Chapter 166 - Precarious

[When Will the Mangostick Terror Happen Again??]

I'm a newbie who joined the fan cafe recently

I watched everything so far through YouTube replays...

I want to enjoy it in real-time too, why aren't you doing it!! I want to witness the terror in person!!!

=[Comments]=

[For real though, it should be about time]

[I've been watching foreign videos lately because I'm bored, and there's seriously no one who talks trash and terrorizes like Mango...]

ㄴ[Are there even any streaming terrorists to begin with??]

ㄴ[Almost none, Mango is just irreplaceable lol]

[I've been crying because I want to see Stardust VS Egostic]

[From what I can tell, it'll be at least another month, give up]

ㄴ[No way!!!!!!!]

[Keep waiting, just keep waiting]

[It's up now]

ㄴ[Liar]

ㄴ[It's true;;;]

ㄴ[Wait, looking again it really is up, I'm heading there right now lol]

*

[Egostic Stream ON lololololol]

Go right now gogogogogogo

=[Comments]=

[Finally!!!]

[This is it lol entering the gallery lol]

[I'm at work, this isn't right!!!!]

ㄴ[Our manager is showing this on the conference room projector right now, so sweet lol]

ㄴ[Your boss is Team Mango? You hit the jackpot lol]

[Damn, I'm going to buy beer right now lol]

[Hello, this is Yacostic, entering the gallery lol]

[Watching right now and the sky looks beautiful, perfect weather for terrorism]

***

A vast blue sky stretches overhead.

In that place where warm sunlight and cool breeze flow,

In front of that building, I greeted the camera.

"Hello everyone. This is Egostic!"

*

[Egostic is here!!!!!!!!]

[Like if you're Team Mango who came running as soon as the notification popped up lol]

[I was eating a cheese stick when Egostic entered lol lucky timing]

[Dropping everything to watch the stream first, don't try to stop me]

[Why do you always come back after so long? Come back sooner!!!]

*

The chat is still lively as ever.

After checking it briefly, I couldn't help but smile.

Having finished all preparations and finally starting the stream, it feels refreshing.

With that slight smile, I continued speaking.

"Yes, it's been a while everyone! It's Egostic's terror time, back in the daytime!"

As I finish speaking, explosion sound effects go off.

Of course, these are pre-prepared bombs I've set off.

Citizens screaming and running away.

And so, in the middle of a wide street, I stood alone with my arms spread wide.

Well, not exactly alone. Eun-wol is here too.

Anyway, as I spoke, I pointed at the building behind me. Let's get this moving quickly.

Grinning again, I took out a detonator from my pocket.

"And of course! In my hand is a detonator! If I press it? Naturally, all the buildings behind me will go boom! Yes, if you want to see this, obviously Ms. Stardust needs to come! I'll be waiting. Please come quickly!"

That's all I said.

Well, Stardust probably won't come anyway, but I should at least lay the groundwork. Pretending I don't know anything.

*

[As soon as the stream starts, he's already looking for Stardust lol]

[Ah lol Egostic can't live without Stardust lol]

[There's a reason Team Stardust fans subscribed to Egostic's stream notifications lol because when Egostic appears, Stardust shows up too lol]

[Now repeat after me: Stardust is his true love]

[Last time he fought Shadow Walker, so this time it makes sense he'd face Stardust lol]

*

As expected, the viewers don't know anything. They naturally think Stardust will come.

I smirked and looked away from the chat.

Sorry, but it's not Stardust who's coming, but some strange American.

Anyway, after making my announcement, I checked the situation again.

Me, floating in the air with my back to the building. And in front of me, a wide road stretching out.

As soon as I appeared, it seems a no-entry zone was established, as there were no people or cars visible. I floated in the air, feeling the cool breeze.

At first glance, it might seem like I came alone, but of course that's not the case. Eun-wol and Choi Se-hee are on standby nearby. So in other words, at first glance, I appear to be alone.

And naturally, someone would come.

As expected, my prediction wasn't wrong.

Not long after, from the end of that road, someone came flying.

"Hmm? Someone's flying over there. Is it Stardust?"

I said that while knowing better.

But as soon as I said it, someone who was clearly not Stardust appeared.

"Oh. It doesn't seem to be Stardust."

