《The Strongest C Class Heroes Ever (Probably)》 (1) The Hero Exam (Part 1) ¡°Hey, did you hear that Lava Man is taking the Hero Exam this year?¡± The Hero Exam. People travel all over the world in hopes of becoming the figurines on kid¡¯s desks. The amount of people that apply every year comes close to 50 thousand. Out of the 50 thousand, only one thousand will pass and fulfill their dream of being a hero. ¡°Pfft. Lava Man is just a second-rate talent. The scouts say in this pamphlet that Hypno Girl and Ghost King are the most promising ones this year!¡± Even though a hero must pass the exam to be registered and recognized professionally, many people build a reputation for themselves before testing for different reasons. Some hope that a recognizable name will help their grade, while others simply want to save people from monsters and villains as early as possible. ¡°But still¡­ these heroes sure emphasize appearance, don¡¯t they?¡± The two young men looked at the people passing them on the sidewalk. Some were wearing intricate costumes with flashy colors, while others natural appearance was unique enough to turn heads. The two had been talking for over an hour about themselves and the passing circus members. ¡°But of course! How can a hero, who is directly competing for the public¡¯s affection, not have a unique and glamorous appearance?! I dare say that it¡¯s the most important thing for a hero besides their strength!¡± The young man that gave the questionable answer had dark hair and glasses. Slender in build, he was clearly a fan and not a participant. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m also participating in the exam this year!¡± Or so Forrest thought. ¡°Look, this is me!¡± The energetic man pointed to a name on his pamphlet while holding it up for Reiner to see. ¡°Jarret Flemmingway?¡± ¡°That¡¯s me! Even though they don¡¯t have much info on me, I still called the Association and made sure to get my name on the pamphlet!¡± ¡°It says here that your ability is Super Deduction?¡± ¡°Hehehe! That¡¯s right! I¡¯m able to perfectly deduce any situation and find the right course of action!¡± Forrest blinked. Is that even considered an ability? ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Forrest.¡± ¡°F¡­ Forrest¡­ For.. Found it!¡± ¡°Forrest. No last name, huh? It says here your ability is something called Blood Burning?¡± ¡°Yup. It¡¯s not very impressive though.¡± ¡°It sounds more like a villain¡¯s ability.¡± That¡¯s true. Ever since Forrest was young, he¡¯s dreamed of being a hero. Despite this, his teachers always told him that he was not cut out for it. When he was in middle school, a villain organization even came to his door to recruit him. After firmly rejecting, they told him to watch his back. How childish. ¡°Anyway, we should get inside. The exam will begin in a few minutes.¡± Forrest and Jarret walked toward the large building with revolving doors. Upon reaching the front, a crowd of Heroes were arguing. About 20 people, all dressed in outrageous and flamboyant costumes, had yet to enter the building. This is because a towering behemoth of a man dressed in an all red skinsuit with yellow highlights was blocking the entrance.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Let us through!¡± ¡°The exams about to start! Just let us in!¡± ¡°Yeah! If you keep us out here, you¡¯ll be late and fail too!¡± They were correct. The Hero Association, while being slack with famous heroes, was incredibly strict on things such as tardiness. As a famous hero once said, ¡°When fighting monsters, every minute counts! Every minute late is more casualties!¡±. ¡°What? You guys don¡¯t know?¡± The man blocking the way flashed a taunting grin. ¡°I¡¯m a professional hero! I passed last year. I¡¯m Big Boss. The reason I¡¯m blocking the path is because we have too many weak heroes, so I¡¯m just trimming the fat!¡± The crowd grit their teeth. Big Boss was a C Rank hero, and this meant that he has certified strength and experience. Forrest and Jarret watched onward from the back of the group. ¡°What is going on out here?¡± A girl with silver short hair and a black dress descended from the sky. Jarret spoke out of reflex. The crowd stared on in excitement and awe. ¡°Snow Flash?! What is an A rank hero doing here?!¡± The woman came to her footing directly in front of Big Boss. ¡°I¡¯ve been assigned as a Judge for this year¡¯s exam.¡± The large man put on a much more pleasant smile than a few seconds ago as he prepared to speak. ¡°Snow Flash! It¡¯s an honor to meet you. I was just telling these guys th-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Move aside and let everyone through.¡± ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am! I was just messing around!¡± The man left in an apologizing manner. Snow Flash looked over at the group. ¡°Get inside. The exam starts in two minutes.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± The group whispered among each other. Some were surprised to see such a change in attitude, while others were happy to see such a high-ranking hero. Some of the rougher ones talked about Snow Flash¡¯s outfit. Eventually, the group entered another pair of large doors. Forrest looked around. The room was enormous with thousands of people packed inside. At back of the room was a stage with a podium. Standing at the podium was a man in a black suit with his receding hair slicked back. To the sides of him were four chairs, each with a certified person in hero attire. Suddenly, the man spoke into the microphone. ¡°Hello all. Thank you for showing interest in contributing to our organization and protect the people of the world from the increasing threat of monsters and villains.¡± Forrest rolled his eyes. At least 50% of the room didn¡¯t care about protecting civilians. These were thugs off of the streets that are after the paycheck. After all, top heroes often top the Richest People Alive list every year. Even the lowest ranking- C rank heroes- make more than the average man. Considering the public love of heroes, many companies would often offer sponsorships to even low-ranking heroes. ¡°However, as you can see, there are many that covet the fame of fighting crime. Our count shows a total of four thousand applicants for this branch''s exam. On average, our committee only allows twenty to pass a year. Of course, some years there are none that pass, and other years there are fifty. This all depends on the quality of applicants and potential that our judges see in them.¡± The massive crowd whispered among the crowd. People were growing anxious at the lofty words by the assumed executive. ¡°My name is Shin Fornette. I am an executive from the Hero association that is watching over the exam. To my sides are professional heroes that the Association assigned as Judges for the exam. Starting from left to right is the following¡­¡± ¡°Night Attack.¡± A man dressed in a black ninja outfit waved to the crowd. Even though his mouth was covered, people felt a kind smile beneath. This ninja was surprisingly outgoing. ¡°Flash Snow.¡± Flash Snow looked forward and nodded with her arms crossed. Everyone felt the cold air radiating off of her. The crowd broke into a mini uproar at the pretty hero. ¡°Storm.¡± A short man with spiked blue hair waved in a professional manner. While not as energetic as Night Attack, he was still surprisingly happy. ¡°And the one on the far left is Sting Ray.¡± An old man was aged enough to be senile slowly raised his frail hand. Some snickers could be heard across the crowd. ¡°These four will be Judges in the Association. We remind you that the exam will have a combat, mental, and ability stage. The first one- combat stage- will test your ability to fight. The second stage will feature a test on common procedures and advanced hero knowledge. The third and final stage will be a direct evaluation of your ability. Using all three of these factors, our judges will determine those that pass and fail the exam.