CHAPTER 58

When she turned her head, a displeased expression appeared.

“I didn’t come here to talk about men. I didn’t come to hear some low-level stories like who’s handsome, whose d*ck is bigger or who you want to sleep with.”

“Oh, really?”

Hyena laughed, lowering her voice by a tone. Belze quickly let go of her hair and grabbed her legs from under the table. With her other hand, she patted the table to calm her down.

“Low-level, you say. But you talk about those things too.”

“I don’t want to waste my time talking about who I’m dating, sleeping with… useless stuff like that.”

“I thought you were cheeky because you used tentacles, but you’re not?”

“Of course not, I’m just trying to shame him because everyone thinks it’s better to break a bone than exposing the body. Shame is the most vulnerable part of humans.”

“Villainous perspective. It may not turn out as you think, though.”

“It will.”

“It’s going to be hard. You don’t really understand human desires. I can tell by the way you don’t want to talk about men.”

The corners of Lotte’s mouth twitched upward as she realized that although Hyena was smiling, she was secretly criticizing her. It was a confident, provocative mockery, not the least bit cowardly. Like she was trying to undermine her.

“Yeah, well, you might think so. If you’re going to keep talking about that, I’m going to go. I expected more from Cheonha, but I’m a bit disappointed.”

Even Belze, who was sticking close to Hyena, was taken aback. As the two narrowed their eyes side by side, Lotte spoke confidently.

“To be honest, I came to see just how amazing Cheonha is. Your boss has quite a reputation. I came first to get a feel for the atmosphere since your boss said he was returning to the Meteor City, but there’s nothing special about Cheonha’s executives. You didn’t even notice that I didn’t fight the Hero using my full strength…”

Tsk. Belze clicked her tongue.

“Ah, I may have spoken a bit harshly, but I don’t hold it against you sisters. DDD’s only goal is only your boss. Of course, we’ll take care of the hero on the side.”

In other words, DDD was saying that they would fight against the Cheonha Boss when he returned to Meteor City.

Power struggles among villains are as common as battles with heroes. Despite the declaration of war, Belze and Hyena shrugged their shoulders nonchalantly.

Upon saying that, Lotte left with a farewell, leaving Hyena and Belze to watch her with a sense of pride until her shadow disappeared outside the hideout, and only when she was gone did they shudder.

“It’s like old times. I was just like that, thinking I was the best, and then getting my a$s kicked by Seo.”

Belze shook her head, as if recalling something unpleasant. Watching Lotte, she felt embarrassed remembering of her younger self, full of confidence and vitality.

“True. Your face back then was truly something else! I thought our styles were similar, but it seems our personalities are quite alike too.”

“But I didn’t say anything mean to you, did I?”

“Forgot. If you did, we wouldn’t be casually calling each other’s names now. I might have to give you some lessons next time.”

“Wow, what a scary threat… If you need anything, take it.”

They finished the rest of the refreshments and stood up. Before they left the hideout, Belze spoke up.

“But seriously… Seo, he’s not that good. He doesn’t meet many women. He’s awkward. He acts quite immaturely, too.”

“Really? Can I tell him that?”

“No! No, no, no, no!”

There were three possible reactions of Seo to that statement.

One, he turns around with a face so angry that blood vessels might pop. Two, he slumps down like a w*t puppy. Three, he takes responsibility, apologizes, and makes things enjoyable until you collapse together on the bed.

It seemed difficult to handle all three reactions, so Belze shook her diligently. The attempt to control the situation had turned into a tangled mess.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do it. On the cruise, he seemed indifferent, and…”

“I’m not really interested.”

“…And anyway, you’ll probably ignore it again. By the way, how long are you going to be so hesitant? It’s annoying.”

With an expression of boredom, Hyena, who had been picking at her fingernails, suddenly widened her eyes and showed interest.

“But he’s big, right?”

“Well…”

“Be honest.”

Belze felt that if she said that much, Hyena would try to tease her. She might not specialize in evil deeds, but a villain was a villain.

Belze thought for a moment, then her cheeks flushed slightly.

“Yeah.”

Hoping that Seo would forgive this revelation, Belze added specific adverbs.

“Really big.”

“I stand corrected, then.”

As Hyena said this, she cheerfully smiled, and her face did not reveal any malicious intent. However, Belze’s mind was still uneasy.

