Villain Hides His True Colors

Currently, a hot topic was spreading rapidly among the Korean internet communities.

Regarding the young hero of last year’s Lake Town’s hotel terrorist incident and the one who had saved the citizens on behalf of the Hero Association, a picture of Choi Noah was finally released.

And those who saw his appearance couldn’t help but show their admirations.

“Oh my god…He’s that hero?”

“What does age matter? Starting today, I’ll only lower myself to Choi Noah.”

“Hoho, the boy really does look smart.”

By the time interest in Noah was in full swing, a local newspaper in Pyongyang had announced a scoop as if it was planned.

And that was, in the first round of the ongoing Hero License Exam, Noah was the only one to have scored a perfect grade in the country.

Thanks to this, interest in Noah, who had only been burning in some communities and was about to disappear quietly, began to spread nationwide.

And the next day, in such a situation, another scoop was released…

[Young hero Choi Noah. Perfect integrity too?]

News of a perfect score for two consecutive days.

Not only that, it had happened at the Pyongyang branch, which had never produced a perfect integrity score before.

“Perfect integrity score for a person with such strength?”

“If you have strength at a young age, you’re bound to be crooked…He’s truly admirable.”

Noah had become the unanimous No. 1 in the ongoing nationwide hero exam.

In addition, his beautiful appearance for a boy his age was also a hot topic…

It could be said that interests concerning him were higher than most famous heroes.

What kind of child he was and what kind of performance he would show in the future were among the topics.

The entire country’s attention was focused on Pyongyang.

However, Samaria, the person who had actually planned this, showed a bitter expression as she looked at such reactions from the internet communities.

Obviously, things were going her way, but somehow she had failed to shackle the boy at the last minute.

How the hell did he solve the problem?

She recalled the level of difficulty she had set. 

Among the cases collected in the Hero Association’s database so far, only the most spiteful citizens had been collected and added…

However, Noah had perfectly succeeded in his tasks provided by them. Not only that, he had obtained it from all 500 people.

It’s ridiculous from a common sense point of view.

Even if it wasn’t set to this level of extreme difficulty, people who have achieved a perfect score on the integrity test was so rare nationwide that it could be counted on one hand.

It was hard for even her, who was good at moving people’s hearts, to say she would be able to do it under the same conditions.

In addition, there was no way to find out the boy’s secret because the bracelet with the familiar that was observing inside was broken.

Is it luck…or is this a talent too?

It had been a long time since she had met a kindred who also knew the joy of murder.

So she had deceived the Hero Association geezers and raised the boy with affection, but now he was trying to run away from her hands.

It’s fun to tame rebellious people, but…Still, I have to fasten the leash before the last test is over one way or the other.

Her eyes looking at the monitor shone with madness. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, unlike Samaria, there was a person smiling while browsing the internet communities.

“Heuheu…heu…”

Rolling around on a luxurious sofa, a woman with a silly laugh could be heard.

It was Elizabeth.

Seeing her like that, Lady Fortune clicked her tongue with a cold look.

“Tsk, I’m going to be sick again.”

“Haha…Noah is beautiful. Noah is great.”

Elizabeth went in and out of the communities as she checked the posts written on the internet.

Most of them were compliments and comments of support for Noah.

[Not only Noah’s skill and personality, but isn’t he so cute? He looks like someone you want to raise at home. Am I the only one who feels that way? What about you guys?]

[2222]

[333333]

[On the contrary, I want to be raised…]

Elizabeth pressed the recommendation button whenever she saw an article praising Noah. Her thumb moved restlessly.

Then, she found a post that caught her attention.

[By the way, is there no Noah fan club? If there’s one, I’m going to sign up right away.]

Ah, that’s right.

Now that she thought about it, there was that. Fan clubs were a must for famous heroes.

Heroes kept the public safe, but they were also an icon that received love and respect from them.

I think it’s finally time to make a fan club.

With a solemn look, she changed her posture and opened her laptop.

She had been a fan of various genres while living a Hikikomori life ever since her times at Elf Garden.

(TN: Hikikomori is a person who lives in their parents’ homes and usually doesn’t go out for days, months, or years.)

As such, it could be said that creating a fan club or building a fandom was a task that she was more confident in than anyone else.

There’s no fan club that was made first, right?

And when it came to fan clubs, it was of paramount importance to occupy the first position.

Just in case, she searched the fan clubs.

And…

Coincidentally, there was already a club that had the tag Noah. It was made a few months ago.

[Religion of Noah]

It was a group with a suspicious name.

“Hmm…”

Elizabeth frowned as she accessed the club. She thought perhaps it was related to Noah from the Bible, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

A poorly drawn wolf was displayed on the front page of the fan club.

And below it, there were already many posts registered. In addition, the number of members had already exceeded 50.

What the hell is this place…?

She read the titles of the posts on the main page.

[Evidence that Noah is the savior of the world] 

[99 reasons to believe in Noahism]

[How to pray for Noah]

.

.

.

“As expected…It’s not normal.”

She thought perhaps she had mistaken this club for something else. She checked the contents by clicking on one post.

