Chapter 235: A Hero For The Little Things (5)

A deathly silence settled over them.

The candidates, paler than the snow blanketing the field, stared at the blue knight with trembling eyes. More precisely, they stared at the shattered remains of the black necklace lying at its feet.

“It broke... the necklace?”

The necklace wasn't just a safety device to restrain the monsters for the civilians. To the candidates, it also served as a psychological safeguard that this was just a contest and not actual combat. That had allowed them to face the terrifying monsters as if it were a game, but this was different now.

“

A-Ah...

”

It was no longer a game when the blue knight shattered his own black necklace.

“T-This is insane.”

The fear spread like poison.

The candidates met the blue knight’s gaze and instinctively began to retreat with shaking legs. This monster had completely overwhelmed Jason Hardy and Orlando Vale, the top candidates to win, without a scratch. Now, without the necklace’s restraint, could the remaining group even hope to stop it?

“H-Help!”

“

Aaaahhh!

”

No one needed to think. The candidates turned and fled, their faces white with terror. For some reason, the blue knight didn’t pursue them. Instead, it stood still and blankly stared into the distance. Thanks to that, the candidates managed to create some distance without leaving anyone behind.

“

Haa, haa!

D-Damn those assembly bastards! Are they not controlling these monsters properly?!” Namgung Hui cursed out loud and abandoned his usual calm demeanor.

As if responding to his outburst, an urgent voice came through the silver bracelet.

—E-Emergency announcement!

It was Olivia, the same woman who had explained the rules of the tournament.

—All monster control collars have stopped functioning for unknown reasons!

Was this really the same Olivia? Once emotionless and mechanical, she now sounded panicked and terrified.

—Effective immediately, the Seven Stars Assembly is suspended for now! All candidates must return at once!

Kwon Oh-Jin’s face hardened as Olivia’s voice came through the bracelet.

“What?”

Return? Then what about the civilians hiding in the safety zone?

Someone else with the same thought spoke urgently into the bracelet.

“W-Wait! Then what about the civilians?!” Surprisingly, it was Namgung Hui who asked. “We have to save the civilians in the safety zone at least!”

Even someone like Namgung Hui, who seemed willing to sell out anyone for the sake of becoming a Seven Stars, still had some conscience.

After a short silence, Olivia’s slightly lowered voice came through the bracelet again.

—The safety zone is protected by barriers.

Kwon Oh-Jin narrowed his eyes and glared at the bracelet.

Bullshit.

Those barriers would only serve as temporary shields at best. If the blue knight reached the safety zone—

That barrier will shatter with a single blow.

The civilians inside would be slaughtered before they even had a chance to run.

—Also, all the civilians participating in the assembly have signed waivers to follow the assembly’s decision in emergencies.

Right.

They had signed waivers in advance in case something like this happened. The assembly would be criticized if civilians died, but they would avoid any legal responsibility.

Namgung Hui trembled as he trailed off, “Still...”

Boom! Khooooooo!

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

A loud rumbling echoed, but it didn’t come from nearby. It came from the bracelet outside the dungeon where Olivia was.

—T-The monsters are coming through and crossing over to this side through the warp!

Faint screams and roars echoed in the background.

—Hurry! Candidates, get out of the dungeon and protect the hotel!

Olivia shouted urgently.

The candidates looked at one another in uncertainty. Even Namgung Hui, who had just been arguing back, bit his lip with a conflicted expression.

—If you do not comply, your qualification as a candidate will be permanently revoked!

Her voice snapped through their indecision.

—You all saw how many sponsors came to watch this tournament! I’ll take full responsibility for the civilians in the safety zone, so just do as I say and go! Get the hell out of there!

She was no longer politely persuading them. Olivia screamed through the bracelet, her voice cracking with hysteria.

“

Ugh...

”

“L-Let’s go! There are people outside too!”

“She said the assembly would take full responsibility!”

The other candidates pressured Namgung Hui to move. After a moment of hesitation, he finally nodded and raised his fan.

“Winds, carve a path!”

A swirling path of wind burst forth, not toward the safety zone, but in the opposite direction toward the warp gate that led outside the dungeon.

“Hurry! There’s no time!”

Namgung Hui and the other candidates quickly followed the wind-carved path to leave the dungeon.

Only Kwon Oh-Jin remained behind and dryly chuckled. “

Ha

.”

He recalled the crowd of celebrities, foreign dignitaries, and high-profile journalists all gathered around the warp gate and packed into the banquet hall. It wasn’t hard to imagine the chaos unfolding there if the monsters had already begun to rampage.

“So what she’s saying is...”

As the person ultimately responsible for the Seven Stars Assembly, Olivia couldn't help but be in a desperate position. The fallout would be catastrophic if even a single high-profile guest were harmed due to the assembly’s carelessness.

