Chapter 245 - Drinking

[Stardust attacks! Yes, one hit! The villain Seven Watt has been taken down with a single blow! The city is safe, everyone!]

"Hmm..."

-Click.

I paused the video on the screen and fell into thought for a moment.

It was yesterday's news broadcast.

As always, a villain appeared in the heart of Seoul, a guy named Seven Watt wearing a yellow spandex suit.

...And the news was showing Stardust taking him down with a single punch.

While Stardust looked cool with her blonde hair flowing as she raised her fist in the air, that wasn't what mattered.

What mattered was that this guy, who had given her a decent challenge in the original story, was taken down by Stardust with just one hit.

This wasn't even the first time. The fact that cities aren't periodically burning down at this point shows how much Stardust has grown compared to the original story.

She's grown so much that...

She might be able to overcome the upcoming Moonlight Bridge event.

"....."

I carefully analyzed it.

The Moonlight Bridge Gate. The final boss of Phase 2, where portals open all over the world and monsters pour out in waves.

The reason I've always been most wary of this event is because of its widespread impact. If only Seoul was attacked, that would be one thing, but how can we stop monsters appearing all over the country? There's a reason the original story's atmosphere changes based on Phase 2.

...Of course.

I do have a plan. A plan to stop this.

But the problem is that it won't be easy.

I estimate that I can only stop it after the terrorism has already begun to some extent.

Which means we'll be exposed to the attack until then.

That's why I created the PMC and told the Director to build bunkers. We need to buy time. We need to hold out until I can execute my plan.

But the problem will be Seoul.

"...."

While monsters will appear in cities all across Seoul too, the Moonlight Bridge people will open their main gate here, so particularly strong ones will emerge. This means Stardust will have to deal with them.

The problem is that gates will open everywhere, with considerable distance between them.

And to prevent this, it's important to be able to fly quickly to distant locations.

"....Speed, huh."

Yes.

In short, flying ability becomes quite important.

Speed that can fly from one end of Seoul to the other in the shortest time possible. That will be necessary. If you're too late, the situation might already be over before you arrive.

But the problem is that the current Stardust is only strong in terms of power, with nothing particularly related to speed.

From the beginning, I've only had her fight against other strong ability users, but I've never conducted terrorism specifically to enhance her flying ability. Of course, she's fast now, but... if I stimulate her more, couldn't Stardust's flying speed become even faster?

So now, the concept for my next act of terrorism has been decided.

"Anyway, in terms of strength... for now, she has more than enough."

I muttered those words while watching Stardust take down Seven Watt with a single punch.

In truth, it's still not enough. Stardust can become stronger, and she must become stronger.

But for now, it seems sufficient to stop the monsters from another dimension.

After all, they're more about quantity than individual strength...

'Even the most dangerous one that will emerge from the gate seems manageable enough.'

"Good."

Having finished my thoughts, I declared to myself.

The main theme of this terrorism... is speed!

And it wouldn't be bad to involve citizens too.

Yes, so that's settled...

Having decided to work out the detailed plan later, I first looked into the immediate matters at hand.

The Moonlight Bridge is the main boss I'm steadily preparing to block, but there are quite a few villains that need to be dealt with beforehand.

Especially this one.

With that thought, I picked up a printed paper on the table with a villain's profile.

"...."

Tsk.

No matter how I look at it, I can't catch this one alone.

...And that was the conclusion I came to after pondering for a while.

No, literally, I can't catch him alone. Not just me, but none of our Ego-stream members can take this guy down.

From the beginning, he was designed so that only Stardust could defeat him, in terms of compatibility.

Then can't we just have Stardust take him down... well, I can't argue with that. The problem is that this guy is quite strong. Too strong for the current Stardust to win against.

...Unless she has someone's help, that is.

"....."

...Right.

Let's think about this later and focus on the immediate terrorism first.

A first-class villain puts their heart into planning even a single act of terrorism. Ordinary people don't understand this art of terrorism...!

Anyway, I drafted the initial plan by myself.

And then, a few days later.

In the Ego-stream grand conference room.

"Yawn, oppa. What is it this time?"

With everyone gathered around the massive table.

There, I spoke to everyone in a very serious voice.

"I'm going to drop a missile on Seoul."

"...What?"

***

Stardust.

She was a serious workaholic. To the point of dedicating everything to her hero activities.

And the problem was that her condition was gradually deteriorating.

"....."

And the reason was, of course, because the days without news of Egostic were getting longer.

Having watched videos of herself fighting Egostic so many times that there was nothing left to see, she let out a deep sigh.

"...Haah."

...She knew it herself. That it wasn't normal for a hero to want to see a villain. That it was strange for a hero to care about a villain's well-being.

