The day after the first-class monster emerged from the aquarium at 1 o’clock.
Could it be because of the Kraken, which was made as a monster resembling the shark from the original story, or perhaps my appearance?
When I opened my eyes, the news was filled with words like “apocalypse” and “disaster,” blabbering on as Hero City turned into a chaotic scene, all shown on TV.
“Has there ever been a case where two monsters of danger level 1 or higher appeared at the same time?”
“One of them is the horned mask monster that devastated City A ten years ago.”
“Do you have anything to say about future countermeasures for Hero City?”
“All the citizens of Hero City are trembling with fear!”
Typical of monster films.
When something major happens, the higher-ups are summoned immediately.
True to the national custom, the person who appeared in front of the reporters in Hero City, which adopted a parliamentary system, was someone I knew very well from the <Monster Frontline> series.
“Ah, it’s Avanka.”
“Av… Anka?”
Not a gacha character from <Monster Frontline>…
But one of the NPCs you could see in the shop when you entered to purchase weapons, resembling a monster.
I’m pretty sure she was the leader of the progressive party with the most support in Hero City, right?
She had cold eyes amidst her white, snow-like hair, giving off an intelligent aura, and she was a member of parliament.
As in the game, she wore a suit with her chest fully exposed, showing no emotion but still giving off a sense of trustworthiness.
“Let me make a bold prediction.”
The first words from the most influential parliamentarian in the city-state with a population of one billion.
The reporters, who had been relentlessly firing questions, all closed their mouths at her words.
Then, in the press conference that all of humanity was watching, her next words came.
“No matter what happens, Hero City will not be played with by monsters.”
“…!”
“Oh, ohhhh!”
“Long live, congresswoman!”
There’s an old saying: “Ignorance is bravery.”
However, the Avanka I knew was brave, but not ignorant.
In simple terms, her words carried significant weight.
Even if two level 1 monsters simultaneously appeared in one of the districts, with just one word from her, the people would regain some calm.
As proof of this, voices from citizens cheering for Avanka’s progressive party were heard from beyond the screen.
“Even now, Hero City has been working on countermeasures against the horned mask monster, which started ten years ago and has not yet been hunted.”
“Can you tell us about these countermeasures?”
“Sorry, but I can’t speak on that matter yet.”
“What’s the reason for that?”
I had just finished showering and left my dorm room at the university.
Yet, the press conference was still ongoing.
“It’s already been an hour, both sides are incredible even in broad daylight…”
“Jang Hoon, I’m going to use the computer now~.”
“Put on some clothes first.”
“Hehe, okay.”
Avanka continued to answer the reporters’ similar questions one by one with a calm expression.
It was truly an impressive display of mental fortitude.
“I guess that’s what politicians must do…”
If it were me, I would have probably sneaked away to use the bathroom by now, but she just sat there and drank a sip of water.
So, I got bored and tried to change the channel to watch another variety show.
However,
“The reason I am not talking about countermeasures here is simple.”
It felt like she was looking at me.
Avanka, speaking while making eye contact with me through the screen.
“Because the horned mask is watching this news.”
“…!”
“Right? Mr. Horned Mask, the mysterious one.”
Avanka was just an ordinary person without any special abilities, merely a high-ranking public official.
I was sure of it…
But the timing was so chilling that it couldn’t have been just a guess.
I got goosebumps all over my back.
Thanks to that, I swallowed my saliva and instinctively changed the channel.
Part 1, Chapter 2 of <Monster Frontline>.
An Invitation from the Darkness.
First, the background of this episode was in City W, the only coastal district in Hero City.
While citizens were in a period of mourning due to the aquarium incident, there were more missing persons in the vicinity of the beach in City W, eight times the average of other districts.
Around the time when those numbers started to become noticeable.
Only then did the Hero Association realize the severity of the situation and reluctantly deploy a hero team, including the “protagonist,” to begin the search.
After a week of relentless pursuit, they discovered a hidden marine cave at the corner of the beach, where they encountered a danger level 3 monster that had built a mountain of human bones.
They faced off with the leech-like monster and defeated it.
But the main story ended somewhat unsatisfactorily, with hundreds of casualties following the aquarium incident.
The original story probably went like that…
Screech.
“Kyuuu!”
The two monsters that had been made into shark-like monsters in the aquarium.
The legendary Kraken, forever feared by sea people, and the horned mask monster, who proudly appeared in City A, the hero’s stronghold, and managed to escape unharmed.
