Chapter 79 :  Ah, I want to be a hero (3)

From the moment I possessed this game world, the original story was already off track.

No matter how well I knew the plot, nothing unfolded exactly like the original anymore.

And on top of that, I’m a monster.

Even if I set out to protect people, all I got in return were screams and bullets.

So I made up my mind.

In this twisted game called <Monster Frontline>, there’s only one way to protect everyone.

And that is…

For me to become the hero myself.

‘If the original story is already ruined, then it shouldn’t matter if I interfere, right?’

Thinking about it, it was a very simple idea.

If I could show up at the scene where the main story begins, as a certified hero?

Then even if events unfolded differently from the original, I could intervene in advance and crush all the bad monsters.

In theory, it was a perfect plan.

At least, until that evening.

“No!”

“No way!”

The head of the Okami family’s room.

It happened the moment I declared in Carmilla’s hospital room that I’d take the hero exam.

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by the fox mother and daughter, being treated like a criminal.

“Janghoon. Do you think the hero exam is just some regular certification test?”

“That’s not it…”

“Then what on earth were you thinking, trying to do something so dangerous?!”

In the middle of the tatami room, Head Makoto let out a deep sigh, shaking her head as if her insides were burning.

“I won’t tell you to just sit still and be obedient. But I absolutely cannot allow this idea of yours.”

“Head…”

“As long as I live, I will never, ever allow you to take that hero exam.”

“She’s right. Janghoon, I feel the same as Mom.”

Even Hoshino, who had been sitting quietly beside me, joined in.

Her fox ears perked up.

With a firm expression.

“The hero exam causes casualties every single year!”

“I know that much too.”

“No, you don’t know!”

What’s evaluated in the hero exam isn’t just knowledge or quick reflexes.

What’s needed is credibility, character, and power.

And that means ‘overwhelming combat ability’—the kind that can take down any enemy.

That’s why the hero exam always involves realistic challenges, and every year, people get seriously injured or even die.

‘That was how it was described in the original too. It’s no wonder they’re this worried.’

Besides, neither of them knows that I’m the horned-mask monster with the alias “Nameless.”

To them, I’m just an ordinary college guy suddenly saying he wants to take the hero exam, so of course it’s a shock.

“Anyway, no means no!”

“Absolutely not! And you do know the exam is just a week away, right?!”

“Yeah. It’s next Tuesday, and I just have to reserve a spot by this Friday.”

“‘Just have to’—wait, don’t tell me… you already signed up?!”

“I did.”

“YOU. WHAT?!”

I signed up yesterday in advance.

Because I knew they’d react like this.

It’s easy to register for the hero exam.

Anyone can sign up if they pay the fee.

And now, upon hearing that I acted on my own—

Princess Hoshino and Head Makoto had completely lost it, even showing their fox fangs in anger.

“I will cancel it right away.”

“Mom, I’ll contact the Hero Association.”

“No. The very structure of this is the problem.”

“…Huh?”

“This is the perfect opportunity. I’ll change the entry requirements for the hero exam.”

“Wait, what?! Isn’t that going too far?”

The strength of the hero system lies in its openness—anyone can dream.

Even if they’re both S-rank heroes, can they really change the rules…?

No—actually, maybe they can.

Head Makoto is S-rank #3 in the Association.

She carries the weight of being No.3.

‘At this rate, my plan’s going to fall apart before it even starts!’

So I played my last card.

“Head Makoto…”

“No words will change my mind!”

‘…Then I’ll run away from home out of spite.’

“…What?”

“Wha—?!”

Even though she took me in when I was an orphan and raised me with such care and love—

Right now, I had no choice.

Time to channel my inner dramatic problem child and find a compromise.

“If I can’t even try to chase my dream of being a hero… I might turn out bad.”

“‘T-turn out bad’…?”

“You’re joking, right? Janghoon?”

“No. I might really go down the wrong path… maybe even get sold off to some sleazy district.”

“Th-th-th-th…!”

“Anything but that!!”

In the end, by holding myself hostage, I managed to force a compromise.

Head Makoto and Lady Hoshino grudgingly allowed me to take the hero exam.

…Of course.

“If it gets even a little dangerous, we’ll fail you ourselves as judges!”

…Was the terrifying condition attached.

Thanks to that, my chances of passing dropped even more.

But still, just participating was already half the victory.

Besides, I had survived a fight with the special-grade monster, the “Monster of Weapons.”

Even if I’m in human form, there’s no way I’ll fail the exam to become a mere E-rank hero, right?