¡± Forrest gripped his hand. He had traveled a long way from home to participate in this, and he was finally going to take the test. Jarret gripped his backpack in anticipation while he nervously sweated. ¡°The combat stage will now begin. For this test, you will simply have to be one of the last one hundred standing in this room. The doors have now locked you in here. Begin at my mark¡­¡± ¡°Go.¡± Everyone blinked. They were unable to comprehend the words that had just been spoken. After a couple seconds, a shirtless man with a wolf mask on his face punched the man in front of him and knocked him out. This served as the trigger to begin the exam. Like dominoes falling in a line, people began fighting all over the room. (2) The Hero Exam (Part 2) Jarret¡¯s POV ¡°I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead, I¡¯m dead.¡± The thoughts spilled from his head out of his mouth as he ran around the room like a chicken with his head cut off. Pit stains had already formed in his shirt as he bobbed and weaved through the chaos. Jarret was not a combat type hero, he thought. Or, at the very least, he is not a standalone combat type. Even if he was smart and could recognize the proper strategy to defeat an opponent, he was just a regular nerd without any attack power. He had wanted to join a Hero Group- a group of heroes that have either banded together to rise through the ranks together or are simply together for the sponsorship money of big companies. This was the worst case scenario for a strategist like him. However, as he had done physical training in preparation for the exam, he was proficient in stamina. Like this, he continued through the crowd of ridiculous abilities being blasted with no regard for life or destination. Many of the more powerful applicants were trying to reduce the number in mass bulk. As a result, things like fire, water, electricity, wind, smoke, and screams filled the air. After roughly five minutes of this, a loud alarm went off. Everyone stopped attacking and heard the voice of the executive. ¡°Okay! One hundred participants now remain. This concludes the first stage of the exam. If anyone lets loose an attack at this point, they will be immediately disqualified. Please enter the door behind the stage to reach the destination of the next stage. You will be allowed five minutes to rest and gather your bearings.¡± ¡®No way¡­ I made it?¡¯ Jarret was shocked that he had made it. ¡°Haha! I knew I¡¯m a prime hero candidate!¡± The words of joy seeped past his lips and grew into a yell by the end of his laughing. As the smoke and steam was beginning to clear, Jarret looked around in curiosity. ¡°I wonder if Forrest made it? I kind of started running as soon as the chaos began. I hope he doesn¡¯t think I abandoned him.¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind him. ¡°Oh! Jarret! You made it too, eh?¡± Forrest walked forward with a calm smile on his face. At this time, for some reason, Jarret just now noticed Forrest¡¯s outfit. He had dark hair with a black short sleeve shirt. The shirt¡¯s collar also was particularly high. He had black pants with white stripes going down them. And, above all, he was handsome! This traitor! I assumed he was a nerd like me! How could I have been so buddy buddy with a cool guy!The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Ah, yeah. You made it too, huh?¡± ¡°Yup. I really didn¡¯t do anything though. I just stood still, haha!¡± What?! Why didn¡¯t I think of that?! These people were busy fighting themselves, so maybe if I stood still I could have passed even easier than running! ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head into the next stage.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The two walked into the next room which was noticeably smaller. The room was reminiscent of a college lecture room. Forrest sat down in a desk. Jarret sat in the desk beside him. The two were scouting the rest of the people in the room. Eventually, the executive walked to the patio at the front of the room and spoke. ¡°On each of your desks is a written test with 50 questions. These are a mix of procedures and advanced knowledge questions that all heroes should be able to solve. Any cheating will result in disqualification. You may now begin.¡± The hundred people flipped open the packet and began writing diligently. Jarret thought that this would be his best scoring stage, and was motivated to get a perfect score. He flipped through the test for a few moments and sighed. ¡®Aren¡¯t these questions a bit elementary?¡¯ Upon having this thought, Jarret looked around the room to see many disgruntled and frustrated faces. These people were clearly struggling. Jarret suddenly realized that many heroes were only accustomed to fighting and were not exactly intelligent. He looked to the man beside him to see an even writing pace. Jarret was impressed for a moment before realizing ¡®This guy is handsome andsmart? That¡¯s even more reason to hate him!¡¯ He filled out the test quickly and turned it in to the assigned spot. After a while, a much quieter alarm went off. The executive rose from his seat and walked to the podium before he started speaking. ¡°Everyone, turn in your packets and move back to the other room. I will announce the rules of the third phase in five minutes.¡± The group of people talked amongst themselves while leaving the room. Jarret looked and Forrest followed the flow of the crowd. Suddenly, a muscular man with deer antlers tied to a bicycle helmet spoke loudly. Even among the crowd of crappy and extreme outfits, his seemed to have the lowest budget. ¡°What do you think, Rhino Man? How¡¯d you do?¡± A fat man with a horned mask responded in an annoyed tone. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the point of written tests. I mean, it¡¯s not like we are taking tests as a hero!¡± ¡°Hahaha! That bad, huh? Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not the only one to fail.¡± Jarret sneered while pushing up his glasses. Obviously they aren¡¯t the only ones to fail. After all, this was a stage to cut the people down from one hundred. If he had to guess, he would say that about half of the crowd failed. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t know until the results came back. That would probably be after the next stage. The group walked in front of the stage and formed a crowd below the podium that the man was standing at. He began speaking after a few moments. ¡°First of all, congratulations on passing the first test. As an inflexible test, you did well to pass. The written test was more flexible- we will look at a combination of the second and third test results to determine whether you pass or fail the Hero Exam.¡± ¡°These two parts have only taken a total time of two hours. This next part will probably take slightly longer.¡± The crowd of people looked at each other in anticipation while waiting for the explanation. ¡°We will call you up one by one onto the stage. You will then perform your ability. If you need help in displaying it, tell us what to do to help show it off. The four judges will write on their sheets their evaluation on your potential as a hero. After the final contestant is finished, we will leave the room for a few minutes to determine those that have passed and those who have failed.¡± (3) The Hero Exam (Part 3) The crowd of people talked among themselves. The idea that they would show off their ability made sense and was to be expected of the hero exam, so everyone was fine with it. However, this did not mean that they wouldn¡¯t be nervous performing their ability on such a grand stage for other people to judge it. ¡°If you have a destructive ability, please shoot it at the walls of this room. This place was designed for this purpose, after all.