A Veteran Teaches Very Well - Chapter 50



part 50

The American Hero Association had never wanted me here in the first place.

It seemed Edeline had actively recommended me as an external advisor.

I responded humbly.

“What does the role matter? What’s important is that everyone does their best in their place.”

After all, I had no desire to wear a gold necklace around my neck.

Whether I had achievements as a hero or not was of no consequence to me.

“I’m glad Professor Cha understands.”

Andrew smiled softly.

His coming here wasn’t out of consideration for me, but rather to draw a line early on.

Only Lee Ye-eun, blissfully unaware, chattered away excitedly.

“Wow, the professor looks like an amazing person!”

But something felt off.

This operation had involved factional struggles, and any forces that were not friendly to the current American Hero Association would have been filtered out to some extent.

Yet, no matter how rotten things were, with a unicorn involved, there should have been enough firepower to adequately suppress an SS-level gate.

So why had America fallen so drastically that it couldn’t recover in the game?

A sense of foreboding washed over me.

There was something more.

No matter how formidable an SS-level gate was, it shouldn’t have been able to push America to the brink of destruction.

“Professor, we’ve arrived!”

It was Lee Ye-eun’s voice that pulled me from my thoughts.

Where we had arrived was the deck of a massive battleship.

“What on earth is this?”

“It’s a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier,” Andrew replied.

What a series of events I’ve experienced since coming to America.

I’m boarding an aircraft carrier.

Lee Ye-eun and Jo Seong-woong were more surprised by another fact than by the fact that they were on an aircraft carrier.

“Oh my! Isn’t that John Dickel?”

“Hasmui and Wang Sheng are here too.”

“Look, look! There’s Jake!”

“Whoa! Isn’t that Roberto?”

The SS-level gate raid team.

The deck was filled with members that matched that name in all its glory.

S-class heroes gathered from around the world were present in the hundreds.

Of course, I didn’t know most of them.

How could I recognize NPCs that didn’t even have names in the game?

[New master, I’m so nervous I could go crazy. There are just too many strong ones! Hehe, how amazing would it feel to play with these guys?]

Excited, Jaybult blurted out nonsense.

What did he hear earlier?

He spoke in a small voice so as not to be overheard.

“I didn’t come here to fight. These people are my comrades.”

[Still, gathering this many heroes must be something incredible, right?]

“I’m not going out to fight.”

[Why? Why, why, why? New master, are you a coward?]

Was this guy really trying to kill me?

How could I possibly enter an SS-level dungeon?

I struck the hilt of my sword sharply, as if to say to be quiet.

The S-class heroes gathered here looked at each other with curiosity.

“What’s with all these S-class heroes?”

“Seeing this makes me feel so insignificant.”

“Brick, it’s been a while.”

There were plenty of famous heroes around.

S-class heroes were not common even on a national level. Some countries didn’t have a single S-class hero at all.

So it was only natural for S-class heroes to be amazed by one another.

Among them, the most attention was drawn to our group.

Specifically, to the guild master of the unicorns within our party, Edeline.

“Look over there, it’s Edeline.”

“Then it’s over.”

“Even if she’s SS-class, having Edeline around is reassuring.”

There were many positive evaluations, but there were also negative ones.

“Isn’t Edeline just a bubble being pushed in the U.S.?”

“I feel like I could win if we stripped off the ranks.”

“Shut up. With your skills, what do you think you can do?”

The person in question seemed used to it and lightly ignored the comments.

Indeed, being the best hero wasn’t something just anyone could achieve.

Andrew, the staff member from the Hero Association who brought us here, spoke loudly to everyone.

“After a moment, we will begin the first meeting of the Pacific Dungeon Raid Team, so heroes, please come in.”

We entered the meeting room.

The seats were separated by country, and Edeline went to the American side.

Lee Ye-eun, Jo Seong-woong, and I headed toward the seats marked with the Taegeukgi.

To the left was Japan, and to the right was China.

Lee Ye-eun spoke in a small voice.

“Ugh, I’m so nervous.”

“Why are you nervous? We probably won’t even have a chance to speak in the meeting.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. We just have to do what we’re told.”

Though I wasn’t sure if there would be anything to do.

“Hehe, what a cute little fantasy you have, girl. Do you really think a hero from a small country will get a chance to stand out in this meeting?”

The voice belonged to a man sitting next to me.

Wang Sheng.

An S-rank hero from China.

【What a feeble man. He looks boring.】

Jaybilt muttered.

I shared the same thought.

From noble mtl dot come

He was indeed an S-rank hero, but I didn’t feel much strength radiating from him.

Regardless, Wang Sheng continued to chatter away.

