The Monster Aspires to Be a Hero!

After the interviews and Iron’s rebuke, it was lunchtime.
I received a lunchbox from the staff and found a spot nearby to sit.
“May I sit here?”
The one who asked was someone who had been in the same group as me during the interview.
“Yes, of course.”
As I said that and shifted over slightly, he thanked me and took a seat.
An air of gloominess seemed to emanate from him.
“Are you worried about your mother?”
“That’s… right.”
He seemed to ponder for a bit before nodding.
“You believe me?”
“Someone with that expression doesn’t seem like they would lie.”
Hearing my words, he covered his face with his hands and let out a sigh.
“If I fail like this, my mother will blame herself. That’s why I feel so weighed down.”
He started eating his lunchbox with heavy sighs that made it seem quite burdensome to watch.

Those who lined up on the left would have to take the exam with severe penalties.
Most will likely fail, I thought.
Still, I had no intention of outright saying that.
“Aren’t heroes supposed to overcome any hardship and adversity? I’m sure it will work out somehow, right?”
I said that with a smile as I started eating my lunchbox.
His expression brightened slightly after hearing my words.
“Are you a fan of Faust?”
“Yes. I do like Faust.”
An outdated pick, like preferring Ultraman among tokusatsu shows, or the original Superman among superhero movies.
These days, smarter-looking heroes seem to be the trend.
“Faust… I like him too.”
I felt my fondness for him rise considerably.
“I’m Jinwoo Lee.”
“Ah, I’m Eunsung Choi.”
We ate our meals while chatting about various topics.
Perhaps because we had lined up on the left together and taken the same interview, an unusual sense of intimacy arose.
The fact that he was a devoted son who would skip the exam to visit his sick mother also left a great impression.
I felt this person should become a hero.

After finishing lunch and taking a short rest, a staff member appeared.
It seemed the afternoon schedule would begin.
The staff began dividing us based on our abilities.
Those with directly combat-applicable abilities went to the left, while non-combat abilities went to the right.
Of course, I stood on the left, and Eunsung also stood on the left.
Around 15 people stood on the left, and around 5 on the right.
Then each group of around 5 people was further divided under each staff member’s guidance.
I wondered what kind of test would begin now.
As I waited with a mix of anticipation and anxiety, my name was called.
I opened the door in front of me and entered.
Waiting for me was Iron wearing the riot suppression suit currently issued to police and firefighters.

“Examinee number 123, Jinwoo Lee, correct?”
“Yes.”
“This test is a person-to-person combat. The premise is to consider me a villain and subdue me without causing injury.”
The premise of subduing without injury… it seemed it might be more difficult than expected.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
As soon as I said that, Iron immediately charged at me, thrusting his fist toward my face.
“Whoa!”
I immediately dropped to the floor and rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding what sounded like a riot suppression taser being fired from the suit.
I immediately lowered my stance, ready to evade any direction.
But that seemed to be a feint, as a kick immediately followed.
I simultaneously manifested my physical enhancement and hardening abilities and charged straight at him.
I intended to tackle him with my shoulder to knock him down.
But as if anticipating that, he sprayed a riot suppression spray directly at my face.
“Kuhuck!”
A pungent spiciness like condensed chili pepper and tabasco sauce spread across my entire face.

