Chapter 62 - Reevaluation

[Things that would have happened if Mangostick hadn't broken the bridge.... real fact]

Today, let's look into the Black Tentacle Mass incident (a.k.a. Black Monster) that occurred in Seoul.

Assuming the Black Monster started at the Haneun Group Headquarters in Yeongdeungpo and went straight across Mapo Bridge...

Mapo District, Jung-gu, Jongno, Seongbuk, Gangbuk, and Nowon in the northern part of Seoul would have suffered catastrophic damage (estimated hundreds of thousands of deaths).

Uijeongbu, Pocheon, and Cheorwon would have been totally wrecked.

Furthermore, it is estimated that North Korea, China, and Russia would have suffered significant damage too.

And do you know what's even scarier?

The report released by the US Hero Association contains the following:

'According to the footage capturing the early behavior of the Korean-Black Disaster (Black Calamity), this lifeform appears to possess a certain level of intelligence. In the beginning, it seemed to charge forward blindly as it hadn't fully regained its senses, but once it fully awakens its intelligence, it is expected to be capable of actively changing direction.'

To put it simply, you can consider that those bastards at Haneun Group created Cthulhu. Actually, US netizens are calling that thing Cthulhu or a worm.

Analysis suggests that even if two or three US S-Rank Heroes fought it all day, it's a toss-up whether they'd win or lose. It's a huge relief that its weakness was water.

But even with a weakness, the problem was that it seemed to have intelligence. If it was just a mindless bastard walking in a straight line, it would die from just a bit of rain, so we could say it would be handled somehow. But if it gained intelligence? There's no answer. If that thing started dodging Heroes, even S-Ranks would have a hard time dealing with it.

And even if they managed to eliminate it later, by that time, millions of people in northern Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and North Korea combined would probably be dead.

Conclusion: Praise Mangostick.

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=[Comments]=

[Those Mango Squad guys at the Egostic Fan Cafe were already praising him like crazy LOL.]

└ [For real. The Mango Squad used to get so much hate, but now they've made a hell of a comeback LOL.]

[I live in Seoul and f*ck, I really thought I was gonna die. I was perfectly fine, then suddenly a creepy scream loud enough to sound like a siren vibrated through the heavens and earth. I thought the world was ending.]

[Sh*t, I saw the Black Bastard's movement path posted recently, and my house was exactly on that path LOL. Almost logged out of life right there.]

[We can laugh about it now because that bastard died such a futile death, but if that bastard had lived, hundreds of thousands would be dead and a national state of emergency would have been declared.]

[I was in Yeouido and it was scary as hell... I was at the mart and suddenly the sky vibrated and there was a scream like glass scratching. The kids were crying, wetting their pants, it was total chaos.]

[There's a rumor that the government and Association were so freaked out they were about to declare martial law LOL.]

[I'm more curious about Egostic than that dead monster bastard now. Isn't this guy really the S-Rank Hero Apple Mango from the future?]

└ [Now the boomers have to admit it too. Egostic is a hero.]

└ [Those Association bastards really don't do their jobs. Egostic is still listed as a villain due to a system error;;]

└ [For real LOL. Those guys are guilty of dereliction of duty.]

***

The place where the world's strongest Heroes are gathered.

Where equally vicious Villains are gathered.

The place with the Hero Association's most powerful force and information network: America.

While the Korean Association was dazed by the sudden situation, repeating a message to the public saying, 'It appears there are no more issues, so citizens, please rest assured and return to your livelihoods,' the first one to release a report on the incident was the US Association on the other side of the globe.

The US Association named it the "Black Disaster."

This was then reverse-imported, and the Korean Association officially named that day's incident the "Black Calamity."

This incident shocked South Korea.

A monster suddenly popping out of the ground, shaking all of Seoul with a creepy sound and collapsing buildings just by squirming slightly, was bewildering even to Koreans who were used to sudden terror attacks by Villains.

In fact, those who were in Mapo District at that time and witnessed 'it' with their own eyes felt a cosmic horror at the terrifying sight blocking the sky, and some even complained of mental illness.

Although, unlike its overwhelming force during its first appearance, it disappeared so futilely that many people were dumbfounded. Well, all's well that ends well, right?

Then now, the cause must be found.

What on earth happened underground for something like that to pop out?

What? You're saying those things came out of the Haneun Group Head Office basement? Call all the higher-ups of Haneun Group! Are they crazy or what?

...What? All Haneun Group executives are out of contact?

These bastards?

And so, many figures, including the president of Haneun Group and Dr. Kim Seonwoo, one of the key figures, disappeared and were placed on the wanted list. However, they could not be found anywhere, as if they had vanished into thin air.

Thus, Haneun Group, one of South Korea's leading conglomerates, went to ruin overnight.

As the circumstances were grasped to some extent and time passed, diluting the fear, people began to think about something else.

Wow. If that thing hadn't fallen into the river and died, we would have been in big trouble.

Huh? Apparently, there was originally a bridge on the path that bastard was taking.

But because that bridge was broken, it died.

But who broke that?

Ah! Egostic destroyed it.

Out of the many, many bridges, the creature 'coincidentally' tried to cross the very bridge Egostic had destroyed, and it couldn't cross because Egostic 'coincidentally' destroyed it.

Coincidentally like this...?

A coincidence... twice?

Wait. No, thinking about it with common sense.

Is this... really a coincidence?

[How is this a coincidence LOL]

As the title posted on a certain community suggested, yes.