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Then, the first on the list is listed as Lava Man.¡± ¡°Lava Man!¡± ¡°Look! It¡¯s really him!¡± A man dressed in orange and red walked onto the stage. He had some kind of metal glove contraption on his hands. He reached the center of the stage and faced the wall. After a few moments, his voice echoed throughout the room. ¡°Burst Lava Flame Flicker Flower Petal!¡± Red hot lava shot out of his hands in a stream. While the amount was relatively small, it was genuine lava coming from his hands. Or, at least it appeared to be. Jarret, after laughing at the ridiculous long name, realized why Lava Man was so highly regarded. Night Attack called out words of praise. ¡°Wow! That is an excellent ability. You have great potential!¡± The three other judges continued to write without speaking. This continued for tens of other contestants as they went onto stage and used their ability. Somehow, Night Attack managed to offer genuine words of praise to even the least impressive abilities. Flash Snow, other than the occasional insulting of a participant¡¯s ability, seemed disinterested. Storm wrote diligently but remained silent. Sting Ray wrote at a slow pace and remained silent. If he were not writing, people would have mistaken him for dead. ¡°¡­ Then, the next up is Jarret Flemmingway.¡± Jarret gulped. His anxiety had been growing with every name call. Once it was actually his turn, he barely managed to walk up to the stage. People down below heckled at the sight of a four-eyed wimp. Eventually, he managed to speak. He spoke toward the executive in a nervous voice. ¡°My ability is Super Deduction. I am able to calmly analyze my opponent¡¯s weaknesses and form a strategy at a glance.¡± The crowd below looked at each other in silence. They all erupted into laughter at the same time. Jarret looked toward the executive for his response. However, the voice that called out to him was the cold voice of Snow Flash. Her silver hair shifted as she spoke. ¡°Are you stupid? That¡¯s not even an ability. Everyone can strategize- it¡¯s part of the job!¡± The crowd continued their laughter as the beautiful woman berated him publicly. Jarret¡¯s gaze turned surprisingly firm. He could deal with the heckling- they were nothing but small fry who mistakenly think themselves strong. However, he could not forgive what she said. These words, to Jarret, were the worst possible insult. He had dreamed of becoming a hero ever since he was a child¡­ There was no way he would be stopped here!If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Snow Flash.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Snow Flash leaned forward to listen. ¡°You question if my ability is useful. Well, why don¡¯t I pitch a scenario to you, Snow Flash? Let¡¯s say, just for argument¡¯s sake, that we were enemies. In this instance, I am on a team with two other C rank heroes. With our strength eclipsed, what hopes do we have of beating you?¡± Snow flash snickered with a taunting face. ¡°That¡¯s a good question. What would you do?¡± ¡°Well, the three of us are weak. So we would lose to your overwhelming advantage of being strong, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Then, I would simply attack your glaring weakness, right?¡± Snow flash dropped her smile as soon as Jarret said these words. For the first time since entering the stage, he smiled as he pushed his glasses with his finger. ¡°Snow Flash. A rank hero that has risen through the ranks and continues to do so at an astonishing speed. You are a favorite of the Association as a possible future S class hero. All of your recorded fights have ended within a minute of fighting. This is common knowledge to the public, as you have many fan clubs. However¡­¡± Jarret looked at the silent Snow Flash before finishing his sentence. ¡°While some might think that you finishing your fights in a minute is a feat of strength, it reflects a possible weakness. That weakness being your stamina.¡± Snow Flash smiled slightly upon hearing these words. ¡°I would direct my teammates in a pattern in which they would easily avoid your ice attacks while focusing their full attention on defense. After you start to fatigue, I would arrange a combined attack on your exhausted self.¡± Snow Flash exploded into a laugh. The crowd of people had surprised looks on their faces. She crossed her legs before responding. ¡°You believe that because you can formulate a strategy you are worthy of being a hero? Fine. You could potentially be a strategist for low ranking heroes, and I will grade you as such.¡± The crowd remained silent at the appraisal. The judges finished their writing as Jarret left the stage. He was not sure if he would pass or not, but despite this, his mind was focused elsewhere. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I just mouthed off to Snow Flash! Ahhh! The way I spoke even surprised myself!¡¯ Reality was falling on Jarret that he had spoken to an A rank hero. While he wanted to be a hero, he was a fan at heart. The names kept being called as people walked on and off the stage. As they were nearing the end, the executive called out another name. ¡°Hypno Girl. Will the person listed as Hypno Girl please come onto stage?¡± On the stage walked a busty girl with a purple leather outfit. Underneath her leather straps and belt was a black and purple skin suit. The guys in the crowd, who were dressed in equally or exceedingly extravagant outfits, went wild. ¡°Oh man! Look at her!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Hypno Girl, idiot. Don¡¯t look too long! Apparently, while she was killing a monster last week, a thug checked her out. She ended up sending him to the hospital on life support!¡± ¡°Sheesh!¡± The previously excited and bright-eyed crowd turned into a frightened and seemingly disinterested group. Seemingly. Jarret had finally stopped thinking about his display and payed attention to the famous participant. ¡°For my display, I need someone to use my ability on.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The executive clapped his hands and another man in a black suit ran onto the stage from the corner of the room. ¡®Had these guys always been there?¡¯ thought Jarret. ¡°Then, I will begin.¡± Hypno Girl locked eyes with the man as her body glowed purple. After a couple moments, the man fell onto the ground fast asleep. His snoring signified it being a deep sleep. ¡°It should be noted that I can use Hypnosis on monsters as well.¡± The four judges wrote onto their paper. The crowd of people were impressed by the strength of her ability, but were still more focused on her appealing appearance. She walked off of the stage and back into the crowd. ¡°Then, the next person on the list is Forrest.¡± (4) The Hero Exam (Part 4) A man in black clothes and black hair walked onto the stage. He had long, silver earrings that were in the form of upside down swords. A fat woman with an abnormally large head spoke. ¡°Wow! Looks like there is some talent here!¡± The rest of the girls silently nodded their heads in agreement. Forrest was, without a doubt, cool looking. Jarret grinded his teeth as he thought once more. Traitor! ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Forrest spoke in a polite tone. ¡°My ability is called Blood Burning. In order to demonstrate it, I need someone to attack me.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The executive turned toward Night Attack. ¡°Night Attack, would you mind doing the honor?¡± ¡°Ah, alright!¡± Night Attack rose from his seat with a pleasant air and walked in front of Forrest. He spoke while getting into his stance. ¡°I am going to throw these at you. Make sure to dodge if you can¡¯t take the damage.¡± Night Attack lifted his hand that held three shuriken in between his fingers. He threw them with a quick movement at the still Forrest. ¡°Duplicate!