Chapter 239 – Insecurity
The beginning of the incident was simple.
[Recently, Egostic has gained recognition on the HVC global villain ranking, receiving significant attention from abroad. In a well-known magazine, Berlin Post, it was mentioned that ‘a villain from a small Asian country achieving such a high ranking solely based on their influence in one nation, excluding military power, is unprecedented.’ The article highly praised Egostic as a villain…]
My name, Egostic, appeared on the villain ranking. Well, to be honest, I didn’t pay much attention to it since my sudden appearance on the list didn’t grant me a remarkably high position. After all, it’s not an official ranking by the Association, so why should I care?
But it seemed that I was the only one who thought that way.
[The reason Egostic made it to the Top 100 villain ranking is scary!]
All I need is social relationships <<< Just this is enough.
The only reason S-class villain Atlas, who dominates the North Atlantic and is ranked 5th, isn’t attacking Korea = Because Egostic is here.
Japan’s so-called ‘real’ S-class villain Katana, who rarely leaves Japan, is showing off his friendship by coming out of Japan for the only time = Egostic.
Plus, there are only four S-class villains in Ego Stream, hahaha. And they’ve been active for several years without getting caught.
Conclusion: Mango Stick, so when is the Thanksgiving broadcast coming???
I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy.
=[Comments]=
[The last line, though. Hahaha]
[Oh, I get it, so it’s the broadcast key, hahaha]
[For real, Mango Stick, until last year, they couldn’t even make it to the ranking, and now they’re here. It’s got to be because of their connections. Who are the other villains that Atlas and Katana are friends with, hahaha?]
ㄴ[Seriously, hahaha. Overseas villain enthusiasts are so curious about this. Who is Egostic? And why did make a pact with Atlas? They keep asking, hahaha.]
[Ah, I feel my chest swell with pride.]
[But does this ranking even matter? I thought they were doing something in the association, but it’s unofficial, right?]
ㄴ[They have a kind of authority because of that institution. It seems like they rank them since the Association doesn’t do it, hahaha.]
[We are living in the age of Mango.]
[Fact: Unofficial ranking or not, Egostic’s official ranking in the association is just an A-class villain]
ㄴ[Not S-class?]
ㄴ[No, actually, if you look it up, he’s still an A-class, hahaha. I’d think he’d be S-class, hahaha.]
ㄴ[All the subordinates in the top 50 rankings are S-class, so why A-class, hahaha?]
ㄴ[When you watch the news, even the reporters sometimes get confused and call them S-class, hahaha.]
*
“…..”
“Da-in, hundreds of these posts come up every day, mainly in the fan cafe.”
Seo-eun, while showing me the list of posts, said.
Gosh… Are they creating these speculations based on such trivial things? Maybe they have nothing else to talk about since I’m not doing a broadcast.
“It doesn’t matter, right? It’ll die down in a few days anyway.”
I replied nonchalantly. What’s the big deal? It’s just people goofing off on my fan cafe. Besides, it’s not such a big deal that I made it onto the villain ranking. I’m already part of Katedal, where only the heads of the top villain organizations gather, and that’s what really matters.
That’s how lightly I thought of it.
[This is the 9 o’clock news. We previously reported that A-class villain Egostic has been included in the top 100 villains of the prestigious hero-villain research institution HVC based on the significant influence he’s gained, and it’s been a hot topic. However, now, netizens are questioning why Egostic is still considered only A-class according to the association’s assessment. More details from reporter Kwon Seo-yeon.]
“Hey, Da-in. Your name is on the news today. “
“….”
…Well, that’s a bit embarrassing.
I watched the news with a somewhat embarrassed feeling.
In summary, all other specialized researchers already consider Egostic to be dangerous, but the association is still leaving them as an A-class villain, and the association’s inaction is causing a lot of trouble.
“That’s true… It’s a bit odd that you’re A-class when I’m S-class.”
Seo Ja-young murmured as she lay next to me.
But, well, I didn’t really care. After all, Stardus is still A-class too.
“Well, the International Association headquarters is falling apart right now, so what can I do? I’m so busy that I won’t have time for a reassessment.”
I replied while idly munching on a grape that Soobin brought me.
