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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Underground Expedition
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"Hmph, no. I don't think I can go in. That black something stuck to the wall there seems to be blocking my darkness abilities. Even shadow-stepping looks difficult."
"Understood. Dr. Kim Seon-woo, was it? What on earth did that bastard create..."
"Chairman, can't I go too? It's too dangerous to send Haru alone!"
"Icicle. Haven't I told you? It's too dangerous there. Even with your power, aren't you vulnerable to surprise attacks? Going in with weak self-defense is a gamble."
The conference room on the top floor of the Association.
In that room, where only the Chairman, three A-rank Heroes, and the highest-ranking executives were gathered, a heated discussion was underway.
"Hmph... But then! Is it okay for Haru to go there alone?"
"Haa... I opposed it repeatedly as well. But Stardust keeps being stubborn. Icicle, why don't you try to stop her?"
"Haru! Why are you suddenly going in there? It's already been safely sealed, so there's no need to rush in, is there?"
Seeing Seol-ah whining at her, Haru paused to choose her words.
Why was she going in there?
There were many reasons.
"Seol-ah. We don't know when the safety measures there might fail and monsters could escape. It's better to deal with them beforehand. And the Han-eun Group might be hiding more things, so we should secure some data."
"Hmph..."
Watching Seol-ah grumble, unable to retort, Haru swallowed her unspoken thoughts.
Truth be told, she hadn't originally intended to go in such a hurry.
However.
Her strength, now greater than before, gave her the confidence that she could return unharmed, no matter what happened in there.
And.
She was also feeling a little anxious.
In truth, Shin Haru had a certain degree of confidence.
Confidence that she could handle almost all the villains in Seoul and prevent terrorist attacks.
Indeed, she had apprehended and thrown every villain except that Egostick into prison... And hadn't she, after all, succeeded in stopping the terrorist attacks Egostick caused?
Perhaps that was why.
She was greatly shocked by the disaster that had occurred this time.
It was terrifying to think how many tens of thousands of casualties there would have been if Egostick hadn't been there.
Therefore, she had no choice but to admit it.
That she, a hero, had been more useless than a mere villain.
A task she, a hero, couldn't accomplish, had effectively been solved by a villain instead.
Come to think of it, this wasn't the only time.
The terrorist attack caused by a villain called Alligatorman last time would have resulted in much greater damage if Egostick hadn't been there.
'This can't go on.'
Indeed, she was feeling a little anxious.
A hero worse than a villain? That was unacceptable.
She had to handle the aftermath properly, or the name 'hero' would be a disgrace, wouldn't it?
"Still, how about we take some time before going...?"
At Icicle's timid suggestion, Shadow Walker, who was beside her, subtly interjected.
"Anyway, as I saw when I went in there, if you go too deep, the signals cut out, so dragging it out won't really make a difference... If we're going in, it seems right to go quickly before it's too late..."
Ultimately, Icicle, whose last counter-argument was dismissed, looked at Stardust with a worried expression.
Stardust simply offered Icicle a reassuring smile.
Yes. The underground.
She would absolutely uncover what the Han-eun Group had been doing down there...
"Alright, then, let's make a plan."
And so, the lights on the top floor of the Hero Association remained on late into the night, as they discussed Stardust's strategy to infiltrate the Han-eun Group's underground facility, set for the very next day.
***
Deep beneath Seoul, in the conference room of the Ego-Base.
Under the flickering lights, I finished my explanation.
"...Down there, the Han-eun Group was researching a 'dream creature' called Behemoth. To intercept it, we depart tomorrow!"
As soon as I finished speaking, the conference room suddenly fell silent.
What? No reaction?
As I merely blinked, Hayul, who had only been listening, finally spoke.
"Um, Oppa. Putting aside how you know that, is it, by any chance, dangerous?"
Dangerous, you ask?
"Uh... it'll be a bit dangerous. To be honest, I don't really know what's inside there myself."
In the original story, the Han-eun Group's underground facility wasn't described in detail either.
Just that it was full of bizarre monsters, and Kim Seon-woo stole Behemoth from inside?
To be honest, I'm a bit nervous, but hey, if push comes to shove, Hayul can heal me.
The most important thing is...
'Rocket Punch...'
I want to try a Black Rocket Punch too. How long am I supposed to live with only my puny telekinesis as my one trick? Humans are meant to gamble!
"...So, Oppa, you're *still* going to insist on doing something dangerous?"
Just then.
Seo-eun, who had been bowing her head, spoke quietly.
Wait, did the conference room suddenly get a bit chilly?
"Nah, I mean. Am I going to die? Haha."
As I scratched my head and said that, Seo-eun's hand, clenched into a fist while her head was bowed, began to tremble.
