The smartphone screen was filled with notes, arranged by date, of which I had no recollection of writing.
“…What is this?”
I slowly read down the screen.
With each line, my astonishment grew boundless.
These unfamiliar notes were enough to awaken slumbering memories within me.
I immediately recognized their common thread.
One set of dates marked incidents involving the hero Flame Mist—Yuha herself.
The other set corresponded to events that had profoundly shaken the entirety of South Korea.
Two entries, in particular, stood out, heavily emphasized.
[Event Calendar]
-March 12th: Villain Redmask’s serial murders.
-September 22nd: The ‘Doctor’s’ secret laboratory discovered.
“The Redmask serial murders…”
That was the incident in District A where the D-rank villain Redmask brutally murdered seventeen innocent citizens.
March 12th marked the day the first victim was killed.
I remembered this case for one reason alone.
At the time, Yuha, then a rookie hero, or rather, Flame Mist, had her name frequently mentioned in connection with this very incident.
Even after I had unilaterally hurled insults at Yuha and fled, I had, for some inexplicable reason, made sure to follow every news report related to her.
Such a level of creepiness was truly unmatched.
Regardless, at that time, she bore the brunt of relentless media criticism in place of the incompetent Hero Management Bureau.
This was because District A, where the first murder occurred, was her patrol zone, and she had only discovered the scene after the villain had already committed the crime and escaped.
Looking back now, it was utterly preposterous.
The current Yuha was still merely an apprentice hero, a student.
Yet, they had foisted all responsibility onto a child like her, even when she was already single-handedly managing multiple patrol zones due to a severe shortage of personnel.
Well, perhaps I had no right to blame others.
Considering who had inflicted the deepest wounds upon her…
“But then…”
What exactly were these notes, then?
No matter how hard I tried, I had no memory of writing them.
Furthermore, these were events that had yet to occur from my current vantage point.
…Perhaps I had lost my mind?
Having endured such experiences and returned, it wouldn’t be entirely improbable.
“What does it matter?”
I quickly dismissed the question that had just surfaced.
That wasn’t what truly mattered now.
What was paramount was the fact that I knew these events would happen, and with such precise accuracy.
The type of incident, the date, the location, even the individuals involved.
There was nothing easier to counter than a forewarned crime.
Moreover, ordinary people’s memories were often distorted and inaccurate.
Yet, these notes lucidly resolved both of those issues.
Many of these events, when traced back to their roots, were connected to the world’s destruction five years in the future.
In other words, some of the concerns that had plagued me so intensely just moments ago had now somewhat dissipated.
I had found my direction.
My gaze returned to the emphasized note.
[Event Calendar]
-March 12th: Villain Redmask’s serial murders.
This was my immediate objective.
If I could only prevent the first murder from occurring, then the Redmask serial murders in District A’s back alleys would never happen.
Furthermore, no negative rumors about Flame Mist would circulate.
One of the shackles that had bound her during the early days of her hero career would be broken.
Naturally, Yuha herself wouldn’t have to suffer from the burden of guilt over the victims or endure any criticism.
There were still three weeks remaining until March 12th.
That was enough.
With that much time, I could surely prevent it…
“…Ah.”
However, I let out another sigh.
The initial problem continued to torment me.
…So, how?
****
“So, you see, there might be a serial murder case in District A next month on the 12th…”
–”Hey, you bastard! I’m busy enough as it is, and you’re making prank calls? If you do it one more time, I’ll arrest you for obstruction of duty!”
Beep, beep…
The payphone emitted a lifeless dial tone.
With a powerless hand, I slowly hung up the receiver.
Damn it, what a terrible temper.
Was it right for a “staff of the people” (TL Note: A common idiom referring to the police) to treat a citizen this way?
…Then again, I probably would have reacted the same way if I were a police officer.
They must have been overwhelmed with an increasing workload due to the constantly worsening public safety situation.
They would have no choice but to assume it was a prank call.
“…Hoo.”
I sighed and checked my smartphone application.
Soon, the words [CDInside Hero Minor Gallery] appeared at the top of the screen.
Commonly known as HeroMaG (TL Note: Short for Hero Minor Gallery, a popular online community).
It was renowned as the community that most broadly covered topics related to active heroes.