So until now, she had denied it to herself.

But now, after experiencing various events,

And decisively, after receiving Egostic's letter,

She decided to cleanly acknowledge her feelings.

It was just that Egostic.

Kept circling in her mind and she kept thinking about him.

"...."

...Well.

Can't a hero worry about their arch-enemy?

After all, Egostic worried about her too, so why can't it be the other way around? Yes. This is perfectly natural.

He's saved her life multiple times, so it's natural to feel anxious, worried, and want to see him when he doesn't show up. This has nothing to do with him being a villain.

"...What am I even saying."

As she continued with these thoughts, she unconsciously smiled self-deprecatingly. Ha-ru, you've finally lost your mind.

'...Still.'

..It's just how she feels, what can she do?

Why doesn't he come?

And as she spent the whole day feeling unsettled like that.

"...Company dinner?"

She received a call from the Director.

Shadow Walker was coming to the association after a long time today, and he suggested having dinner together.

"Hmm...."

If it's a company dinner, there will be alcohol, right?

...Maybe with the help of alcohol, these feelings will calm down.

With that thought, she replied that she would attend.

Forgetting that she was weak to alcohol.

***

Company dinner.

Even the Hero Association, responsible for public safety in the Republic of Korea, sometimes has company dinners like any workplace.

Of course, there haven't been many recently due to incidents, but a dinner was arranged on the occasion of Shadow Walker visiting the association.

At the dinner attended by no less than two A-rank heroes, Stardust and Shadow Walker.

The Director was continuously listening to Shadow Walker's complaints.

"It's hard these days, so hard..."

The name of the man with a flushed face from drinking alone was Kim Ja-hyun, also known as Shadow Walker, an active A-rank hero.

And the blonde woman sitting across from him was Stardust, another A-rank hero.

As Kim Ja-hyun's complaints began in earnest.

The Director desperately wished Stardust would respond somehow.

"...."

But Stardust seemed drunk as well, silently staring at her beer bottle without seeming to hear anything else.

...It seems dealing with drunk people was his role.

"Hmm. Ja-hyun. Don't stress too much. You're doing well with your assigned duties, aren't you?"

"Director..."

To the Director who was sitting at the head of the table offering comfort.

Kim Ja-hyun put his beer down on the table with a thud and muttered.

"What am I doing well? There aren't even villains terrorizing at night these days. And the few villains who do cause terror at night even counter me. I feel like my presence as a hero is fading... The future looks bleak, just. Haah."

After complaining for a while, he began gulping down his beer.

And the Director who was listening to this.

"....Haah."

Sighed as he watched Stardust, who was silently downing her beer with an equally flushed face.

'This is bad.'

"Ah, damn this life. Back in my day, huh? Villains would all fall with just a gesture from me. Ah, where have the good times gone! Oh my, oh my."

"....."

As the Director's head throbbed watching Shadow Walker who was now fully in drunk-talk mode.

-Thud.

From the opposite side, there was a loud sound of Stardust putting her beer glass down on the table.

"...Stardust?"

The Director cautiously called out to her.

Looking at Stardust who was holding an empty beer glass with her head bowed.

Only then did the Director realize that she had emptied that beer bottle by herself while Shadow Walker was talking.

"Are you alright...? Maybe you should stop drinking..."

And just as the Director was cautiously saying that.

"Why..."

Suddenly, Stardust began to mutter.

"Why, why..."

Holding the empty beer glass in her hand, she muttered like that.

Then she suddenly raised her head, and with a flushed face, she mumbled while almost crying.

"Why, aren't you terrorizing...."

"Haah..."

"Sniff. I too, back in my day, huh? Night meant Shadow Walker... Now, sniff. Even in surveys I'm losing to Icicle, Sook-hee...! I'm sorry..!"

"So annoying... sniff."

"...."

"Shadow Walker... boom... is coming..."

"...Haah. This is driving me crazy."

The Director sighed as he looked at the two pillars of the Republic of Korea, the A-rank heroes, one sniffling and one causing a scene.

...How am I going to get these two home?

***

The next morning.

"Ugh... my head."

Waking up in her bed at home, Stardust unconsciously grabbed her throbbing head and barely opened her eyes.

Only then did yesterday's memories come back.

'...Why aren't you terrorizing!'

"I'm crazy... I must be crazy..."

Remembering what she had done yesterday, she covered her face with her hands.

...Shin Ha-ru. You're crazy, you've lost it.

Let's be careful next time...

Feeling slightly dizzy, she habitually turned on the TV without thinking.

And there was.

[Hello. This is Egostic!]

"Huh..?"

Egostic appeared as if he had just started broadcasting.

Wait, what...?

Shin Ha-ru's mind suddenly cleared.