What is this ominous feeling?
"No!!!! Oppa, do you have any sense or not!!!! Is it even remotely acceptable to treat your body so recklessly!!!"
Seo-eun suddenly slammed her fist down on the table, raging.
No, how insolent!
I frantically looked at Soobin for help, but.
"...Dain, you came back injured last time, and you're going to do it again this time?"
She looked at me with the same cold gaze and actually started siding with Seo-eun.
Heavens, they say there's no one you can trust!!!
In the end, I got chewed out thoroughly.
Honestly, a person can take a few risks with their body, can't they?
You can't achieve great profits by only sticking to safe paths. Shouldn't a man make a bet sometimes?
Of course, saying that only earned me more curses.
Why does no one sympathize with me?
Anyway, if I get hurt, Hayul will heal me. I believe that.
...She *will* heal me, right?
Anyway, I managed to get permission on the condition that I bring a camera, stream the footage live, and maintain constant communication.
No, aren't *I* the leader of this organization?
Why do *I* have to ask for permission?
Something felt off, but I decided to let it go.
Anyway, tomorrow's the day we launch.
***
So, the next day at noon.
While people were enjoying their lunch, I was hiding at the collapsed Han-eun Group building site.
Among the debris of the collapsed building, a sinkhole-like opening was visible.
That must be where Behemoth emerged, I suppose. Truly massive.
...Of course, the Association quickly poured cement over it to seal it up. Otherwise, all the monsters inside would have burst out, so they did well.
Anyway, not far from there was the entrance to the Han-eun Group's hidden basement.
A place located beneath the excavated ground, sealed by multiple layers of shielded doors.
And in front of it, Association personnel were strictly guarding, preventing anyone from entering.
They were patrolling in front, wearing guns and and sunglasses. Their appearance, with sunglasses and suits, was like something out of Men in Black. But, well.
Whether they were patrolling like that or not, it didn't concern me.
Isn't everything solved with a single teleport? Teleportation is the best. It would have been even better if there were no side effects.
Anyway, after briefly assessing the situation and getting ready, I immediately teleported inside.
And just like that, the air instantly changed.
When I opened my closed eyes, I, who had clearly been standing under bright sunlight, was now in a musty underground space.
Above, the lights flickered on and off.
In that gloomy atmosphere, a dark corridor stretched out ahead. Monsters were probably teeming inside there.
Hmm. Dark and full of monsters, huh.
....
No, I can't be called a professional villain if I get scared by something like this.
I'm Stardust's arch-nemesis. Self-proclaimed, of course, but still. I shouldn't be afraid of this.
First, I checked the bag I'd prepared. A gun, bombs, a camera, and I even packed snacks. Snacks are a serious matter.
My outfit too... A black magician's hat, a black robe, and a black cloak. A perfect all-black fashion. To top it off, a grayish mask covering half my face. Good. Perfect.
With all preparations complete, I turned on the camera and started broadcasting.
After all, streaming something like this is the real fun.
Since it wasn't a terrorist attack, I didn't hijack a broadcast signal, just streamed on YouTube.
The chat window, despite the sudden broadcast, began to fill rapidly with messages.
[?????]
[What is this?????]
[Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick!]
[New broadcast woohoowwwwww]
[Is he a mango god? Is he a mango god? Is he a mango god? Is he a mango god? Is he a mango god? Is he a mango god?]
[Is this the broadcast of Apple Mango, Seoul's guardian and S-rank hero?]
[Thank you thank you thank you thank you]
[It feels like yesterday he went silent for 4 months, is this real? Mangostick is truly a legend...]
[Did he really know Mapo Bridge would end up like this and destroy it? Explain yourself]
[But where is this? Why is it so dark?]
[What crazy stunt is he pulling today lololol]
The viewer count rose sharply.
To them, I spread my arms wide and greeted them.
"Hello everyone! Welcome to my Ego-Live!"
Those Han-eun Group bastards are definitely watching this, aren't they?
Eat this.
As for the Association... well.
They're the kind of guys who were too scared to open the barrier and just held out, so wouldn't they actually *like* it if I cleared out a few monsters on the way? Or something?
***
"Damn it! Can we contact Stardust now?"
"The signal is going through, but she's not picking up! It's likely that enough time has passed, and she's gone too deep, making communication impossible."
"No, blast it! Why on earth did she have to go in at *this* timing! Ugh, whether they meet down there or not, I don't care. I'm so furious, bring me some popcorn, Secretary!"
".....Yes, Chairman."
The Chairman munched on the popcorn his secretary brought and watched Egostick's broadcast.
He truly exemplified the saying, 'If you can't avoid it, enjoy it.'