It was even rumored that active heroes discreetly gathered various information through this platform, which spoke volumes about its influence.
However, the absolute anonymity guaranteed to its users meant the veracity of such claims could never be truly confirmed.
In any case, it meant that it was an ideal place to anonymously warn an unspecified multitude about an upcoming incident.
[Is it just me, or is Flame Mist not that great?][5]
[This hero is growing on me lately…][15]
[The tank post’s OP finally revealed everything.][0]
[Among the new Cradle heroes, Psyche seems the best.][7]
[HeroBros (TL Note: A portmanteau of ‘hero’ and ‘hyung,’ a term of endearment or respect for an older male, used here to refer to hero fans) in Seoul, avoid District A on March 12th.][3]
[Seeing the state of the trending posts (TL Note: Short for ‘recommendation posts,’ indicating popular or highly upvoted content), the Hero Chatroom must be active again.][9]
[Ah, damn it, those Eraser bastards aren’t working again.][1]
[Anyone know what the Saintess is up to?][3]
The first thing I saw upon entering were calm and peaceful posts.
Even when I was living a bottom-tier life before my regression, I found a sliver of solace by observing the daily routines posted here.
Of course, after the CDInside headquarters was attacked and burned down amidst the chaos, I couldn’t even do that anymore.
My warning post already had three comments.
With a surge of anticipation, I checked the post I had uploaded.
I desperately hoped that some law-abiding citizen or passing hero had taken my earnest words to heart.
[Title: HeroBros in Seoul, avoid District A on March 12th.]
A villain is expected to appear in the back alleys there that day; you might die.
Tell your acquaintances not to go under any circumstances, and if you know any heroes, report it to them ASAP.
[Upvotes:0][Downvotes:4]
-ㅇㅇ(124.320): I’m a villain, and I canceled my plans after reading this post LOL.
-ㅇㅇ(56.9): You idiot, whose mom got stolen, there are other things to joke about.
-ㅇㅇ(181.192): I took a screenshot. I’m reporting you to the Bureau for spreading false information.
You know the penalties are super strict these days, right?
“Haa…”
I let out another powerless sigh.
Of course, they wouldn’t take it seriously.
It was only natural, yet…
But if this was the case, was there any way?
The Bureau, the police, HeroMaG—no one was listening carefully to my warnings.
…Actually, even if they did listen, it would be a problem.
If they interrogated me about how I knew about the incident in advance, I’d have no way to answer.
I’d be lucky if they didn’t treat me as an accomplice.
Even the seemingly playful first comment wasn’t entirely wrong upon closer inspection.
HeroMaG was a community famous for guaranteeing absolute anonymity.
In other words, there was no better place for someone to hide their identity and sow discord.
It was already an open secret that villains, alongside heroes, secretly operated within HeroMaG, concealing their identities.
Their primary method was to pretend to be anonymous citizens, nitpicking and criticizing heroes.
Their propaganda was so pervasive that a self-deprecating joke even circulated, claiming over 70% of HeroMaG users were hidden villains.
…In any case, if the villains were to see my warning like that, they might genuinely cancel their plans.
And if such incidents kept repeating, the future I knew would continue to twist and deviate.
While it was inevitable for the future to change now that my actions differed from the past, it went without saying that the smaller the magnitude of that change, the better.
It would be tantamount to losing the only weapon I currently possessed.
‘It seemed I had no choice but to act directly, without anyone else’s help… but…’
In my previous life, I had cursed this body, but now, it felt cursed in an entirely different sense.
Never had I hated being powerless as much as I did today.
If only I had awakened as a superhuman, I wouldn’t need to entertain such worries…
“…Wait a minute.”
Then, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
I reopened my smartphone to check it again.
The enigmatic notes remained exactly where they were.
[Event Calendar]
-March 12th: Villain Redmask’s serial murders.
-September 22nd: The ‘Doctor’s’ secret laboratory discovered.
Instead of the first memo that had been occupying my thoughts, I focused on the second one.
“…Why were only these two emphasized?”
Only about a week remained until the day of Redmask’s serial murders.
However, for it to be an emphasis on solving an immediate problem, there were still several months until the discovery of the Doctor’s secret laboratory.
“…But why?”
I fell into thought.
