Chapter 36
Han and his siblings were still enjoying their time at the small light park when a sudden jolt surged through him—his danger sense activated. His eyes darted around, heart tightening, just in time to catch sight of a young girl, no older than ten, plummeting from the Cyclone Spinner.
He instinctively prepared to teleport, but then—a blur. Someone dashed across the park's structures with fluid grace, leaping from one to the next like a shadow, and caught the girl just before she hit the ground.
Han exhaled in relief, but his eyes narrowed as he studied the mysterious figure who began walking toward the far end of the park.
Han's instincts flared again. Something was off.
Curious and suspicious, Han followed him from a distance. At one point, the man turned sharply—almost catching him. Han vanished with a flicker, reappearing behind a tree. Sharp senses, Han thought warily.
The man entered a nearby building. Han quietly positioned himself at the side, concealed in the shadows, watching. The stranger stood far from the entrance, waiting—not moving, not speaking.
Moments later, several men arrived. They wore uniforms with hero badges marked "B" and matching mustaches. B-Class heroes, Han noted. But the tension in the air was far from heroic.
Han listened in, his expression darkening with every word. The man they'd cornered—he wasn't just anyone. He was the so-called "Exterminator," a notorious killer said to have taken down three Class-A heroes and more. Han was ready to help the heroes take him down, until he heard the rest.
These so-called heroes were no better than villains. They'd tried to sacrifice a little girl's life to capture their target. Now, they were planning to unleash something devastating—something that could kill everyone at the park.
Han clenched his fists.
And yet, the man they hunted—this "Exterminator"—was fighting to protect the very people who feared him. He guarded a Motor device, fending off his pursuers with everything he had. But Han noticed what others didn't. His enhanced senses picked up the subtle signs of poison coursing through the man's veins.
Moments later, the Exterminator collapsed, overwhelmed.
The mustache leader coldly ordered one of his men to finish him off.
Han had seen enough.
"Inferno Vortex," Han muttered, unleashing a high-tier flame skill. Fire exploded across the room. The axe-wielder, caught off guard, was consumed in a wave of searing heat and fell to ash.
Han hadn't meant to kill him—only to disable. But he forgot how fragile B-rankers were.
"You didn't deserve mercy. You deserve extinction," Han said coldly, his eyes glowing with fury. "People like you… taint what it means to be a hero."
"You… who the hell are you?!" the leader shouted, stunned by the sudden death of his man.
Han's voice was calm, his presence terrifying. "I'm just a protective brother. One you tried to kill along with dozens of innocent children. All for your 'greater good.'"
Fear flickered in the eyes of the B-Class men. Han's expression was unreadable, his gaze like ice.
"We're heroes! Do you know the implications of what you—"
BOOM!
The man didn't get to finish. Han's fist collided with his chest, sending him crashing into a wall with a bone-crushing thud. Blood spilled from his mouth, but he remained barely conscious.
"Durable," Han muttered. "Your gear has decent defense."
"We can't beat this one," another whispered in panic. The leader hesitated, then made a decision.
"Form up!" he shouted. The others rallied behind him as he threw a shimmering orb into the air. It cracked open mid-air, unleashing a glowing dome that encased them in a magical barrier.
Han watched, unmoved.
"Is this supposed to be your safe zone?" he asked flatly.
"You think you're strong, but you're nothing!" the leader sneered, emboldened by the barrier. "We'll contact the Hero Association and have you branded a criminal. You can't touch us now!"
Han walked forward, calm and casual, and threw a punch at the barrier. The impact rippled across the dome, shaking the ground beneath them—but the barrier held.
The men smirked, falsely reassured.
Han smiled faintly, his eyes scanning the magical structure. His Analyzer Eyes fed him everything—weak points, flaws in the spell matrix, and even the artifact powering it. He could dismantle it in seconds.
But he didn't want to.
This was a perfect chance to test his strength.
He stepped back, giving the mustached men inside the barrier a false sense of confidence. They sneered, thinking he had given up.
In an instant, he charged forward, his fist coiling with power at his side. "Fourteenth Jungle Art: Tiger Punch!" he roared.
The impact rang out like thunder. A shockwave rippled across the air. At first, the barrier held, glowing fiercely—but then came the cracks. A spiderweb of fractures spread with sharp, echoing snaps. The next moment, the entire barrier shattered, the force of the blow sending the B-rank heroes flying like ragdolls.
Han stood in the aftermath, the dust swirling around him. His once-amused expression turned ice-cold. His blue eyes shifted, glowing crimson with intensity. As he gazed at the scattered enemies, their bodies froze, their breaths hitching. They opened their mouths to scream but no sound came. Clutching their heads in agony, they collapsed, writhing on the ground.
---
Ronan, slumped at the side, stared in stunned silence.