¡± The three shuriken flashed and turned into nine. The crowd was surprised that such a nice guy would do something to make it harder to avoid. The nine shuriken span as they rapidly approached the unflinching Forrest. The crowd began to get nervous at the thought of him getting torn to pieces. After all, these were thrown by a professional hero! They were fast! Jarret stepped forward and yelled. ¡°Dodge it!¡± However, once the shuriken were a few feet away, they slowed as if hitting a thick gel. As the crowd stared at the stopped shuriken, a red hue of aura began to form around Forrest. This aura had formed the defense that completely stopped the flying knives. With the crimson color shrouding Forrest¡¯s body, a clear image set onto everyone¡¯s eyes.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The crowd broke out into an uproar. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Someone in the crowd yelled. Night Attack¡¯s eyes widened. He could clearly see better than anyone the new figure over Forrest. With skeletonized aura as the structure, the red haze formed a skeleton¡¯s torso. The skull of the head hovered just above Forrest¡¯s body. Forrest spoke with an apologetic tone. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know what this is exactly, but any time a damaging attack is coming toward me, it stops it of its own will. It will go away after a few seconds.¡± The crowd broke out into whispers. Jarret sighed in relief. He started to think about the potential of this skill. This ability, other than being incredibly unusual, was seemingly ominous! Not only was it called Blood Burning, but he is basically immortal! This is the kind of guy that the Villain Book is full of! Jarret suddenly thought back to what Jarret had told him at the end of the first stage. He had said that he just stood still! Jarret had assumed that he had avoided being the target of attacks, but now it was obvious that he was probably caught up in the blast of plenty of attacks and was protected by that skeleton! The judges wrote onto their paper as Forrest walked off the stage. He walked over to Jarret and they conversed about his ability. ¡°Then, the final name is Ghost King.¡± A pale man, who was wearing a white gown walked onto stage. He appeared to be sickly and frail, but many people recognized the name Ghost King. Everyone was curious about his ability, after the exciting and eerie one before. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll begin.¡± White haze began to emit from his body. This fog formed into the shape of a hand above his head. The hand grew to the size of a person before it lashed out into the wall. The power from the hand was obviously incredibly dangerous. The executive spoke once he had walked off of the stage. ¡°Our people have finished grading your written exams. The men in suits will pass out the scores as you give them your names. We have it stored in our database, so we no longer need the physical copy.¡± ¡°The judges and I will now leave the room to discuss and analyze our data and thoughts. In approximately thirty minutes, we will call for you back into the classroom to see the results.¡± Following the executive, Snow Flash, Night Attack, Sting Ray, and Storm all stood up and walked into the classroom. As soon as the door shut behind them, the crowd erupted in chatter. ¡°What do you guys think? Did you pass or not?¡± These questions were from all corners of the crowd. People filtered toward the men in suits at the corner of the room. Jarret walked forward after and grabbed his test. ¡°50/50. Not bad.¡± Jarret heard people around him crying out in shock at their scores. ¡°24?!¡± ¡°19?!¡± ¡°31?! I thought I aced it!¡± Jarret shook his head at such people. How could they have so much time to prepare and still score so poorly on knowledge tests? Jarret spotted Forrest with his test in hand and walked over before calling out to him. He wondered if he had gotten a perfect score to, as he was diligently answering the questions during the test. ¡°Forrest! What¡¯d you get?¡± (5) The Hero Exam (Part 5) Forrest¡¯s POV ¡®A 2?! There¡¯s no way I can tell him I got a 14! Even the stupidest looking guys around here are complaining about their scores of tens and elevens!¡¯ Before Forrest could respond, a voice came from behind him. ¡°You got a 2 as well?¡± Forrest turned to see Ghost King standing with a smile. Despite his eerie appearance, he seemed to be a friendly person. ¡°Did you say¡­ A 2?¡± Forrest cringed upon hearing Jarret¡¯s mocking voice. Jarret plucked the paper from Forrest¡¯s hand to see the damage himself. Forrest laughed awkwardly as Jarret read out some of his answers. ¡°For the question of ¡®What is the oath of heroes?¡¯ you answered¡­ ¡®I¡¯m not sure.¡¯¡± ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t know that one as well, so I just left it blank.¡± Ghost King held his score up as well to display the number 2 at the top. ¡°Oh! You got a two as well, huh? That test was hard! How were we supposed to know that stuff?¡± ¡°Right? I didn¡¯t even know what the questions were asking half of the time!¡± ¡°After all, aren¡¯t we just supposed to beat up monsters or whatever? What¡¯s the point of all the technical mumbo jumbo?¡± ¡°I agree, I agree! The test was way too hard for no reason! The people that got good scores must have cheated.¡± ¡°True. How could they know that stuff?¡± The pair hit it off. Ghost King and Forrest continued their energetic talk about the test and heroes. Jarret watched on in disgust. ¡®These guys¡­ are joking, right? At least forty of the questions are common knowledge! The last ten were difficult, but how could you not know the others?! A third grader could score a 20!¡¯ Eventually, the executive came through the door and announced for everyone to enter. The group migrated toward the classroom while nervously waiting to hear the results. Upon entering the room, all eyes of the one hundred people landed on the chalkboard at the front. On the chalkboard, there were nine names written down. Everyone crowded around the chalkboard while crying out mixed responses. Forrest, Jarret, and Ghost King pushed through the crowd to get a clear view. The chalkboard read as follows:
  1. Lava Man- B Rank Clearance
  2. Hypno Girl-B Rank Clearance
  3. Ghost King-B Rank Clearance
  4. Metal Finger-B Rank Clearance
  5. Windy Wendy- C Rank Clearance
  6. Crab Legs- C Rank Clearance
  7. Forrest- C Rank Clearance
  8. Izumi- C Rank Clearance
  9. Blue Time- C Rank Clearance
The names on the list were ranked from one to nine, but were supposedly a ranking of current strength. Forrest found his name immediately, but could not find Jarret¡¯s. He looked over at the man beside him to find a face twisted with despair. Forrest could not offer words of consolidation, as he felt that it would merely add salt to the wound. Many people, who were outraged over not making the list, had already started to cause a scene. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?! I¡¯m stronger than everyone on this list!¡± ¡°How could you let some guy called Crab Legs be a hero and not me, Rhino Man?!¡± ¡°Who is responsible for this listing?! I won¡¯t be denied!¡± The group of people, that many had traveled far from home to fulfill their dreams, would not have their resolve crushed so easily. Rhino Man and other large brutes stomped their way over to the executive nearby. However, just before they reached the calm man, Night Attack stepped in front of the group. With a sudden release of killing intent, he harshly spoke words unbefitting his previous personality. ¡°Whoever causes disturbance now will be removed forcefully.¡± The stampeding brutes took a step back from the intimidating words. Even if they believed they should have become heroes, they knew that they were no match for the A Rank Night Attack. The group grit their teeth and tightened their fists, but refused to cause further disturbance. ¡°Whatever! I¡¯m out of here, I¡¯ll just join the Villain Association!