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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The First Test
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After receiving the completed PMC training facility from Lee Seol-ah, I spent a few days with Seo-eun and Eun-wol, setting up all the equipment and decorating the place. Finally, we were ready to welcome the others.
"...Oppa, are you really going to use your real name for this?"
Of course, Seo-eun was worried about me revealing my face and name for all this, but I didn't think much of it.
Stardust already knew my name and face anyway... In fact, being upfront was the better strategy. Besides, I planned to stay mostly within the Meteor building, so it wouldn't matter much. With Lee Seol-ah controlling the media, there was no chance of external exposure.
And so, I officially acquired the position of General Manager for Meteor Group PMC. It hardly mattered, considering I was already an A-rank villain behind the scenes...
Anyway, Seo-eun went back home. Only Eun-wol and I remained in the building.
"Eun-wol... you know what to do, right?"
"Yes, Dain Oppa!"
"Good. I'm counting on you."
After sending Eun-wol behind the wall, I cleared my throat once and went to meet our PMC members waiting in the lobby.
All right, time to see the Ego Squad members in person.
***
In the latter half of the original story, as the world teetered on the brink of destruction, villains ran rampant and monsters emerged.
Stardust alone protected the crumbling nation, enduring a truly heart-wrenching and grueling ordeal.
Most of the heroes had deserted, leaving Stardust as virtually the association's sole force against a surging tide of villains. Even with Lee Seol-ah maintaining some semblance of public order, it became unmanageable, and the country descended into chaos.
To prevent that situation, my idea was to recruit other ability users. My plan was to train them in advance so they could help Stardust when the apocalypse arrived. She wouldn't have to handle every last detail on her own.
Therefore, what I was doing now was incredibly important.
These young sprouts. The ones who would later help Stardust protect the world needed to have their minds straight, didn't they? While their abilities might be inferior to our Ego Stream elites... that was only because everyone around me was among the top few characters in the original story. These kids, even as they were, were quite strong.
In any case, my role was quite crucial. My goal was to help them grow their abilities beyond their current level and make them capable of pulling their weight.
And so, I was currently looking at four children.
"Hello. Are you the ones selected for the Meteor PMC? I'm Dain, and I'll be your supervisor. It's good to meet you."
"Yes! Hello!"
"...Hello."
"....Good to meet you."
"....."
I looked at the four kids greeting me.
My Ego Squad... the initial members of the Meteor Squad, and those who would become its most elite.
After a brief introduction, I led them down to the spacious underground sparring room. They seemed a bit awkward with each other, perhaps still unfamiliar with their surroundings.
Once we were downstairs with the kids, I struck a pose and spoke in a solemn voice.
"...Now that you're here, consider your previous identities shed."
"From now on, you are not individuals, but members of our Meteor Squad. Understand?"
"Alright. From now on, you will be addressed as... Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, and Number 4!"
"....Um, yes."
My sudden declaration caused them to fluster slightly, but they all nodded.
...Hmm, they all seem to be good kids. Of course, that was to be expected since I'd handpicked only those with good character based on the original story and my personal investigations. While it meant only four were selected out of the many who applied to the PMC... I had no regrets.
Thinking that to myself, I cleared my throat and addressed the boy standing at the front.
"Alright then, Number 1, step forward! Show us what you can do!"
"....Understood."
As soon as I finished speaking, Number 1 stepped forward.
He was a boy with gray hair tied back, a sleek sword at his hip. He had a dark, story-filled expression and a quiet, reserved personality.
In the original story, he was known as the 'Silent Warrior.' He had lived as a hound for some criminal organization, escaped, and then apparently applied to our PMC while searching for a place to belong.
In the original, he simply wandered until he first appeared much later, saving people after the Moonlight Church and monsters had consumed South Korea. I remembered him as a mere extra with rather ordinary abilities... but he was one of the few good-natured individuals, so he was an immediate cast.
"Alright, this is what you'll be fighting!"
Saying that, I pressed a button, deploying the skill-testing machine Seo-eun had prepared.
A gigantic, dinosaur-like robot burst from the wall, startling the other three slightly.
However, our white-haired swordsman calmly drew his blade without any hesitation, then charged towards my test dummy.
[GRAAAWRRRR!]
With his drawn sword, he simply leaped towards the dinosaur. Then, he began fighting it, swift and precise.
What was his ability again...? Something about being able to wield the power of wind.
Thanks to it, he could move quickly, and his sword, wielded with the wind, was said to possess more destructive power than that of an ordinary person.
Anyway, after a skirmish, Number 1 finally brought down the dinosaur robot.
As I quietly assessed his skill, I nodded and called for Number 2.
"Alright, Number 2. You're next!"
"Uh... me, right away? Well, alright."
She said something offhandedly, then with a grunt, stood up, holding a bow.