To protect the people outside, she’s telling us to abandon the ones inside.

It made sense from a practical standpoint.

The nameless and powerless civilians had signed waivers accepting that the assembly wouldn’t be liable in emergencies. Meanwhile, the ones outside had power and had paid huge sums to witness the birth of a new Seven Star. There was no question whose lives held more value.

No matter what the textbooks stated, human life was never equal.

“What about your parents? Didn’t they say anything?”

“I don’t have any.”

“...”

“I heard that a looong time ago, my mom and dad went on a faraway trip and left me behind.”

The life of a girl from an orphanage with no parents held no worth to anyone. Wasn’t that right? If one bag was filled with trash and the other with priceless jewels, the trash would obviously be tossed out.

Outside were countless lives far more valuable than hers. He would be hailed as a hero and maybe even chosen as a Seven Stars if he ran out there right now and fought off the monsters to protect those important people. He could seize unshakable fame and power and absorb the Dragon Vein from the Milky Way Spring.

Kwon Oh-Jin covered his face with one hand as his shoulders trembled. “

Ha, haha.

”

He already knew ever since he was young. No heroes existed for the little things. No one became a legend by protecting the powerless. The world wasn’t a comic book or a fantasy novel. Heroes didn’t get called to pick up trash on the side of the road.

“Fuck that.”

He wasn’t a hero or humanity’s last hope. He wasn’t the Heaven-Defying Star destined to change the world’s fate. He was just a scammer, a liar who only knew how to deceive others.

“Ah! Really, mister?! That’s a promise, okay?”

He recalled NT’s bright smile like spring flowers blooming under the sun as she held out her pinky. A promise meant little to a con man like him.

“Still, it’s okay to change things up once in a while.” He chuckled softly and turned in the opposite direction from the warp gate.

Stigma of Bufo.

The Stigma of Bufo’s power surged through him and amplified his strength.

Crackle!

Blue lightning enveloped his legs as he charged forward with a thunderous step that almost split the frozen ground.

Boom!

Cold wind slashed across his face like knives. Monsters hiding in the snow lunged at him as he passed.

“

Kheeee!

”

“

Grrrk! Krrrk!

”

None of them wore necklaces anymore.

“I don’t have time for you bastards.”

He shot his wire shooter toward a tall glacier and flew over the swarming monsters.

Bang!

Kwon Oh-Jin soared high through the air. In the distance, he spotted the shattered cliff where Namgung Hui’s earlier attack left a massive scar.

Lightning Steps.

Crackle!

With a burst of lightning, he stepped through the air and propelled himself toward the safety zone.

The bitter wind that once threatened to tear his skin vanished. A warm breeze brushed against his cheek as if spring had returned.

He could hear screams.

“

Kyaaaaaah!

”

“P-Please, help us!”

Among them, he instantly recognized one voice.

“E-Everyone, get ready to run! The barrier will break soon!”

He spotted a horde of monsters clawing at the green barrier.

“

Krrrrk! Kreee!

”

“

Khuoooo!

”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The monsters pounded at the shield with feral excitement. Their eyes gleamed with the thought of devouring a big feast.

Kwon Oh-Jin flipped his spear upside down in midair.

“Lightning Charge.”

Violent blue lightning condensed at his speartip.

“Lightning Charge, Lightning Charge, Lightning Charge, Lightning Charge.”

One blast wasn’t enough. He condensed a total of five Lightning Charges.

“This is it. It’s over. W-We’re all going to die!”

“Calm down! You’re an adult, aren’t you?!” NT said.

“How the hell do you expect me to stay calm right now?!”

“S-Someone will come help us if we just hold on a little longer!” NT shouted at the panicked crowd.

“Who?! Who’s coming to help us?! You heard the broadcast earlier too!”

Though different in shape from the candidates’, the civilians also wore silver bracelets.

“Look at us! We’re all orphans, homeless people, and debtors! We’re all bottom-of-the-barrel trash!”

Some in the crowd flinched.

“Nobody cares if we die!”

“That’s...” NT trailed off.

She clenched her small fists and lowered her head. She knew the truth all too well. No one was coming to save them. No such heroes existed for the small and forgotten. Such things only existed in fairy tales.

“Lightning Discharge.”

Lightning split the cloudless sky.

Rumble!

The concentrated blue lightning exploded like an untamed beast and tore through the monster horde.

“

Ah...

” NT’s mouth parted in awe as she slowly turned her head.

There, standing tall amid the fading arcs of lightning, was a young man holding a spear.

“Mister?”

Kwon Oh-Jin raised his pinky toward NT through the cracked barrier.

“I kept my promise,” he said.

This time, he wasn’t lying.