Ep.221 Sparring
PMC.
The talented individuals I nurtured to alleviate Stardus’s burden from the chaos caused by the monsters unleashed after the Wolgwanggyo incident.
I placed these individuals with abilities under private sector companies rather than under the association’s heroes, allowing me to have complete control over them. At first, I personally nurtured them as their mentor. I can say that I imparted all the expertise and essence of ability control that I acquired from Ego Stream to them.
In this way, they quickly awakened the potential of their abilities, and I provided them with some combat experience as well. Since I spent months eating, sleeping, teaching, and sharing their concerns with them, our bond is strong. They trust and follow me, although sometimes it seems like they trust and follow me a bit too much… But it’s better than not having their trust..
Anyway, the conclusion is that this time, our PMC members are going to meet Stardus through Lee Seola.
…Actually, there are some concerns, but the kids are smart, so they’ll handle it well. Besides, after the Wolgwanggyo incident, when our PMC members officially debut, they’ll have to deal with Stardus eventually, so it’s better to build a relationship and trust in advance.
Plus, if Stardus checks their abilities, it’ll be even better.
So, the Yuseong Squad, PMC headquarters.
Since Stardus is coming today to teach our squad members, I was giving them a final briefing before they meet Stardus.
“All right, do you remember what I said?”
“Yeah. We got it. Act polite, be eager to learn as much as possible, and keep our teacher identity a secret.”
No.2 replied with a fist bump and a snort, flipping her light crimson hair. She summarized what I said quite neatly.
“Yes, we’ll remember, teacher.”
Meanwhile, No.1 nodded and replied uprightly. This kid is really well-behaved. Actually, considering that No.1 uses a katana, it might be better for them to learn from someone other than Stardus, but anyway.
“Well, in any case, I’m looking forward to it! Meeting the famous hero Stardus in person!”
Our No.3 said brightly, laughing as she clenched their fist with the gauntlet on. Yeah, No.3 is always positive and enthusiastic, so she’ll do well on her own.
“…Yes, I’ll do my best.”
No.4, with blue hair and rubbing her eyes, perhaps suffering from sleep deprivation. Among them, they’re the youngest, so I’m a bit worried, but I believe they’ll do well.
“All right, everyone. Are you ready?”
“Ah, Seola.”
At that moment, I turned my head to see Lee Seola walking in from the other side, dressed in a suit. Our kids greeted her, and she smiled and waved at them.
Lee Seola had already met our PMC members once before, after she set a date for their meeting with Stardus. I had explained to the kids in advance that Lee Seola was the generous CEO who was sponsoring them, so they all treated her with friendliness.
Of course, Lee Seola also had a natural ability to attract people, so the kids naturally gravitated towards her.
“Now, since Stardus will be here soon, Da-in, you should leave now.”
“Sure. Kids, I’m going to get going. Good luck, everyone.”
After bidding farewell to our PMC kids, I stood next to Lee Seola and whispered softly.
“And… you know, right? Something unexpected might happen, so keep an eye on the kids. They might say something unintentional.”
“I understand. Don’t worry.”
Lee Seola replied with a bright smile. Feeling reassured, I left the room. Stardus would probably arrive soon.
…But for some reason, the way the kids looked at me today seemed a bit strange. Perhaps, it’s just my imagination?
Anyway, Stardus would be here soon. I thought to myself as I left my seat.
…I wonder what she’ll think about our kids in the squad.
***
Stardus.
She was currently at the Yuseong Squad PMC headquarters, a massive white building created by her friend, Lee Seola.
“Stardus, welcome.”
Lee Seola greeted her with a smile in front of the sparkling white building. Shin Haru, who had come in comfortable clothes after a while, nodded and said.
“Oh, hey. Is this the PMC training place?”
“Yeah, I’ve invested quite a bit.”
Lee Seola replied with a grin. It was indeed an impressively large building. She had heard that there were only four members so far, but it seemed like a huge investment.
“Amazing…”
Honestly, Shin Haru couldn’t help but be impressed when she heard about Lee Seola’s PMC. It seemed like Lee Seola was more interested in business than being a hero. She had always maintained her role in securing the safety of Busan, so Shin Haru didn’t mind her shift in focus. However, she had never expected Lee Seola to be preparing something like this, recruiting individuals with superpowers as heroes.
“Our kids have been training diligently among themselves. It would be nice if you could take a look at their skills . All of them.”
“Yeah, got it.”
