Ch.80Monsterization, Want to Control It? (1)

Like a jobless daughter always holed up in our house playing games non-stop, my missing subordinate was finally putting her abilities to use.

“So rather than ‘POW!’ it should be more like… ‘PA-POW!’ That’s the feeling you need to aim for!”

“Huh?”

…She is putting them to use, right?

Just as they say when in Rome, do as the Romans do, mastering monster powers required guidance from a monster—my missing subordinate.

So I formally made her my teacher to receive her instruction, but her teaching ability was, well…

Honestly, she was terrible at teaching.

“Look! Master Janghoon, you only do either ‘POW!’ or get all sulky… That’s why you can’t achieve partial monsterization!”

“‘POW!’ or sulky… what does that even mean?”

“You need to learn the ‘PAAAH’ that’s in between those two.”

Ugh.

What is this kid even talking about?

As she explained, she effortlessly created an energy ball the size of a soccer ball.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t generate even a hint of that power in my human state.

This meant nothing had changed from when I was practicing alone.

“Sigh. I just don’t get it. Maybe I just don’t have the talent?”

“Well, I’ve heard that highest-tier monsters like you, Master Janghoon, have trouble controlling their power.”

“Huh? Really? So it’s not just me who can’t do it?”

“Not at all! For example, the Weapon Monster—even a slight misuse of power would devastate the surroundings, which is why they work in a workshop located at the very bottom of City A.”

Come to think of it, when I fought the Weapon Monster, it was in a barren wasteland with nothing around.

If we had fought in the city ten years ago, three or four districts would have been completely destroyed.

Even the Weapon Monster seemed to struggle with controlling their power during our fight.

‘Back then I just thought she was a crazed lunatic… but was it actually because she couldn’t control her power?’

And the Weapon Monster has existed for at least tens of thousands of years.

Since monsters are beings born from humanity’s emotion of fear, the Weapon Monster—who could be traced back to humanity’s first weapons, stone tools—even they had difficulty controlling their power, choosing to fight in the middle of wastelands.

So how could I, a monster of merely 10 years, hope to control my power?

Wait… is partial monsterization even possible in the first place?

‘Hmm… if that’s the case, getting permission for this test from the clan head and young lady would be meaningless.’

Just as I was sighing deeply in discouragement, it happened.

“By the way, Master Janghoon. I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

My so-called teacher tilted her head as she asked.

“Among humans, you’re known as the ‘Horned Mask Monster,’ right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“But why haven’t you tried wearing a ‘mask’ even once while practicing partial monsterization?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

What is she talking about now?

Of course, my monster form was known as the Horned Mask Monster.

But what does that have to do with needing to wear a mask to use my powers?

“When people first encounter a monster, they instinctively feel fear. And soon after, they notice the monster’s distinctive features.”

“Right.”

“That’s how humans have been able to identify monsters’ epithets since ancient times.”

The Weapon Monster devastated cities wielding all kinds of armaments, while the Sword Monster created massacres by cutting down thousands upon thousands.

As for the Radiation Monster… well, I don’t need to explain.

Its very breath was catastrophic.

People naturally gave names based on what they witnessed.

From the image that first came to mind in their fear.

“So that’s why people called me the Horned Mask…”

Even though science and monster analysis technology have advanced considerably, my epithet remains the “Horned Mask Monster.”

As my subordinate suggested, it might not just be a nickname but a “clue to my power.”

“So, I naturally thought you already knew this, Master Janghoon. Your epithet is Horned Mask, after all.”

“No, I had no idea… Anyway, I get it. So to properly use my power, I need to wear a mask, right?”

“Yes! At least among the monsters I’ve seen, their epithets and powers were directly connected.”

But how?

I seemed to have found an important hint, but the question was how to implement it.

“But how do I create this mask?”

“I don’t know? It’s your power, Master Janghoon, so shouldn’t you know best?”

Our dear subordinate…

Just when I thought she was finally earning her keep, she’s still nothing more than a jobless homebody daughter.

As soon as a difficult question came up, she immediately resorted to “I don’t know?”

I sighed looking at such a subordinate, but only briefly.

“Hah… a mask. It’s not like I can just ‘put it on’ and be done with it.”

*Chizit*

“Huh?!”

It was when I scratched my head in frustration and ran my hand down my face.

At that moment, I thought I saw a small spark in front of my face.

And I instinctively knew it was the monster mana that usually overflowed from my body during monsterization.