"Who is this guy?" he thought, his vision swimming as the poison continued to burn through him. Then, something dropped into his lap—a small white pill.
Han didn't look his way, his eyes still fixed on the convulsing men, but his voice rang out.
"Swallow that if you want to live."
Ronan hesitated—not out of mistrust, but pride. He didn't want to be in anyone's debt. But the pain was unbearable, and he still had a goal to complete. With a sigh, he swallowed the pill.
Moments later, the burning vanished. The poison disintegrated into harmless dust within his veins.
"This… This is beyond anything I've seen," Ronan thought, awe-struck.
" Just.....who is he." Ronan thought.
---
The men continued to tremble, gasping as if being strangled by invisible hands. Their minds were breaking, tortured not by physical blows, but by Han's gaze alone.
It was Han newly forged skill—The Eye of Defiance. At B-rank, it couldn't instantly kill, but it could dominate E- and D-rank opponents and inflict torturous illusions on weakened B rankers and below. And these men were broken.
They clawed at the ground, desperate for escape.
Han finally turned away, satisfied. "That should be enough," he muttered. "They'll be moved to containment later."
But the men weren't finished.
Through wheezing breath, one of them hissed, "You may be strong… but you won't escape unscathed."
Then, their leader pulled out a vial of swirling black liquid, laced with glowing green. The others followed.
Han's eyes widened in alarm.
"Don't!" he shouted.
Too late.
They plunged the vials into their necks. Their bodies convulsed violently as the transformation began—flesh mutating, muscles tearing and expanding, their very essence becoming corrupted. They turned into monsters, no longer recognizable as human.
Han's expression darkened.
He had almost forgotten. The purple-haired man behind all this. He'd let his guard down during the quiet days—but now, reality hit hard.
The seven monsters roared in unison and charged.
Their mutated bodies surged forward with power, each blow amplified by their corrupted abilities. The ground shook. Flames, shockwaves, and raw force slammed into Han's position.
But when the dust settled, Han stood untouched, a glowing white energy barrier around him.
He exhaled calmly. "You've saved me the trouble of holding back," he said coldly. "You're monsters now… I won't need to feel guilty."
One of the beasts lunged. Han caught its claw with a single hand.
"First Jungle Art – Wolf Clutch."
He slammed it into the ground, the impact leaving a crater and sending a shockwave that knocked the others back. The creature lay dead.
Mutated or not, the gap between their power and Han's was still too wide.
The others regrouped and charged again.
Han smiled. "Let's test something new."
He launched into the air, spinning rapidly.
"Tenth Jungle Art: Falcon Dive – Flame Style!" he called.
He became a spinning inferno, a living meteor descending with blinding heat.
BOOM.
The explosion rocked the battlefield. When it cleared, Han stood calmly, hands back in his pockets. Around him, the ground was scorched. The mutated heroes were no more.
A system message blinked into view:
> +500 EP
+400 EP
+500 EP.....
"They don't give good EP," Han muttered, disappointed. Then he turned to face the criminal—
And froze.
He was gone.
Han's eyes scanned the area until he spotted him—standing at the peak of the park gate, staring ahead in silence.
Han bolted forward and appeared beside him, ready to strike—
Then he stopped.
Emerging from beyond the gates was a swarm of monsters. Dozens. No—hundreds. A full horde.
Han's gaze swept the area. Panic was already rising in the park. The gates were locked, but that wouldn't hold for long. The fear on people's faces was proof enough.
"So," Ronan spoke calmly, eyes still fixed on the incoming chaos. "Do you still want to apprehend me? Or do you want my help?"
"Big brother, let me help too!" Laura called out, running toward them.
Han hesitated. He knew he could hold the line, but if even one monster got through… someone had to defend the civilians.
He nodded. "Alright, Laura. Be careful."
She gave a quick, determined nod.
Han turned to Ronan. "What do you need?"
"Blades," Ronan answered simply, glancing down at his single broken knife. "But I don't have any."
Without a word, Han extended his hand. Two white blades formed in the air, sleek and humming with energy. He handed them to Ronan.
Ronan stared at them in disbelief. Today had already been full of shocks—but this guy just kept adding more.
He held the white blades for a moment, then whispered under his breath, "I hate white... but this'll do."
Han leapt into the air and landed at the frontlines. Then, with a flick of his fingers, he split into ten identical copies—each ready for battle.
"Ifrit," he called, and the flame spirit materialized beside him, its presence blazing with power.
Laura's mission was clear: freeze anything that got close to the civilians. She took her position with unwavering resolve.
Ronan took a deep breath and crossed the twin white blades in front of him. It had been a long time since he fought with a hero instead of against one.
His eyes narrowed as the horde approached.
"Alright, monsters," he said.
"Let's roll."
To be continued…