¡± Rhino Man blurted out in frustration. Suddenly, before anyone could react, his large body was sent flying into the wall. Night Attack had merely pushed him with a single hand, but the body that weighed no less than 400 pounds showed less resistance than air. ¡°Night Attack, was that really necessary?¡± Sting Ray questioned with a troubled face. ¡°Well¡­¡± Night Attack looked over at Snow Flash out of the corner of his eye. ¡®I did it for his own good¡­ mentioning the Villain Association around that girl is a death sentence¡­¡¯ thought Night Attack. Snow Flash merely looked away in an annoyed fashion. *Clap*Stolen story; please report. The executive clapped his hands to avert everyone¡¯s attention back at him. ¡°As stated before, it was a given that not everyone would pass. However, this should not crush a Hero¡¯s resolve! You may always try again next year. On your way out, our employees will hand you a packet of information regarding our analysis on your strengths and weaknesses. If you still wish to be a hero, please improve upon your weaknesses and come back again next year. At this time, I will ask everyone that did not pass to please leave the building.¡± These words, which were meant to be those of encouragement, merely put a damper on the hopes of the young men and women. After a few more outbreaks that were resolved with a word from Night Attack, eventually the crowd of people that had failed left. Forrest looked beside himself to the frozen Jarret. ¡°Jarr-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Forrest. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Jarret turned his back to Forrest and began to walk toward the door. Forrest noticed him wiping his eyes with his sleeves despite his attempt at being discreet. Forrest spoke loudly toward the heroes and executive. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Jarret pass?! He had a perfect score on the written exam, and he loves heroes more than anybody else in here!¡± Jarret turned back at the words that Forrest had spoken. Despite them just meeting a few hours ago, they had developed a friendship that Jarret was not used to having. These words, which some might have been embarrassed to have heard, warmed his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Forrest. I¡¯m not giving-¡± ¡°You should give up.¡± The icy cold words were a frozen dagger in his recently warmed heart. He stared at Snow Flash with an offended and hurt expression. He had wanted to be a hero all of his life, but despite this, the heroes he admires were telling him to quit. He could not squeeze the words out of his tight chest. ¡°How can you say that?! He¡¯s-¡± ¡°He¡¯s a smart person, but what good will that do him? We didn¡¯t pass him because he is too weak! Not only would he hurt the name of Hero Association, but sending him to deal with monsters would simply lead to his death. We made this decision for his own good.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s-¡± ¡°Thank you, Forrest. It really means a lot to have someone believe in me.¡± The words were solemn and quiet. This was the voice of someone that had a broken will. Forrest¡¯s face turned unsightly in anger. He stomped his way over to the ground-looking Jarret and grabbed his collar. ¡°How can you just give up?! You talked about how much you loved heroes, and how you always wanted to be one!¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?!¡± Jarret slapped Forrest¡¯s hand off of his collar. The previous despair had turned to anger. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be a hero, but do you have any idea what it means to be born without an ability?!¡± Forrest took a step back at the unexpected outburst. ¡°Through determination, I developed my intellect to a level where it might pass as useful against monsters, but where exactly does that get me?!¡± Forrest, and the rest of the room for that matter, had gone silent. Jarret had reached the boiling point. ¡°Do you know what my dream was, Forrest? I wanted to step in front of a crying kid and beat the monster that was about to hurt him. I wanted him to look at me with hope, pride, and excitement. I wanted him to ask if he can be like me someday, too. And you know what the best part of my dream would be, Forrest?¡± ¡°I would look him in the eyes with a smile, and say¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you can!Anybody can become a cool hero like me as long as you have the heart and determination to protect society from evil!¡± Forrest¡¯s face turned to one of guilt. He realized that his situation was entirely different from Jarret¡¯s, and he could not understand what it felt like to be born without an ability. The room, which was filled with both pity and respect, continued to be silent. Night Attack, in particular, appeared to wipe his eye and sniffle. Jarret turned back toward the door and continued walking. Apparently, he felt that everything that need to be said had already been. However, the executive¡¯s voice stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Stop, Jarret. Just because you did not pass as a hero, does not mean that we did not recognize your determination and skill.¡± Jarret turned his head in surprise. Forrest, as well as the other heroes, looked at the executive with equally confused looks. ¡°This year, we decided on a new system to be implemented in the Hero Association. As a result of some poor judgement calls by our heroes causing unnecessary damages, we are pairing every Hero with an Executive Specialist. This position is called Hero Support.¡± The crowd of heroes, including the A rank judges, were shocked at this news. Apparently, this information had not yet been leaked to the Heroes themselves. The executive stared at Jarret with a warm smile on his face. ¡°With a recommendation from me, you can be assigned as Hero Support. These people, despite not being classified as heroes, will help their hero find success and preserve peace. Of course, if you really have given up on helping the people, then¡­¡± ¡°Please give me your recommendation!¡± Jarret bowed his head in earnest. Forrest saw the rejuvenated friend and smiled while thinking to himself. ¡®You don¡¯t have to get so excited, he¡¯s clearly going to recommend you!¡¯ ¡°Of course. Anyway, with that out of the way, you will be contacted soon, Jarret. However, we must now brief the new heroes on their responsibilities and other information.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Jarret left the room after telling Forrest goodbye. Even though they knew that they lived several hours away from each other, they both had the feeling that they would meet again. Night Attack smiled at the heartwarming exchange, but was suddenly elbowed by Storm. ¡°Hey, looks like you finally stopped crying!¡± ¡°Wha! How dare you?! I¡¯m a professional shinobi!¡± Everyone in the room distinctly remembered him crying. ¡°Then, I will now begin the orientation.¡± . . . ¡°¡­The next point I would like to make is¡­¡± . . Forrest¡¯s eyes closed and opened. His face seemed to be fighting off the drowsiness caused by the excessively long seminar. He looked around to find that most of the others, including Ghost King and Hypno Girl, were in a similar state. The executive¡¯s voice might as well have been a lullaby for Forrest, as he finally fell asleep. Suddenly, Ghost King elbowed him awake. The executive seemed to be finishing up. ¡°¡­ You may also form Hero Groups among yourselves if you deem fit. The previously listed advantages should be obvious for some Heroes that are more leaned toward offense or defense. Put in an application with the name of the team and all member¡¯s signatures at one of our Branch Offices and we should send out approval within a week. These groups are often disbanded upon receiving a promotion to the next rank.