Chapter 247: Not All Ability Users Are Heroes (1)


    Born with abilities.


    Society demanded these ability users be ‘heroes.’


    Those who saw this as the natural duty of the chosen will be heroes, and thus, they were considered heroes.


    However, not everyone desires to be a hero.


    Some believed that sacrifices for the collective or the group should not be mandatory, and others wished for their personal lives to be respected.


    These individuals concealed their abilities and continued to live their lives.


    Over time, their abilities may be known, yet there were still many around the world who chose to hide them.


    But.


    There were those who did not meet the societal standards of a ‘hero.’Born as ability users, yet not quite living up to the expectations society had set.


    To put it bluntly, what if someone born with mana was slower than a car at full speed?


    -Can someone who gets hit by a truck and thrown because of their ability still be considered an ability user?


    -Can someone who can withstand a bullet but sustains gunshot wounds from six consecutive shots be considered an ability user? They’re just a resilient regr person.


    There were those who failed to meet the societal standards of ability users.


    They were simply ssified as individuals born with mana, leading lives indistinguishable from ordinary people.


    Without illness.


    With robust bodies.


    With a bit of training, they could marginally surpass the physical capabilities of a special forces squad.


    Consider a pyromancer whose sole ability was to light a cigarette lighter’s me.


    Society did not expect even them to step up as heroes.


    In Korea, these individuals were offered positions like military NCOs, police, emergency room residents, or school security guards, where they could contribute to the safety of citizens in various societal roles.


    However, this was because Korea offered an enticing incentive for them, unlike in other countries where the situation could be described as ‘the worst.’


    Risking their lives but earning less than minimum wage?


    No matter how much magical power one possessed, unstable living conditions could easily lead to sumbing to various temptations.


    For instance, turning into a viin.


    Or, despite being morally corrupt, exploiting the ‘new human species’ born with magical power for their inherent value.


    Just like the ability users in front of me, like subi.


    [You’re aware that Lace is dead. And it seems the person in charge here has decided to shut this ce down. Probably… you.]


    I aimed my bat at the oldest woman, a subus who appeared to be around 25.


    [You are the ‘Madam’ here.]


    “Guh…!”


    The subi attempted to conceal their identities, but upon my arrival, they had already been signaling to the Madam, recognizing her as their leader.


    [Not everyone is dead; hiding underground on this ind suggests you were monitoring the situation outside, nning your escape. After all, you are Lace’s aplices.]


    “This bastard!”


    Madam Subus extended her hand towards me.


    Her fingernails, sharpened like des and reinforced with magical power, wereunched at me.


    [It’s futile.]


    Kaang!


    The magical projectiles shaped like fingernails didn’t even leave a mark on my mask and deflected to the side, as I nonchntly swung my baseball bat forward.


    Thud!


    With a dull sound, the Madam was knocked to the side.


    Gathering information was crucial, but I could not overlook someone whounched a magical attack as deadly as a bullet at people.


    [Don’t worry. She’s not dead yet.]


    Resting the bat on my shoulder and allowing the magic to flow, the subi looked on in terror, as if they were next.


    “People kill-”


    [Begin by targeting the heads of those who scream.]


    “…….”


    Silence ensued immediately.


    Understanding that this was not an empty threat, the subi remained silent, exchanging wary looks among themselves.


    [There’s no need for deceit. I already know everything.]


    I had already collected all the necessary information.


    Not only did I have real-time information about what happened on the Ind of Subi from the time we attacked the resting ce of the Gods until now.


    I had also figured out the routes people used to enter the Ind of Subi and how they had been seducing men.


    [I am not a hero. I am an executioner.]


    “…….”


    [But I’m not an indiscriminate mass murderer. I am strictly a businessman, and I only deal with those who hinder the world that the Secret Society intends to lead.]


    Thud.


    I lightly tapped the bat downwards.


    [Those among you who were brought here against your will, who were kidnapped, or who found themselves on this ind upon regaining consciousness, raise your hands.]


    The subi begin to look around at each other.


    Not all subi here necessarily deserved to die, as their origins varied.


    [None?]


    “Me, me!!”


    One subus hurriedly raised her hand.


    “I was traveling in Thand, drank some alcohol, and when I woke up—”


    Thud.


    Next to Madam, another subus fell.


    Unlike Madam, who was hit remotely, this one was struck directly on the head with the bat.


    [Meet the bat detector. It can easily detect lies.]