Tears streamed from my eyes, obstructing my vision of what Iron was doing.
In such a situation, I had to be wary of follow-up attacks.
I immediately guarded my face while being alert for Iron’s movements.
Iron’s low kick struck my left thigh.
The sound of iron clashing against iron reverberated.
Fortunately, with my hardening ability active, I didn’t feel any pain.
But that was only the beginning.
Bazazazaza!
“Ugguugguk!”
With me blinded, he relentlessly rained down punches and kicks as if pummeling a sandbag.
And in between, he didn’t forget to fire the riot suppression taser.
An active-duty hero was wearing the riot suppression suit meant for ordinary people to handle ability users.
This went beyond absurdity into one-sided assault.
I narrowly regained my vision and retreated to evade Iron’s attacks.
After briefly regaining my composure and approaching him, he started using feint jabs to keep me at bay.
If I closed the distance, the riot suppression taser or spray would come flying.
To get inside, I had to evade his feint jabs.
But my body had already learned the pain of the taser, stiffening up, allowing Iron to land a low kick on my left thigh again.
Ah, this is frustrating.
The moment I tried to make a move, he would interrupt with feints, leaving me helpless but taking hits.
At this rate, I would definitely fail.
Fuhh…
If I could just ignore the suppression gas obscuring my vision, I could endure his attacks.
The electric shocks were quite painful and terrifying, but not as terrifying as failing the hero exam.
This exam isn’t about defeating Iron.
The objective is to ultimately subdue the enemy.
Even if I take hits that would normally get me judged as defeated, as long as I can restrain him, I’ll pass.
Steady… focus…
As I blocked Iron’s feint jabs and carefully watched for an opening…
The moment Iron throws a straight punch instead of a jab, I can dart in.
Perhaps sensing that I was just enduring his attacks to the end, Iron’s intensity changed.
In that moment, I saw him shift his weight to his rear leg and twist his hips.
Now!
I immediately abandoned my guard and lunged forward.
Iron seemed to anticipate this much, immediately firing his taser, forcing me to take that attack.
My body convulsed, but I didn’t lose my footing.
This might be the last chance, after all.
I just need to subdue him, not defeat him.
With wobbly legs, I seemed to half-crouch at Iron’s right side in a posture resembling giving up.
At that, Iron slightly let down his guard.
Now!
From Iron’s right side, I used the scissor takedown technique prohibited in judo.
My right leg hooked his abdomen, my left leg hooked his groin area.
Then grabbing his shoulder with my right arm, I took him straight down to the floor.
Even if Iron was weighed down by his hardening ability, breaking his balance was inevitable once his footing was lost – an inescapable law for a bipedal organism!
Despite his riot suppression suit and hardening ability, even Iron couldn’t withstand this.
A thud rang out as Iron dropped to the floor.
Without releasing my leg lock, I extended my left arm to cross and trap his legs.
As I started wrenching with force, Iron tapped my arm signaling his submission.
After disengaging from Iron, he lifted the face guard he had been wearing and grinned wryly.
“Examinee number 123, Jinwoo Lee. You pass.”
“Thank you!”
“That technique you used risks fracturing the shin or ankle bones. Normally it would be a deduction.”
“…But I thought it would be permissible against a villain using force.”
“Was I a villain?”
“No, that’s…”
How should I even answer that…
“Haha! Just joking. Keep up the good work, Examinee Jinwoo Lee.”
Reputed to be quite stern, I didn’t expect he could make such jokes.
Leaving that hearty laughter behind, when I exited, Eunsung was waiting for me.
“You finished quickly?”
“Yes. My ability is acceleration, you see.”
I responded with a mix of joke and seriousness, drawing a laugh from him.
After a while, the others started exiting too.
But their expressions weren’t as bright.
Aside from Eunsung, myself and one other person, 12 people sullenly walked down the hallway.
“Ah…”
The same sound simultaneously left Eunsung’s and my mouths.
It seemed those 12 people had likely failed the exam.
Well, it made sense.
The riot suppression suit is designed for ordinary people to handle villains using superpowers.
If even a well-trained ordinary person could capture an ability user with it, then a trained expert wearing it would present immense difficulty.
If I had just been an ordinary physical hardening user, I may not have been able to subdue Iron either.
That’s how difficult the test was.
So this was the ‘penalty’ the supervisors had mentioned…
If you were strong enough to even break the basic rule of being on time, they would forgive you.
That seemed to be the intention behind these results.

Eunsung and I were able to rejoin the line with those who had gone to the right.
That was the end of it.
All 5 examinees with non-combat abilities seemed to have failed.
“Phew… I feel bad saying this, but I’m relieved.”
“I agree.”
It seemed the second exam consisted of the personality/values interview and the person-to-person combat ability assessment.
Afterward, there were only explanations about the third and fourth exams.

The third and fourth exams will be held outside of Seoul. If you don’t arrive here by 10 AM, you will be truly disqualified this time, so keep that in mind!

It seems the third and fourth exams will take place outside the city.
“Will you be okay?”
“Yes. The hospital said there won’t be any issue.”
“That’s good then.”
I wondered why they would specifically hold the exams in a rural area.
Something that requires leaving Seoul, something unnecessary within the city.
Not a new town or different region, but specifically a rural area…
Could it be a mountain?
Perhaps the third and fourth exams will take place in the mountains.
The mountains within Seoul are too small in scale, so they likely intend a more substantial test location.
“Eunsung.”
“Yes.”
“The third and fourth exams might be in the mountains,” I whispered.
After a brief contemplation, Eunsung nodded, saying it could be.
The third and fourth exams are next week.
Early April, in the mountains.
At this level of hint, he should be able to prepare accordingly.
Though when we arrive, all the equipment might already be provided, or it might not even be in the mountains at all.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare for any potential situations.
We exchanged contact information after agreeing to safely pass the final exams together, remarking how this seemed fated.
Connections become important when working as heroes, after all.
I had the feeling Eunsung and I might know each other for quite a long time.

After the staff finished their explanations, the examinees gradually began leaving one by one.
I too went with that flow and exited.
As I stretched outside and looked around, I noticed a child and a middle-aged woman.
“Ah!”
In that moment, the child noticed me and pointed.
It was definitely the kid who had gotten lost that morning.
“Um… I hope your exam went well? I’m so sorry…”
It seemed the mother was worried and came to check.
“Don’t worry. I should be able to take the third and fourth exams too.”
Only after hearing my words did the mother let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you again. Thanks to you, we found our child.”
“Thank you!”
The child and mother bid me a final farewell before leaving.
That had happened in the morning.
The current time was 3 PM.
They had likely come to directly express their gratitude once the hero ability certification exam concluded.
To come out in this rather chilly weather…
Just that alone made me feel sufficiently rewarded.

You’re such an easy man.
Stop mocking me constantly.