Tech Hero in Another World

After a long pause that felt as if time itself had stopped, Ren slowly lowered his pistol. The barrel, which had been nearly pressed against Mr. X's forehead, slid downward before finding its way back into its holster. His shoulders slumped, his breath came heavy.

"What are you doing?" asked Mr. X, this time with a faint tone of surprise. Clearly, he hadn't expected the boy to choose a different path.

Ren lowered his head, closing his eyes for a brief moment before letting out a long sigh. "Haah… I know this is pointless. Even if I shoot you now, the outcome would likely be nothing. So I decided… not to be the first one to act." His words were honest, spoken without pride. Just the firm admission that he understood his opponent stood far above him.

Mr. X fell silent for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "Hmm… I see. In that case, I won't do it either."

He stepped past Ren, his body hovering slightly above the ground, surrounded by a faint glow of magic energy seeping out from within him. The aura pressed heavily, making the air around them tremble. As he passed Ren, he lightly patted the boy's shoulder, as if they were nothing more than two acquaintances with differing views.

"But remember, our goal is great," he said coldly. "If you keep playing the hero who stands in our way, then our next meeting will be far worse. And don't forget—my offer still stands…"

With those words, a glowing magic circle appeared beneath his feet, ancient symbols flaring to life before engulfing his figure. In an instant, Mr. X vanished, swallowed by the light.

Ren could only look up at the sky that was slowly darkening. His breath grew heavy once more, as though the brief conversation alone had drained him of everything. "Haah… what kind of world have I stepped into?" he muttered faintly.

---

In another place, far from the temple and the city, an ancient altar stood in the midst of darkness. A similar magic circle appeared, and from within it, Mr. X stepped out calmly. Waiting before him was a woman with long, wavy hair, her black gown flowing with every movement. Her eyes were sharp, burning with restrained anger.

"Mrs. C," Mr. X greeted briefly.

"Hey…" The woman glanced at him with a questioning look. "Did you meet him?"

Mr. X gave only a faint smile, walking past her unhurriedly. "Isn't it obvious?"

Mrs. C let out a small snort but still followed his steps. Mr. X cast her a sideways glance and said, "You need to rein in your anger as well. Focus on our goal. Anger will only blind you."

The woman eventually nodded. Together, they walked through a stone corridor that opened into a vast chamber. At the center of the room stood a long table surrounded by seven chairs. Each seat was already occupied—figures cloaked in darkness, hiding their identities, leaving only their menacing auras to fill the space.

"Is everyone present?" Mr. X asked, his voice echoing through the chamber.

"We've all been waiting for you, X," replied someone at the far end of the table. He was the leader of the group, a man with a piercing gaze known only by one initial: Z.

"I see… Well, you could've started without me," Mr. X chuckled lightly as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Z's sharp stare cut across the table like a blade. "Don't be ridiculous. You are the general staff of this organization. How could the meeting begin without you?"

Mr. X only chuckled again, his relaxed demeanor a stark contrast to the heavy tension filling the room. He leaned back in the long chair of black wood, crossing his arms as if this meeting were nothing more than idle chatter at a teahouse. "Heh, yeah, yeah… I get it. Let's just say I enjoy making you wait a little."

"That's enough," Z's voice cut through, deep and commanding. "Very well. Since X is here, let's begin. As usual, each member will report the results of the missions I assigned."

The atmosphere in the room grew heavier. One by one, the other cloaked figures delivered their reports—some with satisfaction, others with bitterness. Of the eight main missions, six succeeded, but two had failed completely. And failure was no trivial matter, for within the circle of the Sinister Seven, failure always demanded a clear reason.

One woman, nicknamed C, admitted in a low voice, "I was cornered… driven to the edge by a group of rebels. There's no way they could have stalled my plan without outside help. And that person… is the same one who ruined Mr. X's mission."

The room fell silent for a moment. Every head turned toward Mr. X, who still looked utterly relaxed, even idly picking his ear with his pinky finger.

Z narrowed his eyes. "I see." Then his gaze locked fully on the man slouched in his chair. "X, would you care to explain?"

"Explain what?" Mr. X turned with a flat expression, as if he couldn't fathom why he was being accused.

