Ch.247Chapter 10. Not All Ability Users Are Heroes (1)

I was born with supernatural abilities.

Society demanded that those with abilities become ‘heroes.’

Those who believe this is the natural duty of the chosen will become heroes, and those who have done so are the Heroes.

However, not everyone always wants to be a hero.

Some believe that sacrifice should not be forced for the sake of the whole or the collective, and others want their individual lives to be respected.

Such people live while hiding their abilities.

Though abilities tend to reveal themselves eventually, there must still be many people around the world who continue to hide their powers.

But.

There are times when some don’t meet society’s standards for what constitutes a ‘hero.’

Born with supernatural abilities, yet falling short of what society expects from ability users.

In extreme cases, this applies to those who are merely born with mana.

What if, when running at full speed, one is still slower than a car also moving at full speed?

-Can someone who gets hit by a truck and goes flying be called an ability user?

-Can someone who can take one bullet but gets injured after taking six consecutive shots be called an ability user? That’s just a tough normal person.

There are those who don’t meet society’s standards for ability users.

They are classified simply as people born with mana, living lives no different from ordinary people.

They don’t get sick.

They have strong bodies.

With just a little training, they can develop physical abilities slightly better than special forces teams.

Take a fire mage who can only produce a lighter-sized flame to light a cigarette—that kind of ability user.

Society doesn’t expect even these people to step up as heroes.

In Korea, they are offered positions responsible for public safety throughout society, such as military non-commissioned officers, police, emergency room residents, or school security guards.

But that’s because this country, Korea, offers them sufficiently appealing incentives. In other countries, the situation can be ‘terrible.’

Risking your life for work, but getting paid less than minimum wage?

No matter how much magical power one has, if their livelihood is unstable, they’re prone to other temptations.

For instance, falling into villainy.

Or, making use of their value as ‘new humans’ born with magical power, even if it’s not much.

Just like the ability users right in front of me now, like succubi.

[You must know that Laplace is dead. And it seems the person in charge here has closed this place. Probably… you.]

I pointed my club at the oldest woman, a succubus who appeared to be about 25 years old.

[You’re the ‘madam’ of this place.]

“Kuk…!”

Though she tried to hide her identity among the succubi, they were already making all sorts of signals toward the madam with their eyes and hands since my arrival.

[Instead of killing everyone, you hid in the underground of the island to watch the outside situation and escape, right? That makes sense, since you’re all Laplace’s collaborators.]

“You bastard!”

The madam succubus pointed her hand at me.

Magical power crystallized on her razor-sharp fingernails and flew toward me.

[Useless.]

Ka-ang!

The nail-shaped magic bullet couldn’t even scratch my mask and deflected to the side. I lightly swung my club forward.

Pu-uk!

With a dull sound, the madam collapsed to the side.

Getting information is important, but I couldn’t just let someone who fired a bullet-like projectile at a person go unpunished.

[Don’t worry. She’s not dead yet.]

As I rested the club on my shoulder and let magical power flow, the succubi became terrified, as if they were next.

“Help-“

[I’ll crack the head of whoever screams first.]

“……”

Everyone immediately fell silent.

Knowing this wasn’t just a threat but real, the succubi remained silent and began exchanging glances.

[No need to scheme. I already know everything.]

I had already gathered the information.

I just lacked real-time information about what had happened on the succubus island from the moment we attacked the Divine Sanctuary until now.

I had already figured out the routes people used to enter the succubus island and how they seduced men.

[I am not a hero. I am an executioner.]

“……”

[But I’m not an indiscriminate killer. I’m strictly a businessman, and I only deal with those who interfere with the world The Syndicate will lead.]

Thud.

I lightly stamped my club down.

[Among you, raise your hand if you were forcibly brought here, kidnapped, or woke up to find yourself on this island.]

The succubi began to look at each other.

Even among succubi, their beginnings were different, so not everyone here necessarily deserves death.

[No one?]

“Me, me!!”

One succubus hastily raised her hand.

“I was traveling in Thailand, had some drinks, and when I opened my eyes—”

Pu-uk.

Another succubus collapsed beside the madam.

Unlike the madam who was hit remotely, this one was struck directly on the head with my club.

[Let me introduce myself. I’m the Club Detector. I can easily tell when someone is lying.]