“Put on… a mask?”

So I tried again.

*Chit!*

*Chichik!*

*Chichichik!*

“Put it on! Put it on! Put it on!”

“You can do it, Master Janghoon!”

It was a breakthrough I finally discovered right before the hero exam.

After that, I kept running my hands over my face like kneading bread dough, repeating the motion endlessly until a mask would form.

All while receiving encouragement from my subordinate.

When your brain fails you, your body must work harder—if you don’t understand it, just keep doing it until it works!

***

Early dawn, even before sunrise, City A was already buzzing with excitement.

Crowds from all districts flooded the city, and the area in front of the Hero Association building was being revered like a sacred site.

In an era where becoming a hero was not just a dream but a “realistic option.”

And today, tens of thousands of footsteps headed toward the heart of City A to grasp that option.

Yes, the day of the hero examination had finally dawned.

“Haha! Finally, the hero exam!”

“This time, I’ll definitely pass!”

“And I heard that starting this year, the hero system changed and there’s no limit on participants?”

“With more examinees, there’ll be more successful candidates! This is a win-win situation!”

Excited shouts echoed throughout the streets.

For some, it was their first attempt; for others, it was one of many retries.

But regardless of their starting point, everyone shared the same goal.

City A, home to the Hero Association headquarters, was suffocating with an unprecedented crowd.

The usually deserted outskirts of the association now presented a spectacular scene, swirling with human energy.

Originally, the exam had about 10,000 participants annually.

Anyone could apply, but a preliminary interview right before the exam ensured only a select few could take the test.

But things were different this time.

With the hero legislation reform pushed by Councilor Ivanka, restrictions on participant numbers, as well as conditions like occupation, educational background, and gender, were all removed.

In other words, anyone with genuine determination could now take the exam.

As a result, the number of examinees gathered in City A now reached hundreds of thousands.

Perhaps even close to a million.

That many people had gathered to seize the one opportunity to become a hero.

“Wow, there are so many people…”

“I know. I’ve taken the exam every year, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“With the increased number of participants, won’t the difficulty level rise too?”

“Probably. Since they’re not considering occupation or education anymore, literally anyone can come now.”

“Whoa… this is a total mess of messes.”

The Hero Association headquarters was a skyscraper piercing through the clouds.

The road in front was filled with examinees lined up to the horizon.

Even the heroes affiliated with the association, looking down at this scene from inside the building, held their breath.

Though they themselves had once passed this exam, seeing the overwhelming crowd before them rekindled their tension.

Some broke into cold sweat recalling their days as examinees, while only the ‘true professionals’ maintained their composure.

“As expected, quite a turnout.”

The architect of this hero system reform, who had come to the association at dawn to personally oversee the exam’s commencement—Councilor Ivanka.

From the VIP room on the upper floor, she gazed at the crowd through the window, quietly folding her arms around herself.

At this moment, with hundreds of thousands gathered to become heroes, this scene appeared to her as the very embodiment of ‘future hope.’

“This is justice.”

A sword to fight against monsters, a shield to protect humanity.

And the new sprouts to carry on that role were now gathered before her eyes.

But her contemplation didn’t last long.

“Satisfied? Are you one step closer to the world you so desperately wanted?”

In a dark corner of the VIP room, untouched by sunlight.

Someone was standing there quietly.

From the shadows where even their form was barely visible, only a sharp and powerful presence could be felt.

She was the chairwoman of the Hero Association and the No. 1 S-rank hero.

From the boundary between light and shadow, she gazed at Ivanka.

But Ivanka remained unwavering.

Instead, she nodded confidently and spoke with a tone full of conviction.

“Of course. Humanity now has more power. More heroes, more options, more hope.”

“…But the chaos will grow proportionally. Even now, some heroes are committing atrocities in the slums. Those who disguise themselves as ‘justice.'”

The name ‘hero’ doesn’t always mean ‘righteousness.’

Humans naturally tend to corrupt when given power.

Ivanka was well aware that there are humans more vicious than monsters.

But with not a hint of a smile, she retorted with cold eyes.

“The weak cower, and only the strong lead the world. That’s what ‘progress’ means. No matter how painful, isn’t it better to be hurt by fellow humans than to be victimized by monsters?”

“Ivanka… you…!”

*Snicker*

“Enough. Let’s go outside now, Chairwoman. You didn’t stop me anyway, did you? Because you also know this is ‘justice.’ Isn’t that right?”