkey Spanner, whose henchmen are even scarier, and the Moonlight Cult, who survives as the epitome of Moon God.
In other words, my job is to eradicate these villains, who are still alive like cockroaches after the incapacitation events.
It’s a lot more streamlined than my original plan to infiltrate the world-class villain organization Cathedral, play on a world-class level, and take out the creatures of the Sun God, but… Well. If a man draws his sword, he must cut down radishes.
And so I was helping the Association.
Oh. Of course, work-life balance is important, so sometimes, only when I want to do it.
Right now, it’s more important to be with Seo-Eun.
Anyway, back to the present.
I turned to the president of the association, who was giving me the dirty looks that I get every three months.
“So, is Stardus gone now?”
“Stardus? I thought she was off tracking down the sewers where Crocodile lives…”
“Yep. Well, call me when she gets back, and I’ll see you then.”
“You’re always such an ass… That’s it. Don’t talk. I’ll call you when she gets back.”
“Okay, then…”
With that, I turned to leave the room.
…Before I did, of course, I asked.
“Oh, and, Mr. Chairman. Have you found any new leads on the HanEun Group?”
“…I’m afraid not.”
“I see.”
I see. I guess not yet.
After I finished asking him in the Association President’s room, I was passing through the passageway to go back to the association headquarters since I had some things to check.
Then, a voice called out to me from the other side.
“Huh? Da-in?”
I turned my head at the call, and smiled at the person walking towards me.
“Hello, Soobin. How are you doing?”
“Ahaha. Yes, hello, Mr. Da-in. Thanks.”
Her name was Soobin.
She had long brown hair and a kind face.
We are old friends because I was the one who brought her into this association.
‘Brother. This must be the person we need for our plan.’
The day after the superpowers were lost, in the midst of all the chaos, I punished the people who were selling my name and causing terror and Seo-Eun recommended this Soobin, saying that she was quite good.
That’s why she was originally supposed to belong to the villain alliance ‘Egostream’ with me… but because of the incident where supernatural powers were lost, there was no need for such an organization, so she somehow ended up floating away.
Still, I couldn’t let such talent go to waste, so I recommended her to the president and she joined the staff here.
After that, I heard that she was from a computer engineering background and with that knowledge she was doing quite well as an ace in the association.
Anyway, I chatted with her for a while.
“Soo-Bin, how are you doing these days? The association seems to be at peace.”
“Hoo hoo. Yes, thanks to you. There are still quite a few villains we haven’t caught yet, so we’re all working together.”
Maybe it’s because she entered the Association through me, but I’m quite close with her. She even had dinner with Seo-eun and me the other day.
Anyway, they talked about this and that, and Soobin asked how Seo-eun was doing. After a while, the casual conversation continued.
“Oh, right, Mr. Da-in. Do you have a lover these days?”
“A lover? Haha, no, I haven’t thought about that yet.”
I was busy raising Seo-eun and I didn’t have time for that…
Maybe it’s a little sad to think about that?
Anyway, I answered with a sad smile but Soobin smiled brightly as if she understood.
Then, she said something quite out of the blue.
“So, Mr. Da-in, would you like to go on a blind date with me?”
“What?”
Hmm. A blind date. That’s so out of the blue.
I never thought I would receive an offer like this after coming to this world and.
I paused, thinking about it.
***
At that time.
[Really? So, Da-in, would you like to go on a blind date with me?]
-Poof.
In the underground secret laboratory under my home, Seo-eun was there, facing the screen, eating a sandwich and casually eavesdropping on the association.
She dropped her bread onto the keyboard when she heard a voice from across the screen.
“Soo, Soo-bin unnie..?”
No, what do you mean…