[3rd Gospel of Noah]

[To the child who couldn’t walk, Noah held out his hand and said, stand up with this gun…]

[Noah traveled to each town with his 13 apostles to deliver salvation as they drove out the evil spirits…]

[Amen.]

And the conclusion.

“It’s a cult!”

She became furious. She didn’t know where these scammers had come from, but these guys’ existence itself was harmful to Noah.

I can’t postpone it any longer.

It was as good as over if the image of the early fandom was strange. One wrong move and it could adversely affect the hero’s image.

I need to quickly create a fan club and activate it.

Her hands busily went back and forth on the keyboard. Soon, a passable fan club was created.

The only thing remaining was the name of the fan club that would be used in the future.

“Hmm…”

What would be good? She couldn’t think of a name no matter how much she thought.

After thinking for a long time, suddenly, an idea came to mind.

Yes! If it’s that…

Leaving the name empty and entering the club, she wrote the first monumental article.

[Title: Nice to meet you]

[Writer: Wishing for a Better Future With Noah]

[Hello!]

[This is a place where people who are cheering for young hero Choi Noah are gathered…]

[…Therefore, for those who like Choi Noah, we’re hosting a contest to name our fan club. In this regard, we have prepared some prizes, so please participate a lot.]

Good!

She gave a satisfied smile as she looked at her writing.

As expected, it was most meaningful for fans to gather and decide the name of their fan club.

So…what name will come out?

She closed her laptop excitedly.

Heuheu..Noah will be very happy if he finds out later, right?

As a result, a malicious fandom, which would remain legendary in the hero industry, was born.

* * * * * * * * * *

The faces of people looking at the electronic display hardened.

“Fuck…really?”

Someone unknowingly cursed.

However, what the person had said represented the feelings of everyone gathered at the test site of the Pyongyang branch.

At the top of the electronic display, the same exam number as yesterday was shown. And the same perfect score.

Looking at the unprecedented situation, everyone could only sigh for a long time.

“How much of a monster is he…”

“Where did he come from? Certainly from a famous family, right?”

“More than that, two children won first and second place. Does this make sense?”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on one place.

The young boy who had caused a stir in this exam was fiddling with a game console.

This fucking kid…

And, among the candidates, there was a particular man watching the boy.

Exam No. 18218. From the great hero family, Deiros.

He was Mousin.

Fuck! I’ve worked so hard for over 10 years! If I had inherited talents like this kid…

He gritted his teeth as he stared at Noah.

A sense of jealousy and inferiority like a snake was rising from deep inside.

The Deiros family, one of the top 10 families in Pyongyang, were masters at controlling spirits and their primary work was related to the police force.

And Mousin, who was born as the eldest son of such a family, could be said to be a thorn to the family, as he would always cause trouble.

What the hell you old geezer…You didn’t pass on your talent, so why are you going nuts over me?!

He recalled his younger siblings who were already active heroes.

Siblings who monopolized the love of the family just because they were born with talent.

In fact, he was able to pass the lower hero exam such as grade E or F, but the reason for stubbornly taking the high-rank hero exam was because of the gazes he received compared to his younger siblings.

As such, he was always ignored and compared to his younger siblings by the family’s higher ups.

Those who were next to him and had followed him were just dregs in a similar situation.

Rotten world! Fuck!

So he hated those who were more talented than him. And among them, especially the young hero candidates.

***

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

Through the years of taking the exam, he would feel a sense of joy whenever he broke the dreams of such talented people.

So, at some point, among Pyongyang’s hero candidates, he had unknowingly gained the nickname ‘newbie hunter.’

You arrogant brat…Whether you get a perfect score or have a hundred thousand points, you’re finished if you fail the next test.

He looked at Noah, who was still playing his game, and took a can of drink out from his bag.

To use it for this kind of work, a special drink that was ordered before the exam had been prepared.

Haha…I haven’t seen anyone who was fine after drinking this.

Until now, not a single person had taken this drink containing laxatives before the physical fitness test was able to do it properly.

They had either given up the test, or they had stubbornly pushed ahead and were eliminated while creating an ugly scene.

If he drinks this, he won’t be able to do much either.

He hid his insidious smile and approached Noah.

The boy glanced up before looking back at his game console.

“Ahjussi, I don’t like to be disturbed when I play games. Come back later.”

He almost collapsed at the boy’s attitude, but he forced a smile.

“Haha, I think you’re misunderstanding something. I’m here to apologize to you for yesterday’s incident.” 

Even at his words, the boy was absorbed in his game and didn’t answer. His face turned red at the thought of being ignored.

H-hold it in…I have to endure it.

After some time, the boy finally raised his head.

“You’re still here?”

“Haha…Th-that’s right. I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I apologized to you today.”

“Oh, really? Then I’ll accept your apology, so hurry up and go.”

At the boy’s congratulatory decree, he hurriedly waved his hand.

“W-wait! Hold on…I brought a drink as a token of apology…I often drink this when I’m thirsty.”

The boy took the drink apathetically.

“Is there anything else beside this cola? I don’t like lukewarm cola.”

“W-well…I-I’m sorry. But that’s all I have.”

“Well, then it can’t be helped.”