Shin Haru followed Lee Seola’s lead and took the elevator down to the underground with anticipation.
As she arrived, she was greeted by a vast underground space that left her slightly in awe. Lee Seola finally brought the four individuals with abilities.
“Everyone, say hello to my friend Stardus.”
“Hello!”
They greeted her immediately. Seeing them, Shin Haru exchanged greetings as well and quickly scanned their faces. One male and three females. They all appeared quite young, with one of them looking almost like a college freshman. She would need to fight alongside them to gauge their true strength.
“All right, kids. You all know Stardus, right? Since Stadus doesn’t know you yet, how about we have introduce ourselves a little bit?”
After Lee Seola said that with a smile, she led them to a space with chairs where they could introduce themselves.
Shin Haru listened attentively as each of the four of them introduced themselves.
“Hello, I’m Lee Sae-geom.”
The first to introduce himself was a young man with long white-tied hair, dressed in a martial arts uniform and carrying a sword. He mentioned that his specialty was swordsmanship and asked to be referred to as “No.1.” Shin Haru got the impression that he had a reserved personality.
…By the way, with swordsmanship, katana came to mind, and suddenly, the image of Egostic holding a katana and smiling while shaking hands flashed into her mind. She quickly shook off the distraction and maintained her composure.
“Hello, I’m Seo Chae-young.”
Next was a young girl with slightly crimson hair. She had a straightforward tone but seemed to have a kind personality. She mentioned her main ability was shooting arrows of light from a bow, likely some form of weapon enhancement. Shin Haru understood that she was “No.2.”
…Why are all these PMC kids called No.1, No.2, and so on? She couldn’t help but wonder who came up with these names.
“Hello! I’m No.3, Heo Dahee.”
Immediately, the red-haired girl with a bright and cheerful voice continued to speak. She seemed full of energy and appeared organized. She explained that, like Stardus herself, she could enhance her physical abilities through body reinforcement. On top of that, she could wear gauntlets and unleash flame punches, as well as wield a greatsword in combat.
Next, the fourth member introduced herself.
“….Uh, hello. I’m San Sua.”
She had blue hair and looked the youngest among them. Her eyes seemed a bit drowsy, and she came across as quiet and timid… Can she really fight villains? That’s a bit worrying…
“Hello, I’m Stardus. I’m an A-class hero under the association…”
Of course, Shin Haru introduced herself as well. Although it seemed like they were all aware of her, it was a gesture of respect. The kids looked at her with sparkling eyes, making her feel slightly uncomfortable but not entirely unpleasant. She sensed a friendly attitude from them towards Stardus. …Did Lee Seola teach them that?
Meanwhile, as they talked in the room…
‘…..’
Shin Haru couldn’t help but glance around the room with a sense of familiarity.
‘…There’s something about this place that feels familiar? She feels familiar.’
Maybe it was just her imagination.
Nevertheless, she stood up.
“All right, kids. I said I’d check your training, didn’t I? Follow me.”
“Oh, okay!”
They followed her one by one.
As they arrived in a spacious training room with a high ceiling, Stardus released her hand momentarily and responded.
“All right, now, one by one, come at me.”
“…Huh?”
They were taken aback by her sudden words. Well, it was understandable. She was only wearing a shirt and not her suit, which could be surprising for them. However, unless it was an emergency, there was no need for her to wear the suit when engaging in combat.
Seola wanted her to check their abilities, right? In that case, the easiest way would be to engage with them.
Perhaps they sensed her thoughts. Lee Sae-geom, who had introduced himself as No.1, stepped forward at the front.
The boy drew his sword and said to Stardus with a deep breath.
“…I request a match, please.”
“Sure.”
Immediately, with her short response, the battle began with a flash of her blade.
…
“Ugh.”
“…Not bad. Next.”
Of course, within a few minutes, Shin Haru clearly won.
‘…Their abilities are roughly at this level.’
He might not be as good as herself back in the days, but she felt that he was stronger than B-class heroes. Perhaps with some real combat experience here, he could even reach A-class. Impressed by his unexpectedly strong performance, she couldn’t help but admire it silently. And she had a bit anticipation for them.
‘…Maybe someday, when these kids have all grown and become capable of capturing S-class villains on their own… I can focus solely on dealing with Egostic.’
…Because Egostic is the most dangerous in South Korea, of course.
With those thoughts, she held onto a bit of hope.
‘…It would be great if that day comes.’
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