Chapter 212 – Omen of Crisis (1)
uoDn3ay“Chief Sung! I mean… Director Sung!”Ed4QlSn
Fv63vC0An employee of the Hero Association came rushing into Room 313. Director Sung, recently promoted, was folding the sheets on his bed.wFWCr
UQTOHe moved with ease. Thanks to the high-end prosthetic arm and leg the Association had provided, his movements were precise. He greeted the employee calmly.roeGy
cdW“Ah, Deputy Director Park. What’s going on?”MdhKf
Xqu“Well, first of all, congratulations on your promotion and being discharged, sir.”hxxyx
1n7Y“Congratulations for what? I’m sure they just promoted me to fill a vacancy.”YPj
Y8aj“It was for your sacrifice during the Joaquin tragedy and for successfully naming the new Seven-Star Hero. The vice president promoted you two ranks at once—from deputy director to director. That’s not something you see at your age.”7e9As
Omm7Qpq“What did I even do? It was all thanks to Mr. Kang Geom-Ma. Honestly, I was just a burden at the time.”wWYQYG
BMHDirector Sung smiled bitterly as he finished stacking the pillow and blanket.HTQnUL4
79DcM“And you should try losing an arm, a leg, and a subordinate. Let’s see if a promotion still matters to you then. Honestly, if the vice president hadn’t talked me into it, I would’ve retired already. Everything started to feel… meaningless.”Po8
b7GV“I’m very sorry about Supervisor Ha—”lfXbV
CASn4“It was my fault for failing to protect my team. Anyway, what’s got you running in here like you’re being chased? You didn’t just come to congratulate me.”b0YAAZy
LaqRDeputy Director Park took a breath and spoke.JHho5
TcO94k“We received a report that the crack in the Gate to Gehenna is growing.”OpCgOAv
GefzADirector Sung’s face stiffened. His prosthetics, which normally moved with smooth precision, froze. For a moment, his heart skipped a beat—but only for a moment.Rau2ruZ
h10yPL“Wasn’t it around 2 centimeters last week?”gt3j5
0z1b“Yes, but they just reported that it’s grown by another half centimeter.”0AXw
vYGp8ObDirector Sung brought his prosthetic hand to his temple. Deputy Director Park looked at him with some surprise. When other staff heard the news, it had caused total panic.Z0mZ
lRuEBq0.5 cm. Smaller than a fingernail, yet the implication of that widening was terrifying.wSwDOY
MOYC2A crack in the Gate, which had remained untouched for centuries. What else could it mean but a threat? Even a tsunami would be less alarming.ihvYy6l
vWgZEDBut Director Sung stayed composed. Though concern was visible on his face, there was no trace of fear. Was it the Joaquin incident that had hardened him? No, it was something else.3XD
DRR9QGHis calm came from confidence. The kind of confidence given to him by Mr. Kang Geom-Ma—enough to dispel any fear.m6fZ
euUjtg“Have the vice president and the Sword Master been informed?”T8d5
NqVAnV“Yes. After reporting to them, I came straight here.”G1hEqj
yIazUnder normal circumstances, Director Sung wouldn’t be required on-site. His role was administrative. But now that he was director, fieldwork was also part of the job.AHF9YHQ
D7dGeJ‘If the Gate to Gehenna is showing signs of abnormality, there’s a high chance it’s connected to one of the Corps Commanders.’IWPg9td
8xh4In the past, just hearing the term “Corps Commander” would have made him tremble. But not now. And not because of his title alone.RH9H
651ZMD‘I need to see it with my own eyes.’21WZl
JVUe13He couldn’t forget what happened to Supervisor Ha. There could be more traitors in the Association. Even a hidden beast. He had to confirm it himself and report directly to Mr. Kang Geom-Ma.02A4
nfvDHaving made up his mind, he turned to Deputy Director Park.QHPVqr
PWf“Deputy Director Park.”lNxFE
Z0jJO“Yes, sir.”PNPEyuc
ic4Director Sung’s eyes turned cold. Park swallowed hard. Then Sung gave a small smile and said.V96gLd
bQN“We’re going to do some fieldwork. To the Gate of Gehenna.”8wGZscu
UQz“But sir, you just got discharged!”0ySeD
JZD“You know something? Mr. Kang Geom-Ma never leaves things for later.”TRkXFu
uWOuDirector Sung pulled on his coat.sWz5
cjR“We should follow his example, too.”CVqKm