¡± ¡°The last thing I must remind you of is to stay in touch with the Association. This will help us keep track of our heroes in times of crisis.¡± ¡°Finally, let me be the first to congratulate you. The civilians will be relying on you in the future, Heroes!¡± Forrest and the rest of the new heroes raised up in their seats. These words triggered the reaction of reaching their goal of passing the exam. Forrest thought to himself with eagerness to begin. ¡®¡­ My journey to the top is finally beginning! This is just the first step to stardom!¡¯ . . . (6) The Struggle Of C Class (Part 1) ¡®¡­ My journey to the top is finally beginning! This is just the first step to stardom!¡¯ . . . 4 Weeks Later ¡®Or so it should have been¡­¡¯ Forrest turned a corner in a large alley while knocking over a pair of trashcans. He scurried back to his feet as sweat poured down his face. Frantically looking forward, he saw a man in a blue jean vest with a large bleached Mohawk haircut. He stood with on hand in a pocket, with his large arms bulging out of his ripped sleeves. His hand gripped a wooden baseball bat resting over his shoulder. He snickered as he took his cigarette out of his mouth to speak. ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Forrest. Looks like you¡¯re in trouble again, hm? How ¡®bout I, Mohawk Thug, beat the hell out of him for ya¡¯, kiddie?¡± His arrogant thoughts seeped through his voice. Forrest continued running and yelled out. ¡°Knock yourself out!¡± Suddenly, a 5 meters tall behemoth made of garbage and muscles turned the corner. His striking appearance was second to the energy being given off by him. Mohawk Thug¡¯s jaw dropped as he dropped his baseball bat. He turned and began running with Forrest in the same pathetic manner. ¡°Wh¡­ What the hell is that thing?!¡± The two raced through the alley side by side. ¡°How am I supposed to know?! I¡¯m just trying to meet my quota and this guy showed up!¡± Forrest grinded his teeth as he thought back on his past month as a hero. ¡°This is ridiculous¡­ Everything is way too dangerous! They didn¡¯t tell us that C Rank Heroes mortality rate was this high!¡± Mohawk Thug snickered in his typical arrogant manner. ¡°You fool. Of course C Rank is dangerous! Us C Rankers are the most numerous in number, and we have to report to any local scuffle with monsters in order to meet our quotas! A rookie like you couldn¡¯t possibly understand the-!¡± -BOOM- The ground in front of Mohawk Thug exploded. The monster was throwing pieces of asphalt at the pair while chasing. ¡°AHH!¡± Mohawk Thug weaved around the explosion as he frantically ran forward alongside Forrest. Forrest continued yelling as they took another turn. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be any better at this than me, so enough with the experienced veteran act! An A rank hero should be hero to handle this guy soon, so we just have to distract it until then!¡± ¡°Hm! As if Mohawk Thug would run like a kitten with his tail between his legs!¡± Mohawk Thug turned around and planted his feet. His face quickly twisted into a taunting and angry expression. ¡°Oy, monster. You have any idea what we do to guys like you ¡®round here?¡± Forrest stopped and turned to see what was happening. The monster, too, had stopped in his tracks at the imposing words. ¡°We smash your teeth in!¡± A menacing aura shrouded Mohawk Thug as he fiercely swung his bat. Forrest¡¯s was surprised at the amount of power that was packed into the swing. ¡°Take this!¡± The bat smashed against the side of the monster. A resounding thud echoed through the alleyway. ¡°Eh?¡± The monster looked down at him. ¡°Eh?¡± Forrest couldn¡¯t help but mutter. ¡°Eh?¡± Mohawk Thug stared at the monster as his body broke into a cold sweat. He turned and rejoined Forrest in fleeing for their lives. ¡°I regret having any kind of expectation from you! Idiot!¡± Forrest scolded the already broken Mohawk Thug. The two continued running as the monster resumed the chase. . . . Town G Market Square. The many stands selling exotic foods and clothes from all over the world collected to form one of the world¡¯s largest commerce exchanges. The large amount of people had happy and calm expressions as they enjoyed their shopping. Both children and adults laughed as they enjoyed the serene atmosphere. Suddenly¡­The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Run! There¡¯s a monster!¡± The voice echoed through the crowd as everyone fell silent. In the distance, they could see a large form crashing through the kiosks. ¡°What the hell?! Someone call the heroes!¡± ¡°Look!¡± A man pointed at the front of the monster running toward them. Four figures, all dressed in hero apparel, were running for their lives. This, of course, included Forrest. Once the crowd realized the mortal situation, they erupted into screams as they fled. ¡°Where did you guys find this guy?!¡± The speaker was one of the four heroes fleeing from the monster. His poorly woven attire seemed to be a hand knit costume. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! Ask Forrest!¡± Mohawk Thug blurted. ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± The man exhaled. ¡°Shut up, Mama¡¯s boy!¡± Forrest yelled in frustration. ¡°Take that back! Just because my mom made my outfit doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a mama¡¯s boy!¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± The fourth figure spoke. He wore an all green skinsuit with a red belt. His classes reflected his collected attitude. His name: Four Eyes. ¡°We need to be thinking about how to take this thing down, not bickering among ourselves.¡± The four thought in silence as they continued to run. Their faces dropped at precisely the same moment. ¡°It¡¯s useless!¡± Forrest exclaimed. ¡°For Class C¡¯s like us¡­¡± Mohawk Thug dropped. However, just as the group had thought themselves dead¡­ ¡°Disgraceful!¡± A voice from above chastised. The four looked up to see a cyborg hovering. The monster stopped as it sensed formidable power in front of it. ¡°To turn your back to monsters! Truly worthy of Class C trash!¡± The four gripped their hands in frustration. Four Eyes whispered to the other three. ¡°Don¡¯t talk back¡­ This guy is Class A, rank 3! Jet Force! He¡¯s famous!¡± They knew that they could say nothing to justify the situation to someone like this. After all, in the Hero Association, many of the more popular heroes looked down upon those that were struggling at the bottom. The monster took a step forward toward the cyborg. However, the man flew into the cyborg and unleashed a barrage of wind attacks from his robotic hands. The wind sliced directly through the monster, killing it in seconds. ¡°How can you guys struggle so much with a monster like this?¡± The group sighed. Does this guy really thing its simple to defeat something like that for Class C?! It was at least rank A threat level! How could they deal with a monster at that level? ¡°Enough, Jet Force.¡± The angelic voice came from behind the group. They turned to see a woman with blonde clothes and white clothing. Four Eyes blurted out in surprise. ¡°Sister Mary!¡± Sister Mary was a key figure in the Hero Association. Even though she was only rank 8 in A class, she was wildly popular among the populace. In addition, new heroes looked up to her due to her gentle personality. ¡°I¡¯m sure the heroes are working hard! As long as you guys keep working hard, you can be great heroes someday!¡± The gentle words warmed the four¡¯s hearts. They smiled like shy schoolgirls being praised by the attractive teacher. ¡°Don¡¯t be so lenient toward them, Sister Mary. They need-¡± Both Sister Mary and Jet Force¡¯s phones rang at the same time. They glanced at it before quickly racing off to another monster far away. The four stared at the distant backs of the heroes they always admired. . . . Three figures sat around in shorts and t-shirts. Another person in similar clothing was pouring drinks in the kitchen. They sat with tired expressions on the wooden floor in a small, and obviously cheap, apartment. These four, of course, were the group that fled from the monster earlier today. ¡°Seriously¡­ why is this so hard?