Ch.103Meowwwww

“What does this mean?” I frowned while looking at Cage’s lower body.

Then, perhaps thinking I had refused just by frowning, Yeo Un-jae, who was standing next to me, cut in.

“That’s enough, Jeong Ho-young. You talk about superhumans being equal, yet you ask him to become your subordinate. I can’t stand by and watch anymore.”

So his earlier words meant becoming his subordinate.

In that case, no.

I was about to properly refuse now that I understood his meaning, but I paused to observe the situation as I sensed the emotions spreading around me.

“Mr. Park Deun-deun, the man before you is just the superhuman Jeong Ho-young. Nothing more. Please don’t waste your excellent talent by being seduced by the name Cage.”

“Quake, no, Professor Yeo. I’m currently recruiting a promising hero candidate. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere.”

“I wouldn’t have intervened if you were looking for a hero rather than a subordinate. I have a responsibility to raise my student to become a proper hero.”

“Student? You mean the superhuman who might have been a villain? Your thinking has changed quite a bit since I last saw you.”

“I’ve seen him with my own eyes and made my judgment. This man is a superhuman. One I will teach and make into a hero.”

I have no intention of becoming a hero, so why are they deciding things on their own?

Between Yeo Un-jae and Cage, who had started arguing on their own, I rolled my eyes back and forth.

A vague hostility, like they were pointing steel swords at each other without actually sharpening the blades.

A spicy heat emanating from within, well-hidden like a dumpling full of juicy filling.

“I can’t send him to you. All you would teach others now is superhuman supremacy, how to use others, and violence.”

“Self-protection, how not to hesitate when faced with opportunities and choices, combat skills for survival. I teach everything a superhuman needs. What’s the problem?”

“Don’t you realize the most important thing is missing? You’re a hero in name only. You lack substance.”

Are Yeo Un-jae and Cage on bad terms?

But their emotions seem too complex for that.

“Substance… it’s not missing; I deliberately excised the unnecessary parts. To adapt to the current reality.”

“And your adaptation led you to stand above everyone else and do as you please?”

“What’s wrong with the most superior person leading everyone?”

“The most superior person… heh… to think that frightened child who awakened a defensive barrier against monsters has grown up like this.”

“I should thank you. I was able to grow so admirably thanks to your many sacrifices.”

As Yeo Un-jae, shorter than Cage, tilted his head back mockingly as if looking down on him, Cage stared at Yeo Un-jae’s severed arm and twisted leg.

“You’re not trying to be a hero, but a king. You’re not looking for someone to save people with you, but for capable subjects to use. If this isn’t corruption, what is it?”

“A king…”

Cage laughed, intensifying his aura.

“Yes, if that’s what this era needs, I’ll become a king. If someone must take the throne, I’ll be the one to sit there.”

“You’ve completely lost your mind, Jeong Ho-young.”

“Pioneers are often treated as madmen. What’s wrong with an excellent hero also serving as king? I can certainly make better judgments than the inferior species.”

“Inferior species? Don’t you realize you were born from those ‘inferior species’?”

“That’s why I don’t reject citizens but protect them.”

“Your ideology is just one step away from being no different from a villain’s.”

“Then I simply won’t take that step.”

At Cage’s words, Yeo Un-jae’s eyes twitched.

A killing intent thick as chocolate fondue spread as Yeo Un-jae emitted a faint wave of his ability while giving off a strong scent of laboratory chemicals.

“You still think all your actions are right.”

“No, they’re not right. I’m just doing what needs to be done. What someone has to do.”

“Was accepting villains who harmed countless people as heroes also something that needed to be done?”

“I’ve told you before, it’s the corrupt society that creates villains. Hate the sin, not the sinner. In fact, those I’ve accepted haven’t committed any crimes since becoming heroes, and I haven’t accepted those with inherently villainous tendencies.”

“Hehehe… Absolving villains without proper punishment and placing those who tormented citizens right beside those same citizens—you call that atonement and claim it was necessary?”

“Yes. Heroes are always in short supply. So much so that I had to come here personally to recruit capable superhumans.”