ZZbgWeq***La7tZJc
w0JvSuddenly, I felt a tingling at the back of my neck. I turned sharply, but all I saw was the quiet garden behind the academy. No one was there. If someone had been, they’d have been right in front of me.pX0
TVSK9qN‘Was it just my imagination?’EoHDaQQ
LeEI scratched the back of my neck, which had started to itch, and looked forward again. The members of the club were staring at me intently. They were all waiting for me to speak.Gt1
fhaPt“……”08UT
QR8The atmosphere had turned unusually serious. Especially Speedweapon—his face was completely stiff. I wondered why, and then the answer came to me even though we were still students, there was now a clear distance between them and me.pid98I
P2pENo matter how close we used to be, if one of us suddenly became someone important, it wasn’t so easy to laugh and joke like before.oeI7Gy
dZrZMj‘It’s understandable that they’re tense.’fKzN
zJOFVThey were probably also worried I might suddenly say something like, “The Exploration Club is disbanded!” After all, I’m now a Seven-Star Hero, I still attend school, and I’m part of this club. Three roles at once. Out of those, the club is the easiest to drop, so of course they were anxious. But their worries were unfounded. I wasn’t planning to give up on any of the three.cEX
Far1It might be tough to commit to all of them fully, but I was determined to stay involved in each. Being a Seven-Star Hero was my “job,” school life was my daily routine, and the travel club was what kept me human.N5IFJX
erA‘Without them, I’d just be a lunatic who only knows how to swing a sword.’hMu
jV2So even if it stressed me out a little, I’d keep showing up to club activities. First, I had to ease their worries before explaining what I wanted to tell them.31caB
lFUI couldn’t just blurt out, “We’re creating a special class and all of you are joining.” The mood wasn’t right for that. And I wasn’t any good at breaking the ice with jokes.9V9qo
0I4vI looked into the eyes of Speedweapon, Ryozo, Chloe—then skipped past Chloe. No matter how strong I was, those doll-like, empty eyes were still hard to face.jkc27r
2bb‘Ha-na senior didn’t come today.’Q4sSVTo
KexShe had said in the club chat that she might not make it. It was already more than ten minutes past our agreed time, so it was clear she wasn’t coming.pQUuJ
1Vr‘Still, she’s not essential for today’s discussion.’ivWnw
k8CpIRxThanks to my glances, the mood lightened a bit. I cleared my throat. Speaking in front of others was still awkward. Usually, Speedweapon handled these kinds of announcements since he was better at it.Y7a02p
kB2‘Now that I think about it, I’ve never really tried to convince anyone of anything before.’AJ8NJ
8GgLBfI always spoke with my sword before my mouth. At that moment, I understood why they called me “the sashimi faster than words.”ML2fJ
auJpAfter some thought, I decided to just say it plainly. My earlier doubts didn’t matter anymore.EiQo7I
ixBtxk“I called you all here today because the director and I have decided to create a new class outside the existing ones, and I’d like all the members of the Exploration Club to join. That’s all.”d31A0
68XQk“……?”8qIO
4HLdSorry, guys. I’m terrible at talking. At that moment, Speedweapon slapped his knee.UPg
HsJL“A new class…? Ah! President, it’s because ever since you became a Seven-Star Hero, people won’t leave you alone, right?!”kiWb
bFEXxxNThis guy—I thought he was only good at explaining things, but he even picked up on half-baked comments. Thanks to him, I was able to speak more comfortably.l7yZzn
X028G“You know how I keep getting swarmed every day—it’s not something I can keep up. And I’m not the only one affected. I’m causing trouble for the other students too. And with final exams coming up, we’re creating a special class in a separate building.”1iGifZw
vmHCChloe chimed in.wfMZ46E
CnFS“That makes sense. For students who take their studies seriously, it could be a major distraction.”XYysGWz
7fAkKev“Exactly. That’s the main reason. But if I’m the only one in the class, it would look bad, right? So the director gave me permission to select around ten people to form a group.”Nvr1