¡± The man that had previously been wearing the hand knit outfit spoke in an exhausted voice. ¡°You say that every day, Izumi.¡± Four Eyes replied as he laid down on the floor. He stared at the ceiling in thought. ¡°You¡¯re right, Four Eyes. Stop complaining so much, Mama¡¯s Boy!¡± ¡°Guh-! Stop with that already-!¡± Izumi replied with blistering energy despite his fatigue. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down.¡± Forrest¡¯s voice came from the kitchen as he walked over with drinks for the group. They all took a glass and began to drink. ¡°Water again? I wanted whiskey!¡± Mohawk Thug shot at Forrest. ¡°Be thankful with water, jerk! Why is it always my place you guys come to?!¡± ¡°I still live with my mom and the house is small.¡± Said Izumi. ¡°My place is too trashed to have company.¡± Mohawk Thug replied. ¡°My landlord doesn¡¯t like it when I bring people over.¡± Four Eyes exhaled. ¡°You¡¯re all really sad, aren¡¯t you?¡± Forrest sighed. ¡°Well, either way, we need to fix this. Without meeting our quotas, we don¡¯t get paid enough!¡± Forrest said. ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Four eyes replied in a disheartened fashion. ¡°We can¡¯t beat the speed-oriented heroes to the weaker monsters, and we aren¡¯t strong enough to take down stronger monsters. Additionally, if we don¡¯t start showing results soon, we might end up fired. This is a tight spot we¡¯re in.¡± The four stared at the ground silently. They were all painfully aware of the amount of C rank heroes that either are fired or perish in the line of duty. Apparently, most of the deaths are categorized as ¡°Classified Information¡± and kept from the public in order to not cause a panic. The small TV in the corner broke the silence with a news alert. ¡°We are standing outside of the Hero Association Branch in City J in which the Villain Organization has just destroyed. Eye witness reports say a single woman covered in flames slew or captured every hero and executive inside. Casualties include B Rank Accord and four C rank heroes known as-¡± The television turned dark. Or, more precisely, the whole room did. ¡°Did you forget to pay the electricity bill?¡± Izumi asked in a hopeless voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget. I just couldn¡¯t afford it.¡± The group sighed. The only light that entered the room was caused by the moonlight from the windows. The dark room was a pretty accurate representation of their career as heroes. ¡°Damn it!¡± Forrest kicked his table over with all of their drinks crashing onto the floor. Four Eyes, with a panicked face, quickly began to wipe the water off of the floor. He spoke in a worried tone. ¡°Forrest! This will seep through the boards and cause mold-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Forrest yelled back. ¡°What are we even doing? Sitting around in a room, not even being able to afford basic living needs? This isn¡¯t what being a hero is supposed to be like!¡± His voice thundered through the room. The three stared with blank expressions while listening to the speech. ¡°At the end of the day, we are heroes! We passed the exam, meaning that we are strong enough to do this! If we give one hundred percent effort starting tomorrow, we can still be great heroes! It¡¯s not over yet!¡± The spiritless heroes had been rejuvenated. They all stood up and rallied amongst themselves. ¡°Yeah! We can do it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet!¡± ¡°My name will go down in history!¡± -Bang- -Bang- Something was hitting against the wall of the apartment. A shrill and old voice leaked through. ¡°Shut up over there! I¡¯m trying to get some sleep!¡± The four stared at the wall for a moment. They sighed and sat back down. Their previous spirit had already calmed. They sat in silent thought for a few more seconds before a knocking at the door roused them. Forrest rose from the floor and began to walk over to the door. (7) The Struggle of C Class (Part 2) ¡°Who could that be this late?¡± Izumi asked. ¡°Probably his landlord demanding rent.¡± Replied Four Eyes. ¡°If he does¡­¡± Mohawk Thug slapped his baseball bat against his hand in a threatening manner. ¡°Put that away! Where did that even come from?!¡± ¡°A true hero¡­ never leaves home without being prepared for danger.¡± The two started at Mohawk Thug as he tried to act cool. Both of their thoughts were along the lines of ¡®But you¡¯re just a delinquent that somehow passed the exam, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Forrest opened the door. Standing in front of him was a man in a black suit and tie with sunglasses. Three people stood behind him. He took off his sunglasses and revealed a familiar face. ¡°Jarret!¡± Forrest spoke in a surprised tone at seeing his friend again. ¡°Forrest! It¡¯s good to see you.¡± Jarret walked inside without invitation. Forrest stared at the three that were still standing outside the door. Even though they all wore the same black suit and sunglasses, they had wildly different appearances. The first was an old woman with grey hair. Her hunched over back gave off the impression of frailty. The second was a fat and piggish looking boy with pale skin. He was currently eating potato chips. The third was a cute and short girl with blue hair in pigtails. Despite her cute face, she looked like a child with her small body. ¡°Ummm¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Jarret! You idiot. You can¡¯t just walk into somebody¡¯s house like that!¡± The girl lashed out. Jarret, who was already through the door and walking toward the bedroom, had tape measurers and rulers out. He started to measure the doorways while the rest of the group stared. ¡°Hey, bastard!¡± Mohawk Thug roared as he brought his baseball bat up. ¡°Start talking before I break one of your legs.¡± His face was already twisting into anger. ¡®Yup, definitely a delinquent...¡¯ thought Izumi and Four Eyes. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion.¡± The old lady walked forward into the room and began to speak for everyone to hear. ¡°We are from the Association.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The four gasped. Were they hear to fire them?! ¡°I¡¯m not sure what those faces are for, but there is no need to worry. We have been assigned as your supporters.¡± Supporters? Forrest thought back. He remembered that Jarret had become a Supporter, but that was all that he knew about them. ¡°What is a supporter?¡± asked Four Eyes. ¡°A supporter is a person with a particular skillset assigned to heroes. Currently, every hero is being assigned a supporter. This is in response to the increasing monster and villain threat as well as the high rate of hero fatalities.¡± ¡°Well, at least they recognize that there is a problem¡­¡± said Izumi. The old woman continued speaking. ¡°I will now introduce myself and my colleagues. My name is Sandy. You may call me Mrs. Sandy. This gluttonous boy to my left is Sumen.¡± The four looked at the fat boy that continuously ate his chips. None of them wanted him as their support. ¡°The rude boy measuring your room is Jarret. I believe you have already met before, Forrest?¡± ¡°Ah! Yes. Everyone, this is Jensen. I met him during my exam.¡± The three watched Jensen continuously measure the dimensions of the room. ¡°This cute girl is Mandy! Look at how cute she is!¡± The three giggled in a perverted tone as they menacingly stared at Mandy. Mohawk Thug looked at his friends and laughed. ¡°You childish boys. Getting so riled up over a child is-¡± A swift kick to the stomach from a small foot cut him off mid-sentence. A cold voice with a dark tone littered the room.