CH 170

Ep.170 Turn Over a New Leaf

A large abandoned factory with a big hole in it.

As several holes in the ceiling let in sunlight, the large door of the factory where all of our Ego Stream members were waiting was shattered.

Soon, the person I had been waiting for appeared.

“Haha… Fuckers.”

The woman who came in cursing in front of me.

With long gray hair, exotic looks, and sharp eyes, she was the S-class hero from the United States that I had been waiting for today. It was Metel.

“Haha… Oh, laughing brings good luck, and you’re laughing very happily. Haha!”

When she came in, she was so funny that I laughed along with her, but she gave me a cold look with her sharp eyes.

“Hmm… Oh… She changes her expression quickly.”

“…Shh!”

Seeing that, Seo Jayoung muttered blankly, and Choi Sehee quietly stabbed her waist as if telling her to be quiet.

With the two of them doing something or not behind me, Metel once again raised the corners of her mouth and smirked.

“Haha. Hahaha. You. Yeah, how much I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

Metel, speaking with a smug smile on her face.

I listened quietly, smiling, as she spoke. “No, there isn’t much time left to see you being so confident like this. Can’t you just listen for a bit?”

Even as I thought that, she continued to speak with an evil grin.

“You guys… you thought I was really funny, didn’t you? Otherwise, why would you call me to a deserted place?”

Looking around at the members of my Egostic team, she laughed, as if not scared at all, but rather finding it amusing.

Shaking my head, I muttered, “Funny… how hilarious…” and then added my own words.

“Oh my, you are overflowing with confidence. That’s good. I like it.”

But since she seemed like she would continue acting like that if left alone, I added a bit of provocation.

“But come to think of it, if you had charged at me with that much confidence, wouldn’t you have been defeated? Hahaha! Haha…”

“Shut up!”

In an instant, it seemed like she had pressed a button, shouting loudly and kicking up rocks as she spun around.

Roaaarr.-

Sharp rocks rose up from where she stood all the way to where I was.

Of course, I had already expected this, so I easily avoided them.

In the spot where I had been standing, a sharp, cruel-looking rock had risen up. It was easy enough to avoid, but if it had hit me, it didn’t look like my body would have come out unscathed.

Unlike the rocks she had thrown at me before, this one clearly had a deadly intent.

When Cho Se-hee, whose expression had stiffened, saw the cruel thing rising from where I had been, she was about to leave in anger, but I grabbed her shoulder to stop her. It wasn’t time to take action yet, not yet.

Whether we were doing it or not, Metel suddenly calmed down again, as if suppressing her emotions that had been stirred up for a moment.

She smiled with her usual relaxed expression and smirked.

“Yeah… Yeah. There’s no point in getting worked up. Well, anyway, today is the last moment of your short life.”

It was a very confident attitude.

Well, it wasn’t really unreasonable for her to act like that.

Because she had a secret weapon.

With a smile on her face, Metel raised one hand and then declared solemnly, “It’s all too much trouble now, so let’s finish it quickly.”

“Taste the judgment of the sky.”

As Metel spoke, numerous energies began to swirl around her. She reached up and a gust of wind and energy burst through the roof of the factory and into the sky.

Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound in the sky above, and a giant meteor appeared.

It was like something out of the apocalypse. The massive rock, glowing with a red light that obscured the sun, was falling towards them with an overwhelming size. I found myself holding my breath as I watched.

Metel strained to summon the meteor and held her right arm in pain as she leaned on it. She lifted her chin and spoke in a whisper.

“Do you see it? This is the difference between you and me.”

She was someone who could speak so arrogantly about the world and had the overwhelming power to back it up.

The sight of the giant meteor falling through the sky was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl. Looking up from below, it was like the end of the world. When it hit the factory, the entire area would be completely devastated.

This was the move that Metel had used to sweep away countless villains with overwhelming power, as she had emphasized before, she was an S-class hero.

And in this situation, which was like a natural disaster, I just chuckled.

“…Why is it breaking apart?”

Metel looked at me with a look that seemed to say, “Are you laughing because you’re in danger?”

I applauded and smiled, saying to her, “Metel, impressive. Very impressive. Metel, huh? I’ve heard of it before, but seeing it in person is truly amazing.”

