novelraw Chapter 280 : Chapter 280
Chapter 280 : Chapter 280
Chapter 280: Hero (3)
Wolf Fang, who had been nodding in agreement with Ho-cheol's words, suddenly froze in that posture.
With a question that suddenly popped into his mind, he asked cautiously.
“But why do you need two fake identities?”
For Ho-cheol's plan, one identity was enough for him to use. What was the other one for?
“Well, obviously.”
Ho-cheol chuckled lightly.
Though only the corner of his mouth was turned up, it was a smile filled with an inexplicable unease.
“Ahaha...”
Wolf Fang also laughed along upon seeing the smile, but his forced laughter was utterly dry.
And the expected answer came back.
“How am I supposed to go around alone? You're better than me at detection and information gathering.”
“...Ah. As expected.”
It was a hunch, but it turned out to be right.
Wolf Fang painfully swept his hand across his face.
Ever since he was caught by Ho-cheol at the underground arena, he had been subjected to all sorts of dreadful tasks.
Now, he was even going to play the role of a Hero, something he had never imagined in his life.
“Well, just because I hate Heroes doesn't mean we're actually going to act like Heroes.”
Ho-cheol waved his hand dismissively.
It was merely a disguise for the sake of free movement.
Moving around with the labels of 'villain' or 'Clington professor' attached was too much of a burden.
Wolf Fang, having somewhat composed himself, let out a long sigh.
“What power do I have? I'll just do as I'm told.”
“Good. That's a wise thought. I was going to smack you a few times if you whined any more annoyingly.”
At the murderous comment, Wolf Fang shivered slightly.
That was definitely not a joke.
Ho-cheol's malicious side hadn't disappeared; it was merely hiding for a while.
“So. Since we can't get separate Hero identities, we'll need to get licenses. Will the Association cooperate with that?”
There were quite a few ways to become a Hero.
You could receive a diploma through a formal curriculum at some academies, including Clington, pass an official exam organized by the Association, or be authorized to work as a Hero by a Hero with the proper authority.
Naturally, if the Association discreetly handed out the licenses, things would be easy.
“No, they're useless.”
At Ho-cheol's firm answer, Wolf Fang blinked his eyes in confusion.
Of course, he knew Ho-cheol had a strained relationship with the Association recently.
But he thought they would momentarily put aside feelings and interests for such an important matter.
Ho-cheol pondered for a moment.
Since he would be using Wolf Fang continuously anyway, there would be no harm in telling him.
Having decided so, he continued speaking.
“Those bastards at the Association, I think they're going to switch sides.”
“...Excuse me?”
No matter how much Ho-cheol habitually criticized the Hero Association as incompetent, they were the ones who had held power and maintained the Hero system for so long.
Although they had been shaken recently, their intelligence, cohesion, and military strength were by no means negligible.
Naturally, they would have immediately detected Byeong-hoo's illegal entry the moment he crossed the border.
Yet, until the moment he made his move today, neither Ho-cheol, the Dean, nor the Swordmaster seemed to know anything.
The Association hid Byeong-hoo's information.
This was clear.
“Then is the Association hiding Eclipse's information and just testing the waters?”
“It would be a relief if that was all.”
Ho-cheol saw something more.
“They might have already teamed up with that guy and are preparing to switch sides.”
Wolf Fang let out a flustered chuckle at the possibility of the Association's leadership betraying them.
“Come on, no way they'd do that.”
If this opinion had come from anyone other than Ho-cheol, it would have been dismissed as utterly absurd, something to be yelled at as crazy talk.
However, Ho-cheol presented his evidence in a still serious tone.
“Because the heads of the Association are currently in a situation where their necks could be on the line at any moment.”
The Association was currently facing an unprecedented crisis.
No, more accurately, the leadership and executives of the Association were in such a crisis.
The corruption information that Ho-cheol and Yu-hwa had last scattered was still a raging fire that hadn't died down at all.
Public opinion was hammering the Association daily, and the Chairman, who was the only center of gravity, was currently bedridden after trying to kill Ho-cheol and being counterattacked.