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯m twenty-four years old.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± All four of the heroes couldn¡¯t help but show the surprise on their faces. ¡°Moving on¡­¡± The old woman broke the tension. ¡°We have been assigned as your support. I am assigned for Izumi.¡± Izumi¡¯s heart broke. He had hoped that his support would be the violent girl. ¡®Well¡­ whatever. 3D girls are lame anyways.¡¯ The fat boy spoke for the first time. ¡°I¡¯m assigned to Four Eyes. Good to work with you.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Four Eyes shook his hand respectfully. The other three were glad someone so collected as Four Eyes got stuck with him, as they would probably cry to have such a useless support. Mandy spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m assigned to the failing hero known as Mohawk Thug.¡± ¡°Bleh¡­¡± Mohawk Thug scoffed. ¡°I have a flat little girl supporting me now. Wow, this changes everyth-!¡± Another kick to the stomach silenced him. Forrest looked at Jarret. ¡°Then that must mean¡­¡± ¡°Yup. From today onwards, we¡¯re partners through thick and thin!¡± Forrest smiled and shook Jarret¡¯s extended hand. ¡°By the way, why are you measuring the room?¡± Asked Forrest in confusion. ¡°Ah!¡± Sandy gasped. ¡°I forgot to mention. For all C class heroes, Supporters and Heroes must live together. If they are not the same gender, they are allowed to live in the same building.¡± The four heroes stared with their jaws on the floor. They all yelled their incoherent thoughts. Four Eyes was the only one to make sense in the confusion. ¡°Wha-! This is a breach of privacy! We can¡¯t just give up our home privacy-¡± ¡°Any hero that defies this rule will be fired.¡± The heroes stared at the old woman with broken expressions. They simultaneously dropped to their knees and drooped their heads in acceptance. . . . The sun rose and lit the sprawling buildings across the land. An alarm clock rang in a dark room to awaken the sleeping man inside. A hand slammed the alarm clock as Forrest climbed out of bed to walk to his living room. He heard the chopping of knives as he entered. Standing in the kitchen with a feminine apron is Jarret. He diligently chops the vegetables, seeming to be unaware of his resemblance of a caring wife. ¡°Ah! You¡¯re awake. I¡¯m preparing our meals for the day. While we eat, I¡¯d like to go over the numbers from your first month as a professional hero.¡± Forrest winced. He knew that his numbers couldn¡¯t be anything good. Just before he sat down, a loud knocking on his door beckoned him to open. Standing in the doorway was Mohawk Thug with a disgruntled look on his face. Beside him, Mandy appeared to be pouting. ¡°What are you doing here so early?¡± ¡°She woke me up and drove me nuts.¡± Mohawk Thug pointed at Mandy. ¡°I figured I¡¯d see how things were going with your support.¡± Jarret invited them in. ¡°Come on in. We can go over the numbers and film together.¡± The two walked in and sat down. Forrest sighed and wished he had warned Jarret to not invite any of his friends inside. They had a habit of overstaying their welcome. Eventually, the four sat down on the floor. Jarret and Mandy had laptops out and were typing away. ¡°Well¡­¡± Jensen spoke. ¡°These numbers are¡­ how do I say it¡­¡± ¡°Awful!¡± Mohawk Thug exclaimed in a joyful voice. ¡°Yours are even worse.¡± Mandy sighed. ¡°Forrest¡­ what is the problem? You have a strong ability! Why are you not rising through the ranks?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Forrest scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sort of¡­¡± ¡°Sort of?¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of like¡­¡± ¡°Kind of like?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t beat any of these monsters! They¡¯re way too strong! It¡¯s crazy! My ability doesn¡¯t have any attack power, so the only thing I can do is survive!¡± Jarret couldn¡¯t believe it at first. He was sure that there would be a viable excuse, but for someone with Forrest¡¯s talent, he should be able to easily meet his quotas. However, upon further thought, Jarret remembered that Forrest¡¯s ability was some form of extreme regeneration. Jarret stared blankly at Forrest and realized his glaring weakness. After all, the reason he had not been given higher clearance was due to his knowledge. He looked over at his friend and realized that he was probably in a similar situation. ¡°Forrest¡­ That skeleton clearly had a full upper body. Even if you don¡¯t know how to use the arms, you should be able to get a better understanding of it through training. ¡°Ah¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to train my ability, you know? I don¡¯t even know how to use it. Once the skeleton¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone.¡± Jarret sighed. Indeed, Forrest¡¯s situation was different from others. To put it in another way, Jarret was beginning to think that even Forrest didn¡¯t know anything at all about his own ability. . . . ¡°Alright. Try bringing out your skeleton.¡± Forrest stood in a small field that hadn¡¯t been mowed in a while. The grass and weeds were almost touching his waist. Forrest had already complained about the quality of the location for the training session, but Jarret had wanted to explore the potential of Forrest¡¯s Blood Burning ability. He had incredibly high expectations considering the defensive capabilities, but he wasn¡¯t sure that Forrest could use it correctly. ¡°Ok. Here goes nothing.¡± Forrest stood in an athletic stance while closing his eyes. He tightened his muscles in an attempt to replicate the feeling of the skeleton appearing. ¡°It¡¯s no use. I don¡¯t feel anything happening. Like I said, it comes out on its own whenever I¡¯m in danger.¡± Jarret raised his hand to his chin in thought. Wind blew through the field in waves, bringing a refreshing air while going through their hair. After a few moments, he spoke. ¡°Continue what you¡¯re doing, but open your eyes.¡± Forrest opened his eyes to see Jarret with a pellet gun aimed at his chest. Before Forrest could react to the situation, Jarret pulled the trigger. The bullet flew toward Forrest before being slowed and halted by the red skeleton. ¡°What the hell?! That could have killed me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This brand is can only kill squirrels, and I¡¯m not aiming at your vitals. At the worst, if your skeleton fails, you will be out of commission for a couple days.¡± Forrest took a step back in fear. Despite Jarret¡¯s nerdy looks, he said some pretty scary things. ¡°More importantly, I just figured out how to give you control over your ability.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Forrest asked expectantly. ¡°Muscle memory. I will continuously shoot at you in order for your skeleton to activate. Focus your effort on the feeling of when your skeleton forms, and try to recognize how it materializes. This will probably take a while, but no need to worry.¡± Jarret pulled a box out of his backpack. ¡°I have plenty of ammunition.¡± ¡®Yeah, as if that¡¯s what I was worried about¡¯ thought Forrest. Despite his hesitation to be shot at, he did feel that this kind of training could work. If he could only command the skeleton, he would likely be able to develop its offensive power as well. ¡°Then, let¡¯s begin.¡± At this time, neither Forrest nor Jarret knew that what they were doing would impact the world in ways that they could never imagine. . . . (8) Heroes Vs. Villains (Part 1) . . . Time passed. Izumi, Four Eyes, Mohawk Thug, and Forrest all worked on their weaknesses with the help of their support. As these four were busy improving their grasp on their abilities, there was uproar at the Hero Association. In a dark room with