“Don’t talk about heroes being in short supply when you’re the one who made them scarce.”

When Cage glanced at me, Yeo Un-jae raised his hand to shield me from Cage.

In the heavy atmosphere, emotions grew sharper.

Every superhuman present tensed as the two heroes glared at each other in this taut confrontation.

And I continued to smell delicious scents that made me hungry.

These dark, sticky emotions were like torture—dangling delicious food in front of me without letting me eat it.

“You’ve always been the type to draw squares when taught triangles. You add something on your own and then delude yourself that it’s superior because it has one more side.”

“Isn’t it superior? A square is closer to a perfect circle than a triangle.”

“Perfect? Why is a circle perfect? There’s also the concept of trinity. Why don’t you understand that your thoughts aren’t the only correct answer? The further you stray from the fundamental purpose of saving people, the more corrupted you become.”

“I’m not corrupted. I’m still a hero who saves citizens, and even now I’m trying to recruit capable superhumans to make citizens safer. I’m just seeking more efficient methods.”

“That’s what I call corruption.”

“It’s adaptation. Ideals alone can’t keep up with reality. You should know that better than anyone.”

“A man who’s only desperate to stop reality dares to talk about ideals?”

“That’s precisely why I have the right to discuss them.”

“Can I go home? I’m hungry.”

“Yes, you’re hungry…”

Thinking there was no point in staying since they weren’t discussing the laboratory anyway, I touched my growling stomach and spoke up.

The heroes who had been glaring at each other simultaneously blinked and turned their attention to me.

“If you’re going to keep talking about useless things, at least feed me while you do it.”

“This guy really has some nerve…”

When I called their conversation useless, Baskerville, who had been watching quietly, muttered in disbelief.

Cage’s eyes twitched with interest at my words, while Yeo Un-jae calmed his chemical-scented emotions.

“…I apologize for being rude. Professor Yeo and I have some disagreements.”

“It must be time for you to eat. Please feel free to go.”

“No, I’ll be the one to leave. I’ve spent too much time arguing with you. It’s already time for my meeting.”

“I’ll have the car prepared right away.”

When Cage looked at his wristwatch and spoke, the A-rank hero who had been standing like a secretary left the training room first.

Yeo Un-jae stared at Cage as if telling him to leave quickly.

“We’ll talk again later, both of you. Baskerville.”

“Mm.”

As Cage turned toward the exit and left, Baskerville followed but paused briefly beside me.

“I like you.”

Ping! Baskerville took a bullet from his wrist and flicked it toward me.

“You know what this is, right? It’s a gift. Use it however you want, just once.”

“Why give me something I can’t eat? I don’t need it.”

“First time I’ve seen someone refuse a magic bullet… If you’re ever interested in joining the Hound team, just say the word.”

When I threw the bullet back, Baskerville caught it with a look of surprise before leaving.

After the two S-rank heroes departed, I also left the training room.

A moment later, as I was walking down the corridor, I heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

When I turned around, Yeo Un-jae’s two disciples were coming toward me.

“What is it?”

“Mr. Park Deun-deun, you said you were hungry, right?”

“Would you like to join us for a meal?”

“Hm?”

Why would these two suddenly invite me to eat with them?

At that moment, I recalled a conversation between construction workers.

A middle-aged man who claimed that despite appearances, women used to ask him out for meals all the time in his prime, and then he would spend enjoyable nights with them at hotels.

He definitely said that when a woman approaches a man and asks to eat together, it means more than just eating…

He also mentioned something about women naturally being attracted to bodies and strength trained through manual labor… Is that what this is?

“Are you looking to mate?”

“Excuse me?”

“What…?”

At my words, I tasted bitterness in both women’s emotions.

From one, pure disgust, irritation, and anger; from the other, the same plus a bit of embarrassment.

“Sigh… This is why men steeped in superhuman supremacy…”

“Please don’t make strange assumptions.”

“It’s not that?”

“No. Our teacher asked us to treat you to a meal as an apology for today’s events. That’s all.”

