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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Encounter with the Strongest Female Hero
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"Do you trust people?"
"That's..."
I'd never really thought about it before.
"I do, sure. I'm not the type to fall for voice phishing or believe anything obviously suspicious. But if I had to say, yeah, I lean toward trusting people."
"Why?"
She asked me.
"If you're walking down the street and some thug sneaks up from behind and stabs you in the neck, you'll die. Don't you ever suspect people like that?"
"Normal people don't live thinking that far ahead."
"Why not?"
"Because it's uncomfortable, right?"
If you thought like that, you couldn't even ride the subway or bus. And if you were in a car, you'd have to constantly scan around for trucks barreling toward you.
"Exactly. It's inefficient. Humanity realized that the benefits of trusting others outweigh the potential losses, so we learned to trust."
I nodded silently.
"The more dangerous the situation, the greater the hardships, the more people trust each other. Or rather, they have no choice but to. If they start doubting each other then, they'll sink into a swamp of inefficiency and end up worse off than if they'd been betrayed."
I got it.
Trusting people was like taking a risk in a game to aim for the high score.
"That's why I've decided to trust you."
"Pardon?"
"You could save this world... or destroy it. But I'm choosing to believe in you."
It was a terrifying statement. I swallowed hard.
"But what if I really do become a threat to the world? Just hypothetically..."
I couldn't hold back my curiosity.
"Couldn't you just kill me right now?"
I didn't want to die. But the world ending because of me? That was its own kind of awful.
"No need to worry that much."
Nafre gave a gentle smile.
"Right now, you're powerless. Just an ordinary person with no abilities. What we care about is the power you'll choose."
"Ah, I see."
"Yes. We'll give you that power. Normally, we wouldn't grant such authority to someone we couldn't trust, but we've decided to believe in you."
I tilted my head.
"No side effects or anything?"
No matter how I looked at it, the offer was too good. There was no reason someone with Nafre's power would humble herself like this unless it benefited her too.
"I can't say there are absolutely none. But I think the good outweighs the bad."
Vague. Suspicious. Dangerous.
"What if I refuse the offer?"
Nafre's body stiffened for a moment.
"Well... I haven't thought about that. What should we do...?"
I'd made a mistake.
She was an Awakener with at least level 3 intelligence, probably 4. Her pausing to think was never a good sign.
"Should I tempt you? Beg? But that would take too much time and give you too many options."
"Then...?"
"Can you see this?"
She pulled out a small toy-like gun.
"It's a hypnosis gun. With this, I can control your mind however I want. Don't close your eyes from now on."
Once someone awakens their ability, they can close their eyes and meditate anytime to buy new abilities with unused points.
"I could pull the trigger right now and make you move according to my will."
It was a horrifying device, but the leader of Humanity's Shield—who could bend the world to her desires—was the Foresight of the Sinking Ship, Nafre.
With a psychic ability user, weaponizing something like this would be trivial.
"If you could do that, why didn't you earlier?"
"Because I can't keep you contained forever?"
She flashed a bright smile. But her eyes looked a little sad.
"If we mobilized the organization's full resources? Four months, maybe. The whole world's? A year. That's probably how long we could control you. A bit optimistic, though."
"And then?"
"You'd get angry, and humanity's strongest Hero would kill me. Or... maybe that's too optimistic."
"..."
"You might throw me into a monster den, or soak me in horrific drugs. Or maybe... you'd do something so terrible I'd wish for that myself."
"You'd still try to control me knowing that?"
"Yes. If I die, Humanity's Shield will lose cohesion and collapse within three years. Then humanity's downfall accelerates. Optimistically? Five years until extinction."
"But why...?"
"Five years."
She looked at me with eyes full of conviction.
"Humanity could last a full five years. Not a low probability."
I'd taken that for granted.
Even in a world where Heroes and Villains clashed endlessly, it was hard to imagine Earth ending in just a few years.
I'd survived here for six years already, and doomsday talk on the news or internet was dismissed as wild jokes.
I figured tomorrow—and the day after—would be just like today. Talented, responsible Heroes were protecting our daily lives, after all.
I was wrong.
The organization created to ensure humanity's survival. The leader of Humanity's Shield, Nafre, saw a world that was fragile and precarious.
She was protecting it. And she intended to keep doing so.
"I'll do it."
What choice did I have?
Not because of her will, but mine.
"Thank you. You've made the right choice for humanity. I'll believe in you."
Nafre stood and bowed politely to me. I didn't know what to do and started sweating.
"Thank you. I'll do my best."
"But."