She replied, “Ha. Looks like you still have the energy to laugh.”

The wind was howling and I stood beneath it, waving my cloak. I still looked confident in front of her.

Smiling, I said, “Whether it’s a meteor or a rock, it’s all good.”

She replied with a frown, “What nonsense is that?”

Metel, Metel. I know you’re an impressive S-class hero. But we already have four A-class villains and two S-class villains.

Haven’t you prepared for that?

“Guys, shoot.”

Thinking that, I spoke to the Ego Stream members who were waiting behind me.

And at that moment,

Flash-

“What the fuck…”

Metel muttered as everything I had prepared began to manifest at the same time.

Wiiiiiiinggg-

Boom. Boom.

The small missiles that Seo-eun had attached to the factory wall, taken from the Weapon Master’s warehouse, were launched through the roof.

“…Ah.”

Eun-wol’s magic was activated, and a large magic circle appeared in front of the meteor at the same time.

“Ugh!”

Enhanced Choi Sehee’s lightning struck directly on top of the factory, and…

Ziiiiiiiinggggg

Crackling-

Kaboom. Kaboom. Kaboom.

A deafening noise of something continuously exploding as if in the midst of a war zone, coming from above.

At the same time, a yellow light flashed in the sky, bathing everyone in its shadow.

Kabooooom.

And…

Thud.

A tremendous tremor shook the ground.

The massive meteorite was completely shattered into pieces.

Just a moment ago, a large boulder was flying from the sky, but now it disappeared entirely.

Instead, small pebbles were falling like snow, and I turned my head again to look at Metel and grinned.

“So, what else do you have?”

Smirking, I asked Metel while drawing a circle with my eyes.

Metel stared at me with eyes wide open, as if she couldn’t believe what just happened and was trying to understand what had occurred.

Finally grasping the situation, she lit up her eyes again, glared at me, and said with a trembling voice,

“T-this… this…”

“Hmm? Is there anything else?”

“FUCK!!!!!!”

Almost shouting obscenities, she tried to summon another meteorite.

But it was impossible to create one again, especially not one that was as powerful as the one before.

Booooooom.

The rock that had been summoned in the sky, half the size of before, was immediately struck down by Eun-wol’s magic circle and Choi Sehee’s lightning bolt without going far.

Still trembling, she blinked her eyes as if she couldn’t understand.

…No, I know that the meteor is powerful, but now it’s 1 against 6, so we can’t be defeated so easily.

Of course, it was the ultimate move of an S-class hero, and our side barely managed to destroy it with all our power.

Anyway, the conclusion is that Metel’s ultimate move is now useless. And while she has lost some power, we are still unharmed.

Hmm. Oh, Metel. I never thought of it, but it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. If we use it against Stardus, it could be great. Not just the small rock that destroys a factory district, but something big enough to destroy a whole city. Wouldn’t Stardus’s power increase when he stops it? He even stopped a plane, so why not a meteor?

While I was thinking about such a peaceful idea, Metel trembled in front of me and suddenly started spitting out rocks and rushing at us like a seizure.

“FUCK YOU!!! I’m gonna kill you all!!!!”

When she rushed at us with such a scary attitude…

I just chuckled and told our Ego Stream members.

“Now, attack!”

“Hmm… are we finally fighting?”

Seo Jayoung stepped forward while spitting out flames.

Choi Sehee ran with electricity surrounding her.

Desik came out of the ring, holding a greatsword and laughing heartily.

Eun-wol activated the magic circle on the ground and started the fight in earnest.

And even Seo-eun, who targeted all the weapons set up nearby at Metel, started the attack.

“Grahhhhh! You vile creatures! Come at me!!!”

That’s right.

The all-out battle of one hero against six Ego Stream members had begun.

When fighting an opponent who couldn’t be defeated alone… Isn’t it a villain’s ‘common sense’ to call for their comrades and fight together?

I just smirked and thought that.

Yeah, this is what a first-class villain is.

And so, the fight of 1 against 6 began in earnest.

***

No matter what, she is still an S-class hero.

In a fair and square battle, not an ambush, Metel was incredibly strong.