MYxvy“Wow… even if that’s the reason, that’s huge! In the 700-year history of Joaquin Academy, a new class has never been created. The current director introduced the merit student system, and now this—a class just for you…”TxA8g
R0tD0Suddenly, Speedweapon’s eyes grew moist. He was thinking about how the president, once discriminated against as a special student, had become a Seven-Star Hero and was now making history at the academy.Hku
OFsptyThat’s when Ryozo, who had remained silent, finally spoke. She was the calmest among us.Ynm
c4004J“So, aside from the club members, who else are you including? You said you need to gather ten, right?”AzP
RPzSpVt“I’m thinking of including Leon. And also Abel and Rachel.”yGf70p
VyEiRAs I listed their names, Ryozo’s face grew darker. Her lips curled in displeasure and her brow furrowed more with each one.aTXw
5Rhbnos‘Now that I think about it, Ryozo and Abel had a big fight the other day.’GuBvP
jlMHBut there was nothing I could do. The main goal of this special class was to support the Hero and those around him.xvHONJH
JzIrktTo be blunt—I couldn’t leave them out just because of friction. Who knows, maybe spending more time together would help them reconcile.hDJry
iNRRyozo stayed quiet, lips sealed. Her raised eyebrows showed her feelings, but she just huffed through her nose in protest. She clearly didn’t like it, but was willing to accept my decision. I gave her a faint smile, then turned to Speedweapon.rhG11
Kgc“That’s why I wanted to ask you something, Speedweapon. Could you tell them for me?”85S
MqvI“Eh, me? Wouldn’t it be better if you told them yourself?”AupWBhR
la7AfAnd he wasn’t wrong. But honestly, I wasn’t confident in my ability to persuade them.y0mh9
SzcSpeedweapon, on the other hand, was a master at explaining and persuading.nTjj
NNskeWith someone that skilled around, I saw no reason to strain myself unnecessarily.hiNCy
R3juMarI mixed a bit of truth and fiction in my reply.lOHW1G9
5g6“I’d like to go myself too, but between Seven-Star duties and classwork, I’m overwhelmed. For now, can you try talking to them? If they say no, I’ll go myself.”N8uiHQ
72LM4NSpeedweapon nodded. He understood.EvT
cczhH“…Well, yeah. I imagine even just gathering us today was tough for you. Alright, I’ll go and tell them. I don’t know about Leon or Abel, but Rachel will probably agree happily.”qPqW
ZSQThe conversation was nearly wrapped up. I let out a sigh of relief.SmTR
jDyThat’s when we heard hesitant footsteps approaching. Everyone in the club instinctively turned to look.HxMhQh
LP6RWith her neatly braided hair and skin so fair it seemed to glow, a girl who looked human at a glance—but had an otherworldly, mystical presence—appeared. It was Horn. She was wearing the academy uniform, and it suited her perfectly.Y9FGWC
NDSISpeedweapon muttered, eyes wide, unable to look away from her.ILZ83E
ILTU“This is crazy according to the nameplate, she’s in our year. How has no one seen her before?”4vBW72
KYrDAnd this coming from Speedweapon, who “surprisingly” didn’t usually care much about girls. The fact that even he was so awestruck spoke volumes about her appearance.vLW
7PPWEBFor me, since I knew Horn was a dragon, I wasn’t as affected. But seen from the outside, she really was stunning—a true draconic beauty.Vr2v
9wVTqXK‘But why is she alone without Choi Seol-ah?’9Ci
CszRe5At that moment, Horn saw me. Her face lit up as if she’d found a treasure and she ran toward me with all her might. Dust kicked up with every step.M2me
xqi“Lord!”HZXtJsg
VQRPtk6The club members’ eyes fixed on me.d0Me
EwFJF“…Ah.”AWw
hiBYUSYeah. I definitely needed to explain.XdcZ
AiBnWhy such a mysterious and beautiful girl was calling me “Lord.”PE6X
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaBro is in trouble 🤣
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaGood one weapon 👍
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaI feel you bro.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaGood at least someone is inspired by Kang geom.