People began to consider the possibility that this was not a coincidence, but an intentional act.

Egostic, who destroyed that bridge in advance and consequently saved South Korea.

The entire nation's interest began to focus on him.

Numerous speculations arose regarding him.

[S-Rank Hero Apple Mango-nim... I'm sorry for misunderstanding you until now T_T]

Rumors that Egostic is actually a Hero cosplaying as a Villain.

[Upvote if you think Lord Mangostick has precognition LOL]

Rumors that he actually possesses the ability to see the future.

[Can't you tell? He knew what those Haneun Group bastards were doing via hacking and stopped it LOL]

Even rumors that he deduced such an accident would occur at Haneun Group and cut it off in advance.

The common characteristic of everyone who views the Mapo Bridge collapse incident as Egostic's intention, not a coincidence, is this:

That he caused the Mapo Bridge terror attack beforehand to save South Korea.

Just a short while ago, public opinion held that Egostic was a Villain deserving of divine punishment who damaged national prestige, and that those who fanboyed over him were all traitors to the nation.

Overnight, that opinion flipped like the palm of a hand.

To the extent that you could feel it just by turning on YouTube.

[15 Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About Egostic.]

[Deep Dive) Is Egostic a Hero or a Villain?]

[Poll results on Egostic among the MZ Generation... 92% say 'Likable', overwhelming support.]

[Petition to erect an Egostic statue appears... Just how far does his popularity go?]

[The trendy item for 20-somethings at convenience stores these days? I tried eating the Mangostick myself.]

[Japanese Association President finally tears up! 'To think a villain like Egostic exists, Korea is truly a blessed place.' The Land of Eastern Courtesy, Korea, where even villains think of the country? The K-Villain craze sweeping the world raises the diplomatic status of the South Korean government!]

***

"Hello. This is the 9 o'clock News. Today, there is a Villain who is the talk of the town. To start the 9 o'clock News, we will look into Egostic. Here with us is Dr. Jeon Wonbong, a Doctor of Supernatural Abilities from Seoul National University. Good evening, Doctor."

"Yes, hello."

"These days, it's rare to go a day without Egostic, this Villain, being mentioned. The number of members in the 'Mango Squad,' the nickname for his supporting fans, is reportedly exploding. Why has he suddenly risen to fame like this?"

"Yes, Egostic. He is an ability user with the Dual Ability of Telekinesis and Teleportation, and a Villain already quite known to the public for causing four terror attacks alone. The reason he has recently made a name for himself again is due to the situation commonly called the 'Black Calamity'."

"The Black Calamity, isn't that the incident caused by Haneun Group? what does Egostic have to do with this?"

"To be precise, the bridge Egostic destroyed in a terror attack played the biggest role in stopping this disaster. If the bridge had been there, that monster would have crossed it exactly and advanced into northern Seoul. Looking only at the result, one could even say we avoided the disaster thanks to Egostic."

"Ah. But isn't that a perfect coincidence?"

"Netizens think differently. Rumors are circulating that he has precognition and destroyed the bridge knowing about it in advance to save South Korea. The fact that S-Rank Hero Apple Mango, who is presumed to be Egostic, stopped Monkey Spanner's terror attack in the past seems to be the basis for the netizens' speculation this time."

"Then do you think differently, Doctor?"

"Yes. Having precognition makes no sense. It is highly likely that this was just an incredible coincidence. But personally, I believe Egostic did know and stopped it in advance. However, not through precognition."

"That means...?"

"Perhaps he knew that some kind of experiment was roughly proceeding in the Haneun Group basement. That is what I think. Looking at the hacking skills he showed, it is fully possible...."

Click.

Press.

Listening up to that point, Shin Haru turned off the TV.

There was no need to listen any further.

Flump.

Leaning her body against the back of the sofa, she closed her eyes and thought slowly.

Egostic.

Privately executing other Villains. The terror attack where he forced people to kill one another. The terror attack involving the train tracks where he forced a choice to hit a person. The terror attack where he threatened to crash a plane if a quiz wasn't solved. The terror attack where he declared he would collapse the bridge if he accepted the money.

The numerous terror attacks he orchestrated undeniably define him as a Villain.

However.

Terror attacks where no one died, his advice not to expose her identity, suppressing the terror caused by his own followers, executing other Villains, the trust he placed in her to save the airplane, stopping a terror attack while posing as Apple Mango, and saving the car falling from the bridge.

And this time, even stopping a calamity.

Then what do these actions define him as?

Right.

At this point, she had no choice but to admit it.

He is radical, antisocial, arrogant, unpredictable, and kills other Villains without batting an eye.

He stages terror attacks to threaten the public, and on the rare occasions he steps up, he claims it's simply because he felt like it.

But looking at the results...

He hasn't killed a single innocent person, he eliminated Villains who threatened the safety of citizens, and whenever a terror attack occurred, he stepped in to stop it under the pretext of being provoked, mentioned, or simply because he was bored.

"......"

She admitted it.

What, exactly?

That she no longer knew what was what.

"Haa..."

It was late at night.

Moonlight streamed silently through the window at the side of her house.

Under that light, she could only let out a confused sigh.

It had already been several years since she began working as a Hero.

Yet, no Villain had ever confused her—or occupied her mind—as much as this one.

"Egostic."

She found herself murmuring the name without realizing it.

Egostic. What a ridiculous name.

But you...

Just what on earth are you?

You're just a Villain. Nothing more than a Villain.

So why do you make me care this much?