"X…" Z's tone was firm, pressing down like a weight. "I'm being serious."

Mr. X shrugged, leaning his head against the chair as if completely unbothered. "Yeah, yeah. Honestly, this is hard to explain. The one standing in my way… isn't the kind of foolish hero with a fragile spirit we usually deal with. This time, we're up against something more complicated."

Z tapped his finger against the table. "Complicated? What exactly do you mean by that?"

Mr. X paused, then cast his eyes slowly around the table, meeting each companion's gaze with a thin, unsettling smile. "Simply put… we're facing someone at the level of a high-tier creator."

The words sent a ripple through the room, whispers and murmurs rising at once. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a firm jaw, known as T, barked out, "High-tier creator? You mean… someone on the same level as you!?"

The commotion swelled. Mr. X's name was far from unknown in this world. He was widely feared as the Silver Sage, a sorcerer whose life was steeped in tragedy. Not merely a reincarnator, but one who had brought knowledge from Earth into this new world, merging modern science with magical structures. The result was magic that broke through every boundary, something feared even by the gods. And yet, his hatred for those gods led him down the path of rebellion.

Mr. X gave a soft laugh, then straightened up. "You could say that. And according to my personal analysis, the large-scale summoning conducted by the Eldoria Kingdom not long ago is most likely related. That boy… he might be part of the group they pulled from another world."

Z tapped the table again, louder this time. "X, are you certain your claim is fact?" His gaze was sharp, both questioning and challenging. "We're talking about a bunch of teenagers freshly summoned. But from the reports I've received, one of them has already created technology… devices surpassing even the twenty-first century. Do you understand what that means?"

Mr. X closed his eyes for a brief moment, then let a thin smile form. "Oh, I understand very well. And that's exactly the problem. That boy… is different."

Some members fell silent, while others exchanged uneasy looks. Among them, only a few knew Z's background. He, too, came from Earth—a politician once brimming with ambition. But his old world had destroyed him with betrayal and tragedy, leaving him to die in disgrace. That was why he now led the Sinister Seven—an organization sworn to shake the world with "a global-scale restoration."

Z's sharp eyes locked on Mr. X once more, his voice low but pressing. "If that's the case, then the boy may be a threat… or perhaps an opportunity. You will be the one to make sure we know which, X. Do not let your failure repeat itself."

Mr. X only raised an eyebrow, then leaned back once again. "Heh, don't worry. I'm used to things like this."

But deep inside, even Mr. X knew: for the first time in a long while, something had truly unsettled him.

Z leaned forward, his tone cold and pressing. "Also, what exactly is that boy? I received the reports—you were right. He was wearing an armor suit, something like that fictional technology from Earth. Something like… Iron Man. I honestly can't comprehend it."

Mr. X let out a breath, his eyes narrowing. "You understand my point too, Z. Creating something like that in a world this technologically backward should be impossible. And that kid—he did it in just a few months."

Z tapped his finger against the table, his expression unchanged, serious. "Correct. Even you, the Silver Sage, with all your modern scientific knowledge, needed years to balance magic theory and science. And yet that boy… surpassed you."

"Yes," X replied flatly, though a bitter undertone lingered. "Even though I'm used to facing anomalies, this is still troublesome for me. That kid is different."

Z's gaze sharpened. "You've tried recruiting him?"

"I have," X answered with a shrug. "But he refused. Strangely enough, he didn't even shoot me when he had his gun pointed at my head. The boy is wise… unwilling to be the first to act."

Z smiled faintly, almost like a predator catching the scent of prey. "Hoo… the more you describe your direct encounter with him, the more intrigued I become. That boy… might become a tremendous resource for us one day."

The others remained silent, carefully listening to the exchange between the two most influential figures in the organization.

Then Z struck the table lightly, ending the topic. "Enough about that. Now, focus on the next mission. Our target is the fifth stone. Our intel inside Starford Academy has already confirmed its location."

T, the hard-faced, broad-shouldered man, spoke up in surprise. "The Academy, huh? If I'm not mistaken, both C and X were graduates of that academy as well, weren't you?"

The atmosphere around the table grew tense once more, now shifting toward their next strategy.