    “…….”


    [A woman who came here for money even lies. So, how much did you get to be a subus here? An annual sry of about a billion won? Including incentives, it must be several billion.]


    Working in the lowest societal roles for a meager sry of less than 1 million won a month, living on passion andmitment.


    Or enjoying luxury and pleasure, earning 100 million won a month, coborating with Lace’s system.


    It’s not easy to judge their choices as right or wrong.


    The reasons these subi chose this path varied, and among them were those who were truly kidnapped.


    [Gunggi. The selection?]


    [It’s done. Only about 30% of the chicks can be saved.]


    But if that number was less than 30% of the subi here, the rest must havee here of their own volition.


    Despite being filled with all sorts of luxury, pleasure, and unspeakable ‘deaths.’


    [Chicks? The things you did here are notmendable. But what would have happened if you hadn’t done those things? You would have been turned into mana powder and sprinkled on top of rice noodles by Lace and his minions, right?]


    Gunggi’s words were harsh, but they were true.


    Ability users who didn’t listen turned into mana powder.


    Just as the children at the resting ce of the Gods ended up that way, so did the Ind of Subi.


    No matter how powerful they were, when their own lives were at stake, they weighed their lives against others and looked out for themselves.


    In movies and novels, those who sacrifice themselves for others were considered righteous and heroic, but it’s notmon in reality.


    After all, they all ended up dead.


    [How could you resist in the face of death? So, I’ll give you a chance. Chicks, you’ll be reborn. You’ll carry the original sin of this ce in your hearts for life, returning to before you were kidnapped here. Of course, it varies case by case.]


    [First, I’ll take you somewhere else. And then I’ll assess the chicks. Well, no need to talk more about that in this mess.]


    Whoosh.


    Gunggi ignited a small me.


    Soon, the me turned into a small bird of fire, spreading in all directions, and as I stalled for time, Gunggipleted the assessment, cing a small me bird on each one’s head.


    [Those with my me above their heads, step forward. Congrattions. You are the ones worthy of being assessed.]


    “Ah….”


    “What about the rest?!”


    [It’s simple.]


    I swung the bat over my shoulder.


    [Everyone else will die.]


    Thud!


    As I struck the ground again with my bat, a sphere of magical energy burst forth explosively.


    Bababang!


    The sphere, flying in a straight line, began to bounce around the room like an atom, hitting the backs of the heads of all the subi not selected by Gunggi, knocking them unconscious.


    [Gunggi. Please start with them.]


    [What about when we escape?]


    [The usual way.]


    Escaping by transforming into spirit form was no trouble at all.


    [Release the information immediately once we’re out. By now, bait should be starting to surface. There will be those among Lace’s minions spread across Thand or those who indulged in pleasure on this Ind of Subi who are pretending to be good and spreading bait.]


    Surely, information would be circting somewhere on the inte.


    -There’s a brothel created by Lace on a ce called Coral Ind.


    -Only VIPs can enter, and ability users turned prostitutes reside there.


    -And at that ce….


    [……]


    Gunggi created arge teleportation circle, taking the chicks needing assessment through teleportation, while I, based on intelligence, mapped out the terrain and headed inside.


    Deeper than the basement, like the entrance to a tomb.


    There, I saw it.


    Dozens of square meters of warehouse filled with bookshelves, and on each shelf, small dolls were ced.


    Whether it was because they couldn’t ce life-sized dolls, or the conditions weren’t right for that.


    Or perhaps it was a consideration made by Lace for the subi living here so that their mental states wouldn’tpletely break down, telling them not to be demons.


    The dolls, made like worry dolls, had various names tagged on them.


    There was no smell of blood or corpses, but I sensed a stronger smell of death here than anywhere else.


    The number of dolls exceeded hundreds, and the implications of those dolls needed no further exnation.


    [……I hate to empathize, but I can’t help but understand.]


    The end of this world.


    The meteor was right, they said.


    But.


    Now that I knew an answer more certain than the meteor, it could not end with a meteor strike.


    [Meteor ending is not eptable.]


    Like what happened during the Duoexini incident.


    The original culprits who created this situation must all be executed.


    […They cannot die a peaceful death.]


    They deserved the most terrible death imaginable.


    That was how they must be killed.


    Whoosh.


    I lit the end of my Goblin Bat.


    Momentster…


    mes engulfed the entire ind, and ck smoke began to billow over Coral Ind.