The International Association has been malfunctioning for a while. If it were working properly, the French and British Associations wouldn’t be growling at each other like they are now. The central Association doesn’t manage the branches properly. In the meantime, they wouldn’t have time to deliberate the rankings of villains from a small country far away.
Furthermore, the Association’s ranking doesn’t carry much significance. Even if you look at the original work, it’ll still be a long time before Stardus becomes S-class. So, I’ll naturally remain A-class. It’s better to stay in A-class. Going up to S-class only attracts unnecessary attention. Although I say this, I’ve already climbed to that ranking, so it’s not meaningful.
‘….’
Still, nothing big will come out of it. I should prepare for the upcoming Cathedral. I don’t have time for such things.
That’s why I could respond nonchalantly.
“Well, don’t worry. Who’s going to care about that?”
***
Hero Stardus’s home.
[Yes, it’s quite unusual for Egostic to be A-class…]
Stardus, who had just returned home, turned on the TV, took off her coat, and watched Egostic on the news. She blinked in surprise.
“….?”
Well, it’s not the first time Egostic has appeared on TV. It’s probably nothing special.
Despite thinking that:
“Hmm, hmm.”
While discreetly removing her outdoor clothes in the living room, she glanced at the TV.
[If it’s Egostic, you can’t say he’s anything less than an S-class villain. Has there ever been a villain in South Korea with this level of influence? I think the headquarters of the association must be too busy now to review this. They should fix it quickly. Or maybe pass the S-class promotion authority to each country’s branches. What’s going on now?]
[Yes, Expert Choi Dae-hyun, you’re right. But you seem to be too excited right now. Calm down for now…]
[What do you mean calm down? They’re claiming that Mang… I mean, Egostic is an S-class hero for no reason! It’s because the association isn’t doing its job! I think Egostic is better at his job in South Korea than the International Association.]
“Um…”
After changing into her indoor clothes, Stardus sat down and pondered the recent comments. So, Egostic’s controversy is about being A-class despite everything?
“…..”
It was kind of funny. The fact that Egostic is still A-class. Even the dragon he rode on the last time got an immediate S-class rating, but the owner, Egostic, has a lower rating.
[…So, considering the controversy surrounding this issue, there is a possibility that the Association will soon promote Egostic to S-Class.]
At that moment, she heard an expert’s opinion on the news that Egostic could be promoted.
Well, that would be quite reasonable… She nodded her head without realizing it.
“Wait…”
Suddenly, she realized that she was still A-Class.
“….”
Of course, her abilities were much stronger than many S-Class heroes, but officially, she remained in the A-Class.
So, if Egostic was promoted while she remained A-Class, would she be in a situation where only Egostic was S-class?
“……Hmm.”
She tossed and turned in her seat unconsciously.
Of course, the Association’s rating system is stricter for heroes. Usually, A-class heroes are seen as capable of dealing with S-class villains, while S-class heroes are expected to handle dozens of S-class villains at once.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she and Egostic being in different classes was a bit strange.
‘Hehe, A-Class hero Stardus. How do you do? I’m the “S-Class” villain Egostic. Hehehe! It’s so boring to face the A-class hero Stardus. Hehe… Oh, sorry, I yawned.’
‘I think I’ll have to target heroes of a higher class in the future. Hehehehe!’
For some reason, she could feel Egostic mocking her and searching for another hero. Of course, he wouldn’t really do that…
“Ugh…”
Stardus found herself grumbling for no reason with that uneasy feeling.
She had been a hero for several years, and this was the first time she found herself caring about her Association’s rank.
“Ugh… Why am I acting like this?”
Right. Egostic wouldn’t do that. What does the rank matter? She was still his arch-nemesis.
With that thought in mind, she took Egostic’s cloak hanging on the wall and the letters from Egostic stored deep in a drawer, preserving them as evidence and for protection against damage. She sighed and took a towel to the bathroom.
Yeah, she was just tired of dealing with another villain today. She quickly showered and decided to go to bed early…
So, Stardus, after her shower, laid down in bed early.
And that night…
“Ughhh….”
She had a dream of Egostic abandoning her and facing some other woman who was an S-Class hero. She tossed and turned in her sleep.
When she woke up, she had tears in her eyes, but it must have been due to her mood. Yeah…
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