Nafre approached me. With the perfect, elegant gait I'd unconsciously imagined when I first saw her.
"Playing the saint forever isn't easy. Someday, your desires might overcome your self-control."
"I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen."
"Noble resolve. But if that effort fails...?"
A chill ran down my spine. I had no idea what 'control method' she had prepared this time.
"Please."
She began undressing.
Jacket, blouse, bra, pants, panties.
With each movement of her hands, more of her skin was revealed.
"Use us."
Fully naked, she knelt before me in dogeza position, forehead to the floor.
It was a perfect body.
And knowing it belonged to Nafre aroused me even more.
The ruthless woman who wouldn't even acknowledge mere Hero Association chairs or presidents was now bowing her head to me.
"What... what do you mean?"
"If you want to hold a woman, use us instead of killing us and sowing chaos. Use us to conquer the world. I'll make anything you desire come true."
It was frightening. I couldn't understand why she was acting this way toward someone powerless like me.
"If you want to kill someone, just tell me. I can do it for you and handle the cleanup."
It was a posture of submission. Nafre, who had guarded the world as Humanity's Shield for so long, was begging me for mercy.
"If you need money or power, that's fine too. You could seize a city and turn it into a rape paradise, or pick a country and slaughter everyone there. Or kill all the men, leave only women, and start a new race with your seed. I'd follow you."
"No, what the hell do you take me for? I don't want that, and I have no intention of doing it!"
I couldn't hold back my anger. She carefully stood, exposing her firm breasts and soft belly to me.
"Even if you do want something like that, please come to us first."
"..."
"We won't stop you. If it helps, great—no interference."
"Why go that far? Aren't you trying to protect humanity?"
There was no shame, fear, or guilt in Nafre's eyes.
"Because it's efficient."
"Pardon?"
"Sacrificing the few for the many. Humanity's survival. That's what we've done, sacrificing countless people."
"Uh..."
"We could sacrifice a nation for humanity, or ourselves as offerings. But considering the power you'll gain, submitting to you is better than fighting you. No matter the pain or humiliation."
I nodded weakly.
"O-okay. I get it. So what do I do now?"
Still naked, Nafre smiled radiantly, like sunshine.
"Choose your abilities. 'Master of the Female' and 'NTR Prevention'."
I barely suppressed my rising anger.
"Wait, all that buildup about the world ending... and that's all you wanted?"
"Yes. More or less."
"Fine. Give me a second."
I closed my eyes briefly.
13 points. A bit short for becoming a Hero, but plenty for a comfortable daily life. I could pick a decent ability, find a job suited to it, and make over ten million a month.
But after Nafre went that far, I couldn't betray her.
'Select Master of the Female, NTR Prevention.'
I acquired the abilities. No turning back now.
"Done. What next?"
When I opened my eyes, Nafre had dressed and was breaking out in cold sweat.
"M-mistake. I should have told you first..."
"Hey, what mistake?"
Our eyes met, and Nafre instantly reverted to a cold expression before smiling leisurely again.
"What do you think about having sex with other people?"
"Uh... doesn't matter to me."
Dating sounded like a hassle, and I wasn't into loveless sex. Especially if they didn't meet my standards.
But right now, Humanity's Shield had brought me here. The situation was serious. I couldn't be picky about something trivial like sex.
If someone offered a billion to sleep with an ugly person or a guy once, I'd refuse. But if refusing meant the world ends? I'd feel bad saying no.
Even if I was someone who lived comfortably, Heroes like Han Ji-yeon—who'd dragged me here—risked their lives fighting crime and death. Thinking my dick mattered more than their lives was arrogance.
"Do I have to have sex?"
"That would be best."
"Got it. I half-guessed when you told me to pick these abilities. Oh, the partner isn't a guy, right?"
"She's a woman, at least. Though I can hardly see her that way..."
I let go of any expectations.
"Can I come in now?"
A familiar voice came from outside the door.
'Huh? Why does that voice sound familiar?'
I didn't know any women. Let alone one with such a dignified yet beautiful voice.
So I'd heard it on the media. And among Heroes, only one had a voice like that—
"No way."
"No answer? I'm coming in!"
The door opened.
Taut abs, sculpted thighs, breasts like cannonballs.
A bright smile on her lips, long black straight hair, a body brimming with effort, passion, and will.
"Lee Ha-seon Hero?"
"That's right! Nice to meet you! Everyone's Hero, Lee Ha-seon!"
The strongest. The deterrent. The symbol of victory. Everyone's Hero.
Lee Ha-seon was standing before me.