Despite being tired from using her finishing moves, she managed to take on six opponents at once, an impressive feat.

However, it all came to an end eventually.

“Hah…hah… gotcha.”

“Wow, she’s really tough.”

“Ugh… get your hands off me, fuckers!!”

After a fierce battle, Metel finally collapsed onto the ground.

Although she had put up a fight, she was too exhausted to continue and couldn’t escape. She had already used all her abilities to their limit and had nothing left.

“I’m going to kill all of you!!”

She continued to threaten them.

Whether I ignored her or not, I quietly thought to myself while looking down at her.

Metel.

She was a huge variable that was not part of my plan.

As an S-class agent from the United States, which was a central country of heroes, her danger level was top-notch.

She also already had a strong resentment toward me, and I didn’t know what she might do if I let her go.

Furthermore, according to Lee Seola, she was even hostile towards the Korean Association, including Stardus.

However, I couldn’t just eliminate her here.

If I did, the American Association could retaliate, and it wouldn’t be a good idea to reduce the power of a hero in any way when thinking about the future.

Therefore, the best solution here is for Metel to voluntarily leave Korea and never think about Ego Stream again.

And thoroughly crush her, and warn the United States.

We’re living well here, so it’s important to show that unnecessary casualties could occur if they meddle.

In other words, to protect Korea.

I need to completely humble Metel in this situation.

“Good job, everyone. You can go rest with Mist and Electra. Only our Moonlight Shaman stays.”

“Okay… I’m going. Ah, it’s been tough.”

“Okay, and Metel, can I have a word with you?”

“Yes…”

She looked at me with sharp eyes and shouted at me in a determined voice.

“No matter what you do, I, Metel, will never surrender!!!”

“Yes, yes.”

She shouted at me like a warrior for justice.

Hmm, she’s so stubborn. This could be difficult.

But I have no choice. If I want to send Metel away, I have to fix her personality.

So, the first Misbehaving Hero Personality Correction Project began.

“…Ugh!! Do you think I’ll submit to this kind of thing!!!”

“Grahhhhhh!! I’ll kill these bastards!!!!”

“Ugh. These Mother Fuckers!!”

“………? What’s happening now… Heeeyyyy!!”

“Wait a minute…….. Wait…”

“Hey. Um, excuse me. Can we talk and resolve this through conversation…? Wait… Hehe!”

“…I-I’m sorry. I think I was wrong, so please forgive me. Ugh?”

“Sorry… I-I was wrong… Ugh, I was wrong…”

***

So, time passed.

With tears in my eyes, I did my best to restrain the American hero who threatened my homeland of South Korea.

After the first hero education was completed, I kindly asked Metel, who was awake under my command.

“Okay, Metel. What should a hero do if there’s a hostage?”

“Hee hee! Um, well, first of all, if there’s a hostage, the hero should prioritize rescuing the hostage, and if that’s not possible, they should take the hostage and escape.”

“Well done. And what about before facing a villain?”

“After thoroughly examining the villain’s capabilities and studying them in advance, the hero should find the best solution before acting recklessly.”

“Okay. And what about South Korea?”

“Korea? Ah, I should never think about invading South Korea in the future, and I should live quietly as a hero in the United States. No, I will live quietly. Yes, I will live quietly.” 

As I watched Metel, who was shaking but still spoke well, I tilted my head. 

“Okay, then. Give me your hand.” 

“Ha, my hand…” 

As I held out my hand in front of her, she reflexively placed her own hand on top of mine, even though she didn’t know what was going on. 

Still looking at me with trembling and uneasy eyes, while trying to read my expression, I thought to myself, “Hmm… I guess this is good enough?” 

As I was thinking that, Seo-eun, who had been watching this scene from behind, whispered to me quietly, “Um… Da-in, isn’t her personality different from before…?” 

To Seo-eun, who asked if everything was okay, I replied, “It’s okay. This is the kind of change that needs to happen for Korea to become safer, right, Metel?” 

“Yes? Yes, of course!” 

As I watched Metel quickly and confidently reply, I nodded quietly. Okay, this should be enough. 

Finally, our once rough hero had become kind! 

I felt proud.