“Just because you’re an S-rank hero doesn’t mean we’re all on the same level. The heroes of great nations and those of small nations… Ah! Li Xiaow, you!”

The man sitting next to Wang Sheng, called Li Xiaow, struck the back of Wang Sheng’s head hard.

He also seemed to be an S-rank hero from China.

“I’m sorry for being rude. He’s not a bad guy by nature, just a bit foolish.”

“Foolish? This is ridiculous!”

【Oh, this guy looks like he could be fun to mess with.】

Li Xiaow.

There was a strong competitive spirit emanating from him, enough for even Jaybilt to acknowledge.

He seemed stronger than both Wang Sheng and Jo Seong-woong.

In this gathering of renowned heroes, it didn’t seem like there were many who could match Li Xiaow’s strength.

S-class, among the highest tier of heroes.

It was an incredible presence.

Perhaps recognizing him, Jo Seong-woong greeted him.

“To meet the Dragon of China here, it feels like I’ve gained an army of a thousand.”

“You flatter me. It is I who am honored to meet you, Jo Daehyeop.”

“Ah, how embarrassing.”

Li Xiaoxiao seemed to know Jo Seong-woong as well.

But Wang Sheng appeared not to recognize him.

“Li Xiaoxiao! If you’ve come as a representative of a great nation, act accordingly! Lowering yourself to such an old man makes our nation look diminished!”

“That guy has quite the sharp tongue.”

Jo Seong-woong chuckled heartily.

Li Xiaoxiao offered a polite apology.

“I apologize for disturbing your mood, Daehyeop. That child is someone I will later…”

“Enough. It’s common for newly minted S-class heroes to be unaware of the world. Each little misstep becomes a part of their dark history, and eventually, it all comes back as karma.”

“By the way, I heard you’ve retired, but what brings you here?”

“I’m not here to fight directly; I’ve come as an escort for Professor Cha.”

Jo Seong-woong pointed at me.

Li Xiaoxiao and Wang Sheng turned their gazes toward me.

Wang Sheng, who didn’t recognize Jo Seong-woong, did recognize me.

“Professor Cha? Ah, the swindler from that small nation.”

Once again, Li Xiaoxiao struck Wang Sheng on the head with force.

It was a satisfying blow.

Wang Sheng let out a whimper.

“Hey! Why!”

“Professor Cha, I’m sorry. He’s just such a foolish child that he couldn’t comprehend your profound research, so please forgive his rudeness.”

“I hold no grudge.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

Though I didn’t like Wang Sheng’s arrogant demeanor, seeing Li Xiaoxiao’s courteous attitude softened my heart.

Imagining that fool constantly having to apologize made him seem almost pitiable.

Wang Sheng continued to chatter without pause.

“Lieshao. You are the shame of the great nation, a disgrace.”

Lieshao sighed and spoke with a solemn expression.

“Wangsheng, when you return, it’s the third disciplinary action.”

“W-what?”

Wangsheng’s eyes trembled widely.

I didn’t know what it meant, but judging by Wangsheng’s reaction, it didn’t seem to be something pleasant for him.

Of course, it was utterly delightful for me.

“Wait, hold on. I made a mistake, I made a mistake, so please…!”

“Apologize to the Koreans, not to me.”

“Ugh…”

Wangsheng’s lips quivered.

I could feel his genuine reluctance to apologize.

“Mi(So)… Mi(so)…”

Wangsheng finally opened his mouth.

“You crazy SOB, you guys were the ones who messed up first! How dare a small nation act so arrogantly…”

Bang!

The loudest sound I had ever heard erupted from the back of Wangsheng’s head.

Lieshao sighed.

“I’m sorry.”

In an instant, he looked as if he had aged several years.

He was pitiful in many ways.

But this was not the end.

“Fools, be quiet.”

A thin voice came from the Chinese side of the seating.

There sat a girl who looked to be around the same age as my students, or perhaps even younger.

She wore a cheongsam and had a bun on the back of her head.

“Who is this girl?”

I asked, and Lieshao replied.

“She is a genius who came to represent China with us, Zhuge Soyeon.”

“Excuse me?”

We were all surprised.

A little kid like this is the representative of China.

He was even younger than Lee Ye-eun, who came to assist me as a teaching assistant.

Li Xiaoxiao proudly said,

“In our country, So-yeon is a genius among geniuses, praised as the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang. A prodigy who has grasped the principles of military strategy at such a young age, no, a god of strategy.”

“I see.”

I don’t know much about China, but I know Zhuge Liang.

The fact that his name is attached means that Zhuge So-yeon is an extraordinary figure in China.

Zhuge So-yeon said,

“Are you that Cha Eun-woo?”

“You know me?”

“Of course. I read your paper.”