The Doctor—a man so infamous that even a stray dog would have heard his name.
A member of the future “Great Evil” (TL Note: Referring to a major antagonist group or force).
That is to say, one of the villains who played a significant role in the destruction of the current world.
Of course, the true nature of the Great Evil had yet to be revealed, but he had already been a major villain, wanted by the Hero Management Bureau, long before this.
At this time, he was perhaps better known as the S-rank villain, the Mad Scientist.
Considering his actions, it was a remarkably apt name.
Authority (TL Note: A supernatural power or ability).
It was the foundation of modern society, a supernatural phenomenon whose principles no one had been able to explain.
Superhumans possessing such Authority, commonly known as heroes and villains.
And he was the only person in the entire world who had succeeded in artificially creating such superhumans.
Commonly referred to as the ‘Artificial Superhuman Creation Surgery’.
The disparity arising from the presence or absence of Authority was deepening societal conflict and inequality with each passing day.
One might think that successfully creating superhumans with Authority artificially would make him a great figure, but the Doctor was a man who would commit kidnappings and cruel human experimentation without any hesitation for the sake of his research.
Compounded by an extremely low success rate for his experiments, the known victims alone numbered in the hundreds.
By the time the world met its end, that number would be at least a hundred times greater.
Even those who survived his surgeries and awakened as superhumans suffered from fatal mental defects in nine out of ten cases.
These included homicidal urges, hallucinations, multiple personalities, and extreme emotional instability.
In other words, the vast majority of artificial superhumans had fallen to the villainous side.
Of course, the Doctor himself hadn’t batted an eye.
If he had been someone who cared about ethics or social order in the first place, he would never have committed such horrific experiments.
Marionette, who had ensnared me and stained my life with hell until the very end, was also a case of becoming a villain after undergoing his Artificial Superhuman Creation Surgery.
After she became a part of the Great Evil and reunited with the Doctor, she had once demanded that he perform the same surgery she had received on me.
Saying something like, “You’re useless for anything but your face…”
However, she had been flatly refused.
Authority was a power intimately linked with one’s mind, and since my mind had already been shattered by her, it would undoubtedly fail, he claimed.
Yet, I had heard their entire conversation from the depths of my consciousness.
Enraged, Marionette immediately cut off my right ear as an act of revenge.
“…Damn it.”
Damn it.
Just thinking about it sent shivers down my spine.
Even now, it was clear she was utterly insane.
Whatever else happened, I had to somehow capture and crush that woman.
Anyway, the date on the memo was when the ‘Doctor’s’ secret laboratory was first discovered.
Everyone had been shocked, given that the building was located practically next door to a Hero Management Bureau branch.
Even then, his arrest had failed.
The Doctor had vanished without a trace, having left his hideout by a hair’s breadth.
It was almost as if someone with prior knowledge had leaked information to him.
The Bureau’s corruption had already begun to fester at this point.
Come to think of it, he should still be there now.
There were still several months left until the date written in the memo.
“…Ah.”
Only then did I finally understand the meaning of the emphasized memo.
The current me was the only one who knew the Doctor’s hideout.
And the Doctor was the only one who could provide me with what I lacked.
What I lacked.
Power.
In other words, Authority.
“Directly, I have no choice but to do it myself…”
I closed my eyes and sank into thought.
Soon, I easily realized that even a moment’s hesitation now was merely a waste of time.
No matter how much I pondered, only one conclusion emerged.
****
-Drip, drip.
-Bubble, bubble…
The lighting was dim, barely enough to distinguish objects.
Inside a tank, a glowing green liquid churned, and a boiling flask emitted wisps of steam in all directions.
Dried samples of fingers, feet, internal organs, and eyeballs filled the surroundings.
There was no doubt they were real human remains.
At the center of it all stood a suspicious operating table, covered in the dried, dark remnants of something.
And I was already on that operating table.
Bound tightly at my limbs.
Without any consent.
-Clank, clank.
Someone, busily rummaging for tools and preparing for surgery, turned around.
The faint, hazy light illuminated the face of a middle-aged man with a long mustache and glasses.
Screech, screech.
The S-rank villain, the Doctor, casually spoke, expelling water from a thick, needle-like syringe a couple of times.
“So, how did you get here?”