“Hmm… so you’re offering to buy me food?”

“Yes, so would you like to join us for a meal and have a conversation as well?”

“Hmm.”

Free food is always right even with a superhuman registration card, but the part about having a conversation bothers me.

Somehow, I feel like they’re going to talk about boring things I don’t want to hear.

I was about to refuse and return to the hotel for food when I suddenly remembered what Gu Seo-ryong had said, and swallowed my refusal.

Information, investigation, conversation… these two are the closest to Yeo Un-jae.

If I play this right, I might hear something related to the laboratory.

“Alright.”

I set off to have a meal with Yeo Un-jae’s two disciples.

#

“Slurrrrrp!”

A City definitely has many delicious foods.

Jajangmyeon, jjamppong—black noodle dishes with sweet and salty sauce, and red noodle dishes with spicy, sweet, sour, and salty flavors.

Faced with food that stimulated my hazy memories of being human, I picked up the bowls with my hands and alternately poured jajangmyeon and jjamppong into my mouth.

“Can’t you… eat more politely?”

“So uncouth…”

“Delicious. Is this man wax?”

“It’s Nanjamansi. Please don’t make up strange names.”

“Don’t you even know how to use chopsticks properly?”

As I stabbed the nanjamansi with chopsticks to make skewers, a server brought a plate of sweet and sour pork.

Then came yulinjee, xiaolongbao, cream shrimp… As I was enjoying these foods I’d never tasted before, Wave offered me a glass of alcohol.

“I don’t like alcohol.”

“That’s good. It’s better not to drink such things.”

After saying that, Wave downed her glass in one go, then refilled it and pushed it toward Vibe.

Woong—the glass, propelled by her ability’s vibrations, slid and stopped precisely in front of Vibe.

The two women seemed to have something to say, opening their mouths but then hesitating and drinking more alcohol instead.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“Sigh… yes, we should talk.”

“We’d like you to listen while eating. We’d prefer if you didn’t come to the training room anymore.”

“Slurrrrrp!”

At the suggestion to listen while eating, I slurped up some jajangmyeon, chewed and swallowed, then answered.

“Why?”

“If you’re there, Cage and Baskerville will keep coming to the training room. They always try to recruit capable superhumans when they see them.”

“Usually, our teacher just gives up, but… he seems to like you quite a lot.”

“Because of you, our teacher will likely continue to clash with Cage.”

“We don’t want them to keep colliding.”

“Hmm… no.”

I have my goal of finding the laboratory, so I can’t give up on Yeo Un-jae as a connection.

“Of course, it must be difficult to give up an opportunity to become stronger as a superhuman.”

“In exchange, we’ll grant you one wish, whatever you want.”

“If it’s money, we’ll pay. If you need honor, we’ll lose miserably to you in a match.”

“I don’t need either.”

As I rejected their offer and continued eating the newly arrived jajangmyeon, the two women sighed and exchanged glances as if they had expected this.

“We said ‘whatever you want,’ didn’t we?”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“You’re lying. Earlier… you mentioned mating.”

“You’re still a man after all. If that’s what you want…”

“Hm?”

As the two women bit their lips while speaking, clearly showing emotions of unwillingness, I sensed a familiar ability and looked down at my feet.

A forcibly coupled ability—space connecting to my shadow.

“Big brother? Mating again? Delicious smell! Is this mating?”

“W-who?”

“Was that just now… an ability?”

Sa Gu-gu, who suddenly popped out of the shadow, climbed onto my lap and pointed at the jajangmyeon I was eating.

If Sa Gu-gu is here, it means Gu Seo-ryong must be nearby too.

I had been quietly suppressing the monster core, but now I looked around to find Gu Seo-ryong with my own eyes.

At that moment, Gu Seo-ryong, who had completely erased her monster presence, approached from behind me and put her arm on my shoulder.

“Oh my, honey, what a coincidence! Fancy meeting you here.”

Gu Seo-ryong smiled at the two women while extending her hand, ready to snap her fingers at any moment.

“But who are these bitches and why are they saying strange things to my honey?”