Just as I finished speaking, the camera caught a woman flying from far away.

Gray hair fluttering in the wind, distinctly non-Korean exotic appearance, wearing an imposing American-style gray uniform.

Flying on a rock with sharp eyes, it was Methel, whom I was finally seeing in person for the first time.

Yes, I've been waiting. Nice to meet you.

Of course, it would be strange if I knew this at this point, so I just tilted my head as if I didn't know who she was.

She landed a bit away from me.

Stepping down from the rock she was riding like some super-board, she brushed her gray hair once and spoke to me.

"Are you Egostic?"

She asked me in English with a cold voice.

Then it's only natural for me to answer in Korean.

"Um... who are you?"

She must have been wearing a translator, because she answered briefly to my response.

"My name is Methel."

After saying that, she spread one hand and created pointed rock fragments floating in a circle behind her back.

Then, maintaining that pose, she looked at me and declared proudly.

"Methel, S-class hero from America. I've come to capture you."

A moment of silence.

I deliberately created this silence, then spoke before it became awkward.

"...What?"

My bewildered response.

With that, the chat suddenly began to burn up.

*

[????????]

[Who the heck is this???]

[Where is Stardust!!!]

[Where did our Stardust go and why is some English-speaking foreigner showing up]

[Wait, America's?? S-class??? Hero? Why is someone like that in our country?]

[What's going on right now]

[Damn, why is an S-class hero suddenly appearing lol]

[This is crazy]

*

People are confused.

Regardless, Methel glared at me with cold eyes, then snorted.

"Well, surrender quietly. There's no chance you can defeat me, Methel, an S-class hero anyway."

"Haha, you suddenly show up and talk nonsense, so I'm a bit confused. Metal or whatever your name is, from what I hear, you seem like a nobody."

I responded to Methel's provocation with the same sarcasm.

At my words, her expression crumpled, then she let out a mocking laugh.

"Ha, typical of an A-class villain, I heard you had a sharp tongue."

As she said that, walking toward me in her high heels, I extended my hand.

"Stop right there."

Saying that, I raised the detonator in my other hand.

"If you move even one step closer, the building behind me will explode immediately. Naturally, what will happen to the people inside is... obvious, right?"

I threatened her by taking hostages, as I always did.

If it were Stardust as usual, she would have stopped with a grimace, prioritizing people above all else.

But, as expected.

As soon as I finished speaking, she ignored me and took another step forward.

And simultaneously, rocks began to rise from the ground toward me.

I teleported to the sky above at just the right timing.

Wow, she really just attacks recklessly.

Anyway, I went up to the sky.

Looking at Methel flying toward me on a rock below.

I muttered loud enough for the camera to hear, as if bewildered.

"Seriously, this hero just attacks recklessly even when I say I have hostages."

While I was doing that, Seo-eun's voice came through my earpiece.

[Oppa. All the people in the building have been evacuated.]

Is that so?

Then I guess I can blow it up now.

"Well then. She brought this on herself."

After saying that, I pressed the detonator.

KABOOOOOOM.

Simultaneously, a thunderous sound from behind.

As the bombs planted inside the building all exploded and the building collapsed.

Seeing numerous rocks flying toward me, I teleported again.

Tsk, this is going to be tough.

As I teleported to a different location, rock fragments immediately shot out from somewhere as if they'd been waiting.

I teleported again to avoid them, and more rocks rose up at that spot too.

"Ouch! This is getting dangerous."

As I narrowly avoided a rock flying toward me, a voice came from directly below.

"Ha. You're scurrying like a rat. Let's see how long you can hold out!"

Looking at her shouting at me with overflowing confidence, I just frantically kept dodging rocks.

"Aack! Save me, Egostic!"

As if panicking, I dodged frantically. Narrowly avoiding all attacks by a hair's breadth, I kept dodging as if I could be caught at any moment.

'Tsk... pretending like this isn't easy either.'

Yes.

To be precise, I was deliberately pretending to panic, narrowly avoiding attacks. Measuring distances, intentionally teleporting near rocks.

To make Methel focus only on me, to make her think she's just about to catch me.

While Methel was distracted with me.

Flash-

Behind there, Eun-wol was quietly preparing one powerful strike.

While Methel was completely unaware, quietly.