‘Was that a greeting for me? Has anyone with a car like that ever been around me? No, wait, I’m wearing my Transformation Suit right now—there’s no way anyone would recognize me.’
There was no way Teresa or the Antique Shop Owner was here, and Laika’s car wasn’t that one.
Just as she flinched, curious, Rainbow Girl’s hand suddenly popped out from behind and returned the wave.
Iris glanced back and forth between the expensive car and Rainbow Girl, who shyly replied, “Ah, a friend gave me a ride. We met on a dungeon mission a while back… He said he was worried about me.”
“Oh… So that friend knows what Rainbow Girl looks like before and after transformation?”
“Yes. He… knows.”
Rainbow Girl’s cheeks flushed pink. Iris’s eyes widened, sensing this was no ordinary relationship.
Looking back at the car, the man Rainbow Girl called a friend was now poking his head out, waving his hand, wearing a Blue Mask that covered his eyes.
‘He must be a Hero, right? At least he’s a Hero. Even if he’s a Villain, there’s no way to tell… Wow, this is fascinating. A romance blossoming between Heroes.’
It was incredibly interesting. Now that she thought about it, it probably was easier for powered individuals to date others with abilities rather than ordinary people.
No need to make up stories about what they do, and they could share information and grow together.
Teresa had told her the powered world was full of backstabbing and scheming, but scenes like this proved exceptions always existed.
Iris, glancing at Rainbow Girl’s reddened face with intrigue, recalled Laika’s face and her expression hardened.
‘Wait. I am kind of involved with a powered person too. The problem is that he’s a Villain. Only I know, and he doesn’t know my identity. It’s like a thrilling affair with the enemy.’
Iris’s situation was similar, except her romance wasn’t pink—it was likely to turn blood-red soon.
“Please follow me.”
At the factory entrance, a staff member led them to a reception room. Iris soon realized they weren’t the only ones applying for the mission. There were over ten Heroes in the room.
Even though she was wearing a mask, Iris covered her face unnecessarily. She was quite famous, after all.
‘Oh no, this is bad! If I’d known this mission would have so many people, I would have avoided it. I heard there was a news article about the Rugang Park incident today. With this much attention, maybe I am a regional celebrity. Although they won’t recognize me with the mask, better safe than sorry… Huh?’
But there’s a saying that illusions are free. Contrary to her expectation that others would whisper, “Isn’t that the Hero from that article?” nobody paid the slightest attention.
Once again, she realized people didn’t care about her as much as she thought. Embarrassed by her overreaction, Iris fanned her face lightly and, following the guide, took a seat at the table with Rainbow Girl.
Thinking it over, it made sense no other Heroes recognized her. Gyodam City had so many incidents and accidents that dozens of related articles popped up daily, including Hero news.
Because outrageous events were common, many reports were full of exaggeration, making citizens often skeptical of the local media’s credibility.
Iris was no different. So, having just a few articles didn’t make her widely famous.
“Today’s task…”
The staff member gave a brief mission briefing. Iris focused hard, trying not to get distracted.
It was her first time sharing a place with so many other Heroes, so she couldn’t help but wonder what Transformation Suits they wore, and what abilities they had.
She noticed three men and women in white Transformation Suits like hers. The others wore various colors, and to an outsider, the scene might look like a cosplay gathering.
The briefing ended quickly. Following instructions, the Heroes received work uniforms and caps equipped with tracking devices and recording functions.
These outfits were meant to prepare for the possibility of the potion transport vehicle being ambushed, but also served to monitor if any Hero might try to steal the expensive Potions.
Rainbow Girl, Iris, and two other Heroes— four in total— wore the work clothes and hats over their Transformation Suits and followed the staff member to the potion truck.
“Team 3 will take this vehicle, and Team 4 will take this one. Move together.”
The mission was structured so that pairs each took one vehicle, and the two vehicles moved together.
Iris worried about being separated from Rainbow Girl, but luckily, they ended up as a team.
Happy, the two headed toward the back truck but were stopped by a Hero team of two men.
“Hey, move to the front.”
“Huh? Why…?”
“Too much talking. You’re rookies. We’re veterans. When we say move forward, you move forward.”
The tone wasn’t just blunt; it was arrogant. The truck ahead was older and beat-up, while the one behind gleamed like new. Clearly, the rear vehicle was more comfortable.
Iris felt a surge of anger but held back when Rainbow Girl grabbed her shoulder and shook her head. There was no need to stir up trouble over something so trivial.
She boarded the front truck, muttering quietly, “What weirdos.”
“They must feel better driving a new car, I guess. Sigh. You see, even among Heroes there’s a wide range of personalities. Best to just accept it and avoid stress.”
“Or maybe they just saw us as weak and made fun of us.”
“Hold it in. Heroes can’t be fighting among themselves.”
“True.”
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Iris shrugged. Arguing over nonsense would only ruin her whole day.
Rainbow Girl, sitting beside her, laid out some simple snacks on the truck floor for the Blessing of the Cat skill. A soft white glow enveloped the food, and a faint meowing echoed in their ears.
She explained that the skill saved the caster in dangerous situations, and placing it inside the vehicle would protect everyone riding along.
With an excited look, she pointed her thumb behind the seat.
“The value of just the Potions inside this truck is enough to buy several houses.”
“Wow… We’d be in big trouble if this mission fails.”
“I heard there haven’t been Villain attacks for a while. It should be manageable. Still, we have to stay alert, just in case.”
“How do you know that?”
It was something the staff hadn’t mentioned in the briefing.
Rainbow Girl’s eyes widened as she asked, “You didn’t know? There’s a Mission Review Board on the Hero App… Yes, there!”
“Oh, I just found out. This will definitely help when choosing missions.”
Opening the Hero App, Iris followed Rainbow Girl’s instructions to find the review board. She should have searched it sooner. It was a shame she’d only just discovered it.
The review board even had posts about the Clinical Laboratory mission, which Rainbow Girl had avoided due to its danger.
Reading through, Iris narrowed her eyes.
‘What’s this? These fake reviews written for pay… No way I’m doing this mission.’
Having lived a second life, Iris was now immune to all kinds of false and paid reviews thanks to her experience with K-Review. She wasn’t fooled by Abellus’s sloppy tricks.
After putting her phone away, Iris started driving toward their destination.
The two trucks formed teams and headed off in different directions.
They split up to avoid being ambushed by all vehicles moving the same way, each heading to warehouses in separate areas.
Passing through the Factory District and onto a quiet country road, Iris’s tension gradually eased.
Since there hadn’t been attacks for a while, and after driving for ten minutes, her sense of security began to rise dangerously.
Like last time, she started to think this mission would go smoothly.
“I learned a new skill, like I messaged you about. Thanks to it, I completed the Spider Cave mission a bit faster last time.”
“Congrats. I thought so. You can’t just have buff skills.”
“Right? It’s all thanks to Angel Girl… Aah!”
Suddenly, a loud thud shook the ground.
Rainbow Girl pointed at the rearview mirror and shouted.
Through the mirror, Iris saw the truck behind them shaking violently, accompanied by a screeching brake sound.
The trailing truck zigzagged out of control and crashed headfirst into a utility pole.
Startled, Iris yanked the wheel and slammed on the brakes.
With a screech, their truck came to a stop, and their eyes met, trembling with unease.
“Could it be… a Villain?”
“Let’s carefully check outside.”
They quickly got out of the vehicle.
Iris caught Rainbow Girl as she tried to rush out and silently put a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet.
They hid behind a marshmallow-like pile of Marshmallow Silage near the edge of the field.
Rainbow Girl nodded faintly, understanding Iris’s unspoken plan to assess the situation first.