NOVEL NEXT Chapter 254: Manufactured Heroes (6)
In this world, many cultural elements have changed since the Great Cataclysm.
This had been mentioned several times already, so there was no need to elaborate further. However, there was one crucial piece of information regarding the Sephiroth Knights.
The Tree of Sephiroth had a total of 10 positions. One of these positions wpi;d be taken by the ‘Dark Charisma.’
The Chief was completely taken by the Sephiroth Knights.
Indeed, settings like Sephiroth, Qliphoth, and angels were sufficient to stimulate something in ability users.
-Director Do? Bring the other 9 concepts. It will plunge the world into even more confusion.
The Chief demanded I bring nine more concepts.
The Sephiroth Knights were entirely different from the Secret Society, but the purpose of the knights established through the Dark Charisma was ‘world peace’ and ‘justice.’
In other words, the path of a hero.
I didn’t know why the Chief suggested various aspects of the hero’s path to me, but I had to conceive and imagine various concepts.But I was neither a writer nor a creator, so how could I come up with an image?
Should I just attach attributes to something plausible like the names of fantasy beasts and establish a concept?
I thought, then realized my strengths as a reader, a cultural content consumer, and a possessor.
Cultures that did not exist in this world.
If I applied those here, they would become my originals.
As I said before, that was then, and this was now.
And to be honest, there was something I wanted to say.
There were parts I couldn’t bear while being neither Do Ji-hwan nor the Goblin.
Even if I acted strangely, it’s not me.
People might laugh and burst out in mad laughter, whether they were allies of justice or the black figure in the dragon suit overwhelming villains here.
They were completely separate beings.
So, I could ‘conceptualize’ properly once.
Just like when I went wild as the Dark Charisma, I can go wild now.
[Is this all? Weak.]
I was just a bit stressed from being in Thailand.
This much was fine.
Maybe.
Fulfilling a bit of a romance.
[Too weak. Not a match.]
“Kuh…!!”
I lightly subdued the villains with the large claws, ‘Dragon Killer,’ equipped in my hands.
[I didn’t hit vital points. They won’t die.]
“Y-You’re toying with us…!”
[I have something to ask.]
Instead of catching the dragon, I stabbed the villains’ legs with claws, making holes in their legs, rendering them unable to move on the ground.
[Why do you live your lives like that?]
“W-What…!”
[I can’t understand. Being born with abilities, yet living like this. Is that the meaning of your lives?]
Like asking a Zen question, I scratched their insides.
[Is tormenting and hurting others the purpose and meaning of your lives?]
If the original asked these questions in a journey to find oneself, I, sorry to the original, ask these questions to mock and belittle the opponent.
[Is trampling life recklessly the purpose of you as humans?]
“Y-You bastard…! Just because you’re strong, spouting nonsense…!”
Oops.
Caught.
“You think you’re so great?! You’re just like us!”
[You think I’m like you?]
I strode towards the villain who shouted at me.
Pretending to be excited by the villain’s words, I aimed the Dragon Killer at the villain, who was pretending to be emotionless.
[No. I’m different. I don’t live my life like you.]
“K-Kuh…! You say that while sticking those claws into a human and grabbing their collar!!”
[I didn’t stab a human. I just disposed of trash.]
Thud!
I slammed the villain I was holding by the collar to the ground with my claws.
[Trash needs to be removed. There’s no place for trash like you in this world.]
Blood was gushing out from the hole in his thigh, but an A-rank ability user wouldn’t die from such an attack.
[You’re trash. Twisted trash whose purpose in life is distorted. People like you only make this world suffer and darken.]
I raised my claws, emitting killing intent.
[Trash disposal.]
Just as I was about to strike to kill, a shadow jumped out from behind.
“Don’t kill…!”
Jeongguk Heungdo Wang, Reina, stood in front of me.
“I don’t know who you are, but you can’t kill them now!”
If she knew I was the Goblin, she would have acted differently. But now, as a hero burning with a sense of justice, she blocked me from killing the villain.
‘Does she know?’
No.
Did she notice the Sephiroth Knights’ insignia on the shield I held up?
The Sephiroth Knights, in name, were a group advocating justice, but in reality, they were a cosplay group of the Secret Society.
[Why shouldn’t I kill them?]
“The decision to kill or spare them is the role of this country’s law! And killing this trash will only dirty your hands!”