Perhaps it was because of those two that the Hero Association, not as calm as in the original story, detected unusual signs in City W several weeks earlier than in the original.
Afterward, a project that should have been abandoned was initiated.
“Since we were going to throw it away anyway, let’s at least use it once.”
“That’s right. How much did we invest to create something like that…”
“When first-class monsters are appearing at the same time, it’s not the time to be concerned about human rights.”
Now is the time to use any means necessary for the survival of humanity.
Judging it that way, the Hero Association deployed her as the only successful product of the next-generation hero training project.
The result, as you can see, was an overwhelming success.
“The target monster, the leech-type, has been eliminated.”
– R-Really? Zero?
“Yes. I have confirmed the cessation of life functions in the target monster’s body. There’s a 99.99% probability that it’s my victory.”
– I-It’s incredible! She’s only about 20 months old… a ‘homunculus’ at that!
– We were going to scrap the project due to human rights issues, but that could’ve been a huge mistake!
– It might be impossible for now, but if mass production becomes possible in the future, humanity will finally be able to conquer monsters!
– Zero, don’t just stand there! Go check the monster’s corpse for any valuable tissue samples.”
“Yes, understood.”
It was originally a Grade 3 monster that would have required a large number of C-Class heroes to take down.
Yet, this woman had subdued the leech monster without any notable injuries.
She was an artificial human created by the Hero Association, a homunculus less than two years old with the body of a fully grown adult woman.
Her crimson eyes were mechanically stained.
Her gray hair had been carefully chosen by researchers to give her a more “girlish” appearance.
She wore an elaborate hero uniform reminiscent of a “knight princess” and held a state-of-the-art blade greatsword — one of the materials used to create the next-generation hero.
Her code name was Zero — the experimental prototype.
“While searching through the corpse, I discovered what appears to be a piece of the leech monster’s heart.”
– Good. That’s a valuable sample. Make sure it arrives safely at City A.
“Yes, understood.”
– Good.
Like a living robot.
Zero immediately obeyed the orders from the researchers speaking through her earpiece.
According to the information implanted in her brain by the computer since she was inside the test tube, this was the only reason she had been created.
There was no room for objection.
She simply acted for the sake of the “real humans.”
To prove her worth — despite being something that should have been discarded as an artificial being.
“Survive…”
Zero quietly followed her orders.
Simply because… she wanted to live a little longer.
As the only survivor from the test tubes, she still had things to accomplish.
‘If I manage to eliminate that horned-mask monster… will even a fake like me be granted a little bit of “freedom?”‘
After two days of press conferences, she still couldn’t believe it.
But she had no choice but to believe it.
Because already a month had passed since then!
“Why… is it so quiet?”
Finally, the university semester had ended.
Thanks to that, Miss Hoshino and I, free from the swamp of assignments, were on our way back to City D in a limousine.
“It’s finally vacation!”
“Miss, you barely attended any classes because of your hero activities, though…”
“But still, vacation feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Well… yes, I suppose so.”
Miss Hoshino smiled cluelessly.
Well, vacation was a sweet reward for every student, after all.
Even though she’d only attended classes for about two weeks in the last three months, she still looked genuinely excited about vacation.
But unlike her, I was inwardly sweating.
‘Where did it all go wrong?’
The reason was clear: the main story’s Chapter 2 of Part 1 should have already started.
The leech monster was supposed to have appeared a long time ago.
‘Where the hell did that leech bastard disappear to?’
That monster was supposed to have been abducting people at the coast of City W for a while now.
I’d even gone to the coastal district several times during university classes to try and stop it before it could become a bigger problem — like that shark monster incident.
But there wasn’t a trace of the leech monster anywhere.
Even when I checked the cave where it was supposed to be hiding in the original story, all I found were faint traces of a past battle.
‘Could this be another case where a stronger villain shows up and messes with the original story?’
Who could have taken down the leech monster?
That thought was still lingering in my mind when—
Riiiing.
“Huh? Mom’s calling?”
“The head of the family?”
“Yeah.”
Miss Hoshino received a call from the family head while we were heading toward City D.
She nodded a few times.
“Hmm…”
“What’s the matter, Miss?”
“Oh, it’s nothing special. They just told me to head to the Hero Association in City A right now.”
“…What?”
She casually said something completely outrageous as she ordered the driver to turn the car around.
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