As I deployed another dinosaur robot, she quietly aimed her bow at it from a distance.
Even though there was no arrow on the string, a strange arrow of light materialized as she drew the bow.
With a *ping*, she released it, and the arrow of light flew swiftly, embedding itself in the enemy. The power didn't seem particularly strong, though.
I watched the girl, who was retreating while muttering "Yep, yep" and firing arrows from a distance.
...Honestly, I hadn't seen her in the original story. But I'd never heard of an ability like hers, and she seemed to have potential, so I recruited her. No, she can shoot a bow without arrows? That's the dream, isn't it...?
Of course, Lee Seol-ah's thorough background check confirmed she wasn't a bad kid, but still.
After some time, Number 2 also brought it down, and I naturally called for Number 3.
"Yes! Finally, my turn! I'll show you what I can do!"
A girl with red hair, bursting into a confident laugh.
She looked like someone who loved sports, vibrant and energetic. She immediately unleashed fire from her hands and charged at the test robot.
Number 3. She appeared in the very late stages of the original story. She also first appeared saving people trapped under monster debris. Although, she died almost immediately afterward...
Anyway, she seemed to have potential. If only she could be properly nurtured.
She brutally pummeled the monster with her fists.
After watching her barely, *barely* defeat the thing after a rather tough? struggle, I finally called for Number 4.
"Alright, deploy!"
"Hmm..."
A girl with blue bobbed hair.
She hesitated for a moment, then, with a soft "Ehh," she launched something like soap bubbles.
...Let's just stop there.
Anyway, the skill tests for the four, each with their own quirks, were finally concluded.
I quietly gathered them and spoke.
"You are all too weak."
At my words, the kids looked slightly shocked and flustered.
In a way, it was understandable. Although it took some time, they did eventually defeat that dinosaur-like machine. And it even breathed fire!
But they were definitely weak. Of course, they were stronger than me, who only had telekinesis and teleportation, but compared to our Ego Stream members, they were embarrassingly feeble.
In other words, it was time for a shock tactic.
However, as I'd said, my weak telekinesis, which gave out after a few uses, couldn't demonstrate anything impressive.
That's why Eun-wol, who was hidden behind the wall watching me, was crucial at this moment.
Alright, time for what I do best. Shall I put on a show?
And so, under the sullen gazes of the kids, who seemed to be thinking, "Then how strong are *you*?" after my "You are all too weak!" declaration, I shouted loudly.
"Alright, one more test unit!"
As I shouted, the wall of the sparring room opened.
From within, another rather large dinosaur robot, just like before, roared [GRAAAWRRRR!] and burst out.
I calmly walked forward, fiddling with the gloves I'd been wearing.
'Eun-wol, ready?'
*I'm counting on you.*
Passing the kids, I stood before the large robot.
I spread my open hand high towards the sky.
Then, with a firm clench, I squeezed my fist tightly.
KABOOOMMMMM!
The robot in front of me was crushed as if crumpled, then exploded with a deafening roar.
To anyone watching, it looked as if I had crushed the robot with some ability by clenching my fist.
But in reality...
'Thanks, Eun-wol!'
I silently thanked Eun-wol, who was somewhere behind that wall.
Naturally, this was a setup with Eun-wol. The moment I clenched my fist, Eun-wol, who was hidden and waiting, attacked it in my stead, making it seem as though I had destroyed it.
It was deception in its purest form... but there was no way these kids would know.
Feeling the intense heat and flying debris from behind,
I turned away from the scene of the explosion and met the blank stares of the kids, who had just watched me destroy a machine in mere seconds that had taken them tens of minutes to finally defeat.
With a wide grin, I declared,
"From now on, you must become strong enough to do this."
Only then would they be able to help Stardust.
And to do that, naturally,
they'd have to work their butts off, wouldn't they?
I thought that to myself, letting out a wicked chuckle.
Alright, it was time for me to transform from everyone's kind Ego-Stick into the terrifying drill sergeant of the training camp.
***
'....Strong.'
The man with gray tied-back hair, Lee Se-geom... no, now Number 1, found himself muttering, staring at the man named Dain before him.
Others might not have known, but with his heightened senses, he could feel it. The moment that man clenched his fist, energy condensed in the center of the machine and then exploded. Furthermore, this Dain person seemed to be deliberately limiting his abilities.
...In truth, this was Baek Eun-wol's ability, but he didn't know that much.
'...He's far stronger than those in our organization.'
He gripped his sword, thinking that.
If he worked hard following that man, could he become that strong too?
If so, could he break free from the shackles of his past?
Number 1 made that resolve, tightening his grip on his sword. Yes, he would work hard here. And then, he would crush the organization.
...What he didn't anticipate, however, was that he would have to work far harder than he imagined.