…That’s what I thought, and now I regret it.

As soon as I finished a quick breakfast, I entered the mountains.

Far from the city, this place was dense with trees, and the humid air made sweat form instantly.

‘This should be remote enough.’

A place I would never have come to under normal circumstances.

But today, the most important thing was that there were no people.

“Ha! Haah!”

“Huaaah!”

Between the trees, in front of a mossy rock, I began my full-body movements to start the monsterification training.

My first attempt at ‘partial monsterification’ training.

Instead of transforming my whole body, I was trying to only change parts like my arms or hands to use power in my human form.

But the results of the training were minimal.

“It won’t even come out this much?!”

“…Janghoon-nim. You suddenly rushed into the mountains—what are you doing?”

“Training! I decided to take the test to become a hero this time. But before the exam, I wanted to try using my monster power in my human state, and it’s just not working…”

“A h-hero?! You, a monster, are going to be a hero?”

I was trying to draw out only ‘part’ of the monster’s power inside me by punching or kicking.

But it just wouldn’t work.

Even though it was already Friday, the last day to apply for the exam, I was still just an ordinary human.

“Why won’t just a little bit come out?”

I got annoyed and shouted, but all I could manage was a complete monster transformation with no human parts left.

Right now, I was either a hideous horn-mask monster or a plain human guy A.

I desperately wanted to become a monster user with a human appearance somewhere in between, but it just wouldn’t happen.

“By the way, Janghoon-nim, why do you even want to become a hero? You’re already super strong! …Don’t tell me, you’re not planning to betray us monsters and side with the humans, are you?!”

“…I was never on the monster’s side to begin with?” Betrayal?

“F-for real?!”

“And you too, Siljong—you haven’t been on the monster side since you were betrayed by that mosquito monster.”

“…Aha! Now that I think about it, that’s true.”

I was swinging my fists into the air in front of the stream.

Next to me, Siljong sat crouched on a rock, playing a game with a controller she brought.

But during practice, I suddenly got curious and turned my head toward our pink-clad companion.

“Hey, Siljong. Why did you follow me out here today?”

“Huh, me?”

“I mean, shouldn’t you be in my room grinding ranked matches right about now?”

No matter what I was doing, Siljong always stayed behind in my room, wearing just one of my dress shirts and playing games—maybe because she believed nothing could beat our horn-mask monster.

So I was curious why someone like her had followed me out to the mountains today.

When I asked,

“Ahaha…”

She gave me a vague laugh for a moment.

“Well, actually… lately, people from the Okami clan have been sneaking into your room a lot.”

“My room?”

“Yes! Every time you’re out, your attendants or that fox princess sneak in and search every corner of the room before leaving.”

“Huh… really?”

I had no idea.

It seemed like, since I said I’d take the hero exam, they were worried I might do something suspicious, so they were sneaking in to check.

And because of those constant visits from strangers, Siljong couldn’t freely play games in the room anymore, so she had no choice but to follow me.

“I’ve had to forfeit ranked matches three times in a day because of those jerks!”

“O-oh, really?”

“Sob sob… Especially that fox princess! The others just look for blood traces or things like that, but she—yes! She even turns on the computer I was using and messes with it!”

“What? Lady Hoshino used the computer?”

She barely even touches her phone unless it’s training or hero work.

But she used my computer, in my room… now that was an interesting development.

Still, I had more important things to focus on.

I had taken a short break chatting with Siljong.

Now it was time to go back to practicing partial monsterification.

But just then—

“Um, Janghoon-nim. What exactly are you doing right now?”

“Hm? Oh, this… it’s training to release just a small amount of my power.”

“Just a small amount?”

“Yeah. I’ve only shown you my full form, but actually, I can only be either horn-mask form or this human form.”

So it’s all or nothing.

Either live as a normal human in the city, or become a monster that destroys it.

But to become a hero, I had to become something in between.

“So what you’re trying to do right now is…”

“…?”

Boop.

“!?”

“This, right?”

I was explaining…

When Siljong, after putting down her controller, came down from the rock.

Standing in front of me, she formed an energy ball in each hand—one the largest she could make, and the other a tiny marble-sized one.

It was exactly the kind of power control I was trying to achieve with partial monsterification.

“This is super easy—why can’t you do it?”

“…! Siljong.”

“?! J-Janghoon-nim?”

I’ve been waiting for a master like you my whole life.

Woomph.

“Come here, now!!”

“KYAAA!!”