Psh–

The boy continued to play with one hand as he opened the can. He breathlessly watched the scene.

Haha…You pretended to be so smart, but you’re finished.

No matter how smart the boy was or how high his test score was, he was just a child in the end.

He lacked life experience and had no choice but to be involved in such a wise scheme.

Hurry up and drink it!

At that moment, the boy stared at him suddenly without drinking the cola.

What is it? Did he notice something?

Wiping off the sweat flowing down, Mousin asked.

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that? Is there a problem?”

“Hmm…No. I suddenly have a question for ahjussi.”

“Wh-what is it?”

The boy suddenly pointed to his waist and asked.

“What’s that?”

At the tip of his finger were a pair of tonfas giving off a luxurious gloss.

It was one of the treasures held by the Deiros family, and in particular, it was a spiritual weapon he had borrowed for this exam.

Fortunately, I didn’t get caught.

He breathed a sigh of relief inside, and then explained.

“This is one of the treasures passed down by my family.”

“Treasure…? Ahjussi, do you live well?”

“Hmm. Well, you can say that. I can’t tell you in detail because of the exam rules, but my family is one of the top 10 in Pyongyang.”

“Oh?”

The boy’s eyes began to sparkle.

And then he finally stood up, putting his game console back into his pocket.

“Ahjussi, let’s be friends from now on.”

“H-huh?”

What was wrong with this guy? He observed the boy’s expression.

It was a familiar expression. It resembled that of the droppers who usually wanted to cling to him.

A face that wanted something from him.

I see. In the end, this guy too.

He wasn’t certain what kind of background the boy had, but it seemed that he had a humble background even though he had excellent ability.

On a second glance, the clothes he was wearing were just ordinary training clothes.

Certainly, if it’s our family, he won’t be ignored anywhere in Pyongyang.

He proudly showed off his servile shoulders.

“Good. We’re finally on the same page. Then, why don’t we move together in the 4th test?”

“Me and you? Will it work just because you say so?”

“Haha, I have a way. I also know where the supervisor’s eyes don’t reach.”

He knew several loopholes through various information acquired during his times taking the exam.

“Oh! That’s good. Then let’s make sure to move together.”

“Yes, it’s a promise.”

He smiled triumphantly.

When it comes to leading a family, rather than one’s own strength, the ability to gather people is more important.

The other siblings just knew how to train, and wouldn’t be able to show such sophisticated diplomatic skills.

As long as I raise him well in the future…In the end, I’ll be the successor to the family.

The moment he thought as such, he saw the boy in front of him putting his mouth on the drink.

“W-wait a minute!”

He hurriedly stopped the boy. However, the boy looked at him with a puzzled look.

“What?”

“You shouldn’t drink that cola.”

“Why? Did you put something inside?”

“?!”

Mousin made an awkward face. How could he explain this?

Damn, if I just told him my background from the beginning…I’m going to step on shit for no reason.

In other words, he’ll miss this fish. With the feeling of all or nothing, he spoke.

“Okay. I’ll admit it. Actually, there’s laxatives in it.”

“Ah, I see.”

“But I believe you would understand. This place is like a jungle anyway. It’s a world where you’re the hunter or the hunted, so it can be said that it’s the person who is deceived at fault.” 

“Hmm…right.”

Fortunately, the boy seemed convinced. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Surprisingly, they could communicate quite well, so maybe they could be good partners not only in this exam but also in the future.

As long as I recruit him after the exam…

If he had such a promising talent, his position, which had been pushed out of the competition for succession, could also be regained someday.

As soon as he thought that, suddenly, the boy gulped down the drink.

Surprised, he shouted at the boy.

“Y-you…! Didn’t I tell you, so why…? Go to the bathroom and throw up! Otherwise, it’ll be  too late!”

The boy calmly replied.

“It’s okay. My durability level is high anyway, so there’s nothing wrong.”

“?!”

Looking at the boy’s appearance, he had no choice but to blink his eyes.

He wasn’t sure what the boy was talking about, but considering the current situation…

I almost screwed it up…

He felt a chill in his spine as the boy spoke.

“Do you have any other drinks left? I want to pack it.”

“Uh, yes, let me go get it.”

He headed to his room, wiping off the sweat on his forehead that kept flowing for some reason.

* * * * * * * * * *

Looking at the back of the guy rushing somewhere, I had a thought.

I had gotten a good item.

At first, I thought I would just take care of it later when I had time.

But it turned out to be a noble who could bring me items.

No wonder I had a good feeling today.

I wasn’t sure what ability the tonfa had, but at a first glance it looked like a fairly expensive weapon.

Was the 4th test a field map?

The 4th test, the last gateway after physical fitness measurement, was an evaluation in the form of surviving for 3 days and 2 nights.

A moment ago he said there was definitely a way to avoid the supervisor’s eyes, so I thought I could farm his item at that opportunity.

Lucky me. An item was rolling in for free.

The moment I smiled with that thought, another idea flashed through my mind.

Huh? Wait a minute…This…

I slowly looked around.

Those who were glaring and cursing at me hurriedly turned their heads.

And to that…I smiled brightly at them.

“Haha…This was the best spot.”

There was a treasure trove right in front of me.