[……I don’t understand. Weren’t you just about to be killed by these people?]
“That’s a different issue!”
[Is that so? Then, I won’t kill them.]
I sheathed the Dragon Killer and scanned my surroundings again.
‘The villains who attacked the Hero Association have been repelled for now. It’s about time Nguyen and the other heroes arrive at the association.’
It’s about time to strike the leadership on this side as well.
[I have no further interest here.]
“Wait, just a moment!!”
It’s not Jeongguk Heungdo Wang.
It was Phupatpong, who was lying on the ground bleeding profusely after being stomped on by me.
“You, you! If we’re trash, what does that make you!!”
[To find that out, I’m on the move.]
Flap.
[Until I find the reason I came to this world.]
Using the shield on my back as wings, I infused it with magic power.
I didn’t have the ability to fly, but the magical suit created using the Goblin bat and Gunggi’s magic lifted me into the sky.
Swoosh.
I flew forward, scanning the distance.
Deliberately extending both arms forward, I soared through the air like Superman.
“Hey, over there!!”
Some people below spotted me, while others cursed and ran away upon seeing me.
Even though I hadn’t shown this form publicly, it was clear that I shouldn’t be messed with.
Those who saw me swiftly subdue the A-class villains that attacked the association building would be even more terrified.
The same applied for non-superhumans.
Thud!
I landed in a place that resembled a barrack.
As soon as my feet touched the ground, the sound of a gunshot echoed, and countless bullets were fired at me.
Rat-a-tat-tat.
I enhanced the suit with more magic power, forming a protective shield.
The bullets couldn’t even scratch the suit. I approached the man gritting his teeth at me, extending the Dragon Killer to his neck.
[Found you. The source of the distortion.]
“Ugh…! You monster…!”
[If I kill you, this chaos will surely end. But first, I have a question.]
I deliberately bided my time.
I had to stall with riddles until the heroes arrived and I could hand over the ringleader of this coup to them.
[Why do you live?]
“What…?”
[Do you live to kill people and plunge the world into chaos? Is that your life’s purpose?]
“…Hmph! Sending someone as insane as you, talking about Sephiroth or whatever! You’re just a monstrously strong fool!”
Chairai, the coup leader who lied about planting bombs inside villains and prisoners, pointed his gun at me.
“The world falls into chaos because of ignorant kids like you! I wonder what kind of parents raised you!”
[Do you have parents who raised you?]
“What…?!”
Chairai’s face turned bright red in an instant.
[Is that so. You don’t have any.]
I apologized to the original, but there was no better insult.
“Die!!”
Bang!
A bullet flew toward my face.
Just before the impact of the shot reached my face, I infused my helmet with magic power, deflecting the bullet instantly.
[You, too, are someone who cannot give an answer.]
Click.
I infused the Dragon Killer with magic power.
The heroes hadn’t arrived yet, but there was no need for pretense; the man in front of me was destined for execution.
Without the coup, the number of people who would have died in Phuket would have been thousands, maybe tens of thousands.
[I will kill you, trash, and quell the chaos in this city.]
“…Ha, haha.”
Chairai let out a hollow laugh.
“Why do I live? That’s obvious. For my father’s revenge.”
[Didn’t you say you had no parents who raised you?]
“Yes. Now I don’t. Both of them are gone, and one was betrayed by this country and killed!!”
[Betrayed…?]
The absurdity made me momentarily speechless.
“Therefore, everyone must die!! I will destroy this country that betrayed my father!!”
As Chairai continued to shout, something on the computer screen turned red.
“Haha. No matter how much of a monster you are….”
He smirked.
“You can’t stop a missile strike…!”
[……!!]
In the distance.
Beyond the night sky, several red lights sparkled.
I then stabbed the Dragon Killer into Chairai’s thigh, crippling his leg, and soared into the sky.
This.
I couldn’t ignore it.
“Red Brassard! Missiles are heading towards Phuket!”
“Damn it…!!”
He could see them.
Somehow dragged to the launch site, multiple missiles were arching towards Phuket.
A-class heroes could survive a missile strike.
But the missiles were heading towards the city center, the residential areas.
“Jenzaaaaaang!!”
He clenched his fists in frustration at his helplessness.
“That, that is?!”
Something black was flying towards the missiles.