Recently, the government had also been keeping a close watch on the Association's corruption, ready to pull the trigger at any time.
“...So if they abandon the Hero Association and side with him, what's the meaning of that?”
“It's huge.”
Byeong-hoo wasn't caught up in the madness of simply killing everyone and becoming the god of a new world.
Although slightly violent, he sought to establish a new system to replace the Heroes.
However.
“In any case, middle managers to handle the numbers and ledgers are essential.”
The Hero Association.
Of course, its name would disappear.
But the people wouldn't.
Wolf Fang, arms crossed, narrowed his brows and became lost in thought.
He finally grasped the situation and asked again.
“So. If Eclipse wins and a new system is introduced, those guys will still be the leaders in the changed system?”
“Exactly. They won't even betray openly; they'll just subtly put a foot on the line and test the waters. They're only maintaining the status quo because there's no organization to replace the Association. But the people in power here have probably already prepared to cut their tails and abandon ship.”
If Byeong-hoo succeeds, they'll latch onto the new era, clean up their identities, and live comfortably.
If he fails, they'll just take credit for solving this incident.
The Association has nothing to lose.
“Wow. Vicious bastards.”
It was a survival tactic that naturally drew his admiration.
Although it was only based on circumstantial evidence and suspicion, Ho-cheol was half-certain.
No.
He was just certain.
Otherwise, he’d eat his own hand.
“So, don't even think about doing anything with the Association. If we reach out first, they'll stab us in the back with a smiling face.”
“I understand. Then to get a Hero license...”
Wolf Fang trailed off, looking troubled.
The three ways to become a Hero.
The first, the regular curriculum, was out of the question as it required several years.
The second was passing the Association's exam.
Knowing the Association wasn't an ally, this was also impossible.
The last was the only remaining option: being certified by a Hero who had the authority to issue licenses.
Although this was considered the easiest way to make someone a Hero with just one stamp, the reality was the opposite.
A Hero could only issue about one permit a year, and if the authorized person caused trouble, the authorizing Hero would also face a considerable penalty.
Naturally, thorough verification and confirmation were essential.
To become a Hero this way, one had to work as a sidekick or auxiliary Hero under that Hero for a good few years, making it in some ways harder and more insidious than the previous two methods.
“But who is the Hero with the authority to stamp that approval?”
Furthermore, the number of Heroes with that authority was even smaller than the number of S-rank Heroes.
If they couldn't persuade that tiny handful of Heroes, the plan would be ruined from the start.
Ho-cheol, however, was composed.
The person to visit was already decided.
***
A few days later.
The Swordmaster stared intently at the two uninvited guests who had come to his office.
One was a young man with a simple impression, but an X-shaped scar across his face devoured that entire atmosphere, and the other had half of his face covered in a hideous burn.
The Swordmaster stroked the hilt of the sword at his waist and muttered.
“A villain has entered my office. And not just one, but two.”
The young man's body flinched at the voice, which even carried a thick killing intent.
“And if that villain is my enemy, how should I react?”
Despite the Swordmaster's sharp reaction, the man with the burn.
No, Ho-cheol was calm.
He sat with his legs crossed casually and waved his hand listlessly.
“How should you react? A guest has arrived, so bring some tea. Is this how you treat guests here?”
He then stood up from the sofa and opened a cupboard arbitrarily.
If he hides any snacks, wouldn't it be here?
Searching here and there, he did find food.
But it was all just solid protein bars for simple energy supply.
He ripped open the packaging and took a large bite.
At the same time, his expression twisted.
In terms of taste, it was worse than the prison food Ho-cheol grumbled and crammed into his mouth at Zero-Chain.
Even Ho-cheol, who rarely complained about taste, wanted to spit this out immediately.
He barely swallowed it and sighed.
The amount of energy bars in the box alone was enough for several months.
It seemed he ate this like his staple food.
“You eat this as your main meal? Are you seriously out of your mind?”
“Food is not for enjoyment; it is simply an act for survival. Does the taste matter?”