She hadn’t heard what kind of retribution Lotte had received from Seo, and she wasn’t convinced that Hyena was definitely not Seo’s type. Even if it wasn’t Hyena, it could easily happen with another person, given the affectionate relationship they had formed. Belze clenched her fist, pushing away the emerging concerns.

*

Cheonha’s boss suddenly appeared.

It was noon, three days after the warning. Contrary to the preparedness of the Hero Disaster Headquarters, he appeared in the city, leaving his mark like a giant stream of water.

No one expected his arrival this soon, and no one was able to stop him until Seo showed up.

Seo looked down from the rooftop of a 5-story shopping mall. As he cleared the steel plates and bars in the air with his power, the boss’s figure was revealed.

An armor-like machinery attached to him, giving an inhuman appearance. Unpleasant sounds, like rusted iron being struck.

And countless metals floating around him.

An ability that seems similar to Seo’s, but is entirely different in nature.

Every time he moves, vast areas are paralyzed. The subway stopped, cars malfunctioned, and power lines burst. Cell phone screens become iridescent as if magnets had been placed on them, and steel beams bend.

Seo’s ability was metal manipulation. The boss’ power was immense magnetism.

The enormous magnetic force destroys the area and draws in iron.

Seo leapt to the ground, ensuring that lamp posts or building bars were not swept away by supporting them. While confronting the intense force, the surroundings remained eerily quiet, as if nothing were happening.

“What winds brought you back to Meteor City so suddenly?”

[I heard your story, boy.]

A metallic voice rang out. The rhythmic speech was mixed with the hissing sound of steam, creating a spine-chilling, almost inhumane voice.

[You spent some good time with my most beloved subordinate, and I’m glad to hear that you filled the void left by my absence.]

The eye part of the machine emitted light.

[Did you enjoy it all this time?]

As soon as the words ended, a thick iron rod was thrusted into the boss’s thigh. Though it was unnecessary to stop it, the iron rod halted, shallowly embedded in his leg.

“Hey.”

In Seo’s eyes, devoid of any gleam like a machine, a fierce glint flickered. With a more menacing presence than the boss with the machinery, he closed the distance.

“You, what’s your relationship with Belze?”

Although it was a close enough range to pierce with a fist, the man with the armor-like machinery didn’t move. Only the area around his mouth seemed to twitch.

“Belze is my favorite subordinate.”

The rebar in his thigh bounced like a pole meeting a pole, pushing him away. After being knocked out of the way, Seo skidded to a stop with the rebar he’d been knocked off with. A long line was drawn on the asphalt.

As if on cue, the metal that held up the surroundings whipped around like it had been tossed in a typhoon.

[She had a hard time taking care of you. But now, there’s no need for that anymore.”

A plain voice wheezed from beyond the rubble, its face unrecognizable, its thoughts impossible to guess.

[Because now that I’m back, it won’t be as boring as before.]

“What does that even mean!”

Thick streetlight bodies, sign posts, and other such things flew toward the boss in a flurry of metal debris, but their trajectories were altered by magnetism, colliding with other objects or being pushed onto the road.

Dozens of columns lightly brushed past him.

Damn it.

Seo brushed away his obstructing bangs, and uncomfortably tossed away his leather gloves. He grabbed a signpost column with sweaty bare hands.

[Stay on the defensive and wait for backup! You can’t handle this alone, Ravi.]

“Move!”

Seo ignored the warning from headquarters that reached his ears.

He knew this wasn’t something he could take on alone. His abilities were a bad match for the boss, just as the Headquarters had said.

He could control metals attracted or repelled by his magnetism to a certain extent. For example, when intense magnetism tried to derail a train, there was no one better than Seo to prevent it.

However, in combat, he was at a severe disadvantage.

It was difficult to use his specialty, and he had to allocate a certain amount of his power to defending the city center, which takes away from his focus. Even now, his head aches from holding up the rebar in the building that’s about to collapse.

But he couldn’t just stand still. He can’t wait for backup, not while this boss of Belze is talking bullshit.

The boss wasn’t fast; he was just walking slowly somewhere. Seo closed the distance in a flash and swung the signpost column like a spear.

But just before driving the column into the boss’s torso, the iron column crumpled like a piece of paper, sending tiny bits of metal flying in front of Seo like shrapnel.