Hearing about military strategy, it seemed our fields of study were the same.

If that’s the case, couldn’t we have a good conversation?

There were times I thought so.

“I’ll teach you soon that you’re nothing, so just wait and see.”

“You little brat, Zhuge So-yeon! Mind your manners.”

“Shut up, you blockhead.”

Zhuge So-yeon raised her middle finger at Li Xiaoxiao.

I could see Li Xiaoxiao’s fist trembling with rage.

Lee Ye-eun whispered to me,

“In China, they call him Director Li Xiaoxiao.”

That seemed like a nickname with a lot of meaning.

“Oh, here they come.”

As the murmuring noise subsided, the heroes focused on the entrance.

It’s finally starting.

The top figure of the American Hero Association, President Daniel, made his entrance.

* * *

President Daniel.

He is always mentioned when Americans talk about the person they dislike the most.

Typically, the key positions in the Hero Association are held by retired heroes. Just take the president of the Korean association, who was an S-rank hero.

When I think about it that way, Chairman Daniel’s career is quite unique.

He is a former congressman.

When Daniel first entered the hero community, he faced hostility from everyone.

No hero would tolerate the dirty feet of a politician trampling on the sacred ground of heroes.

However, Daniel was incredibly cunning.

He didn’t know much about heroes.

But when it came to politics, he was more knowledgeable than anyone in the hero community.

Daniel’s promises reflected that.

—I will dismantle the Unicorn Guild’s monopoly.

Though Daniel never directly mentioned the Unicorn, every policy he proposed was aimed squarely at them.

The Unicorn fiercely resisted Daniel, but other guilds welcomed such policies.

The public enemy.

That was the driving force behind Daniel’s rising approval ratings.

Under the banner of anti-Unicorn, guilds across America began to gather one by one.

As a result, Daniel was easily welcomed by most guilds in the U.S. and became the president of the Hero Association.

In short, Daniel was utterly incompetent as a hero.

But as a politician, he excelled.

That’s why the American people disliked Daniel.

“Heroes gathered here for the sake of humanity. You are the true heroes, saints, and messiahs.”

Daniel began his speech in a booming voice.

“There is a crisis looming over our world.”

“The only ones who can protect our homeland, our families, are you.”

“Fight for humanity. You are the only hope this world has.”

Daniel spewed forth words as if his tongue were coated in honey.

Naturally, there were few heroes who took him seriously.

The ones gathered here were all seasoned S-rank heroes.

There was no naive fool who would be swayed by words that Daniel didn’t truly mean.

“Professor, let’s make sure we protect the world!”

…Damn it. There was one.

My disciple was that fool.

Still, Lee Ye-eun wasn’t S-rank and had little experience, so it was understandable.

The fortunate thing was that there was another fool beside her.

“Ah… impressive. That is a true man who knows righteousness and cooperation.”

It was Wang Sheng, the S-rank hero of China.

China’s future is indeed quite dark.

Beside her, Li Xiaow pressed his forehead.

“Wang Sheng, you… no, never mind.”

“Li Xiaow, your heart is burning too, right? So Yeon, what about you?”

The genius girl of China, Jeonggak So-yeon, whipped her head around.

“Idiot, don’t talk to me.”

“Such a little brat, so rude.”

“Both of you, quiet down. This isn’t polite.”

As Li Xiaow mediated, the two fell silent.

In the meantime, Daniel’s speech came to an end.

There was a brief moment of formal applause.

Before Chairman Daniel moved on to the next agenda, someone asked.

“Just one question. Why did you bring us here secretly? If you wanted to do something good, you could have just sent official documents to each country to gather us.”

It was a timely question.

I was also curious why we had gathered here in this manner.

Whispers—

The gazes of the S-rank heroes momentarily turned fierce.

The heroes gathered here were not ordinary people.

They were human weapons capable of easily annihilating several cities alone.

It would only take a finger to burst Chairman Daniel’s head.

With hundreds of such heroes exuding their killing intent, it wouldn’t be strange for an ordinary person to lose consciousness immediately.

Yet, Chairman Daniel did not lose his composure.

It was a remarkable mental strength befitting the president of the American association.

“Originally, this was supposed to be classified, but there’s no reason to hide it from you. SH! Those damn b*stards have issued a terror warning. In this critical time!”

The conference room buzzed with tension.

Daniel’s statement was anything but ordinary.

Super Human.

The weak are SH.

The most notorious terrorist group in the world.

Their defining trait is that all members are Awakened.

Terrorists who refuse to become heroes protecting humanity and instead aim to bring about its destruction.

They called themselves ‘Super Humans.’

They claimed that all inferior old humanity must be eradicated, leaving only the superior new humanity to survive.