At the Swordmaster's point, Ho-cheol looked genuinely disgusted and returned to the sofa to sit down quietly.
“What a taste. That's why your personality is like that, eating this as your main meal.”
The Swordmaster narrowed his brows.
He was wondering why unfamiliar people suddenly burst in.
It turned out to be Ho-cheol and his subordinate in disguise, and now he was criticizing his eating habits.
What in the world was this?
“Did you come here to pick a fight?”
“Of course not. You can issue a Hero permit, right? Invest two of them.”
“...What?”
The Swordmaster asked again.
Ho-cheol's words were only about one sentence long, but it was completely incomprehensible.
“If you want to catch a tiger, shouldn't you enter the tiger's den?”
Ho-cheol usually referred to most villains or monsters as mere trivial matters or minor troubles.
But this time, since the opponent was who he was, his choice of words was quite generous.
“Is this about The Sun?”
“Exactly. It's much easier for me to intervene if I'm a Hero.”
Byeong-hoo had clearly drawn a line, stating that this whole affair was an internal matter for the Heroes, making Ho-cheol's intervention impossible.
If Ho-cheol intervened, it would look like a villain or an external force was openly favoring one side in the Heroes' internal affairs.
“Then what you said at the banquet hall last time...”
The Swordmaster raised the hand holding the sword hilt and stroked his chin.
“Was that because you saw the possibility that The Sun's subordinates were already hidden within?”
“Less subordinates and more people who were influenced by him. It wasn't completely nonsensical, and there were elements that could persuade people.”
The Swordmaster glared at Ho-cheol without a word.
Of course, Ho-cheol had proven several times that the things he deemed right were right.
Considering his past achievements and efforts, he didn't think he would cause trouble this time either, but...
“That is still a bit difficult.”
Authorizing someone as a Hero was a completely different matter.
Ho-cheol doesn't distinguish between means and methods.
He doesn't intend to argue whether they are right or wrong.
However, Ho-cheol's method of solving problems was the kind that was absolutely unacceptable for a Hero.
It was fine when he was a villain or a professor, but if he acted the same way with the title of 'Hero,' even for disguise, the Swordmaster's sense of justice could never tolerate it.
“...You're particular.”
At that explanation, Ho-cheol also trailed off, looking quite troubled.
This was an unexpected problem.
While he was contemplating for a moment.
Clatter—
The office door opened arbitrarily.
There was only one person who would burst into the Swordmaster's office without knocking.
Da-yeon, who strode in, briefly spoke to the Swordmaster.
“I won't be coming to work for two days.”
Just as she notified her business and turned to leave the office, she spotted Ho-cheol and Wolf Fang in disguise.
“Ah, um. There were guests.”
She seemed surprised to find guests, opening her eyes wide.
Then she slightly bowed her head to greet them.
“I'm sorry.”
Then, looking embarrassed, she quickly tried to leave.
No, she was about to leave.
Halfway through the office door, she stopped again.
Narrowing her brows, she tilted her head while looking at the back of Ho-cheol's head, then carefully opened her mouth.
“...Professor?”
Not only Ho-cheol, but the other two, could only momentarily hide their emotional turmoil.
This was not a simple disguise.
From his face, to his physique, voice, scent, and even the shape of his spine.
It was a transformation achieved through his Trait.
There should be no element—and there shouldn't have been—that could make someone think of Jeong Ho-cheol when looking at him now.
However, Da-yeon associated him with Ho-cheol with just a fleeting glance.
She took a step toward the sofa.
“It is the Professor, isn't it?”
“Y-you must have mistaken me for someone else.”
Ho-cheol answered with a forced calm voice.
But who would be so foolish as to simply say, Ah, I see, and walk away after hearing that answer?
Despite his denial, Da-yeon strode forward and sat down next to him.
She brought her face right up to Ho-cheol's and pouted her lips.
“Liar.”
It wasn't even a tentative guess; it was a single word filled with absolute conviction.
“It's the Professor, isn't it?”