“……”

[A woman who entered for money and then lies about it. Well, how much were you paid to become a succubus here? An annual salary of 1 billion won? Including incentives, it must be tens of billions.]

Work at the lowest levels of society for less than 1 million won a month, living on fulfillment and passion?

Or enjoy luxury and pleasure while earning 100 million won monthly by collaborating with Laplace’s system?

I can’t hastily judge whether their choices were right or wrong.

Each succubus had different reasons for choosing this path, and among them, there might truly be some who were kidnapped.

[Qiongqi. The selection?]

[It’s done. The chicks that can be saved… are only about 30%.]

But if that number is less than 30% of the succubi here, the rest came here of their own volition.

Despite all the luxury and pleasure here, and despite all the unspeakable ‘deaths’ that lay beneath.

[Chicks? What you all did here wasn’t right. But hey, what would have happened if you hadn’t done those things? You would have been turned into mana powder and sprinkled as a topping on rice noodles by Laplace and his minions. Right?]

Qiongqi’s words were harsh, but they were true.

Ability users who didn’t obey became mana powder.

Just as children had in the Divine Sanctuary, the same was true for the succubus island.

Even ability users, when their lives are at stake, weigh others’ lives against their own and choose themselves.

Those who sacrifice themselves for others are virtuous heroes in movies and novels, but one can’t carelessly claim that’s the norm.

After all, they all end up dead.

[How could anyone resist in the face of death? So I’ll give you a chance. The chicks get to be reborn. Carrying the original sin of this place in your hearts forever, you’ll return to who you were before being kidnapped here. Of course, that will vary case by case.]

[First, we’ll take them elsewhere. And we’ll evaluate the chicks. Well, there’s no need to discuss details further in this cesspool.]

Whoosh.

Qiongqi lit a spark.

Soon the spark transformed into small birds that spread in all directions. While I bought time through conversation, Qiongqi, having finished the evaluation, placed a small flame bird on each person’s head.

[Those who have my flame on your head, step forward. Congratulations. You’re the ones who at least qualify for evaluation.]

“Ah….”

“Then, what about the rest of us?!”

[It’s simple.]

I swung my club over my shoulder.

[You will all die.]

Thud!

As I struck the floor once more with my club, a sphere of magical power exploded from its tip.

Babababang!

The sphere, flying in a straight line, began to bounce around the indoor space like an atom, soon striking the back of the head of every succubus except those selected by Qiongqi, knocking them unconscious.

[Qiongqi. I’ll leave it to you first.]

[How will we get out?]

[The usual way.]

Escaping through spirit form is no challenge at all.

[Release the information as soon as you leave. By now, the bait should be rising. Among Laplace’s collaborators spread throughout Thailand, or those who enjoyed pleasures on this succubus island, some will be pretending to be good while spreading bait.]

Surely, information must be circulating somewhere on the internet.

-There’s a place called Coral Island with a brothel created by Laplace.

-Only VIPs can enter, and ability user prostitutes stay there.

-And there…

[……]

Qiongqi created a large-scale transfer and teleported away with the chicks who needed evaluation, while I headed deeper based on intelligence about the terrain.

A place deeper than the underground, like the entrance to a tomb.

There, I saw it.

Bookshelves filling a warehouse dozens of pyeong in size, and small dolls placed on each shelf.

Perhaps they couldn’t place life-sized dolls, or the conditions weren’t right.

Or maybe it was Laplace’s consideration for the succubi whose mental health deteriorated while living here, telling them not to become demons.

The dolls, made like worry dolls, each had different names engraved on them.

There was no smell of blood or corpses, but I smelled the thickest scent of death here than anywhere else.

The number of dolls exceeded several hundred, and what they represented needed no explanation.

[…I don’t want to empathize, but I can’t help it.]

The end of this world.

The meteor was right, they say.

But.

Knowing a more definitive answer than the meteor now, it must not end with the meteor.

[The meteor ending won’t do.]

Just like with Dueoksini.

All those responsible for creating this situation must be executed.

[…I can’t let them die peacefully.]

They must die the most horrific, painful death they can imagine.

They must die like that.

Whoosh.

I lit a fire at the end of my Goblin Club.

Shortly after.

Flames engulfed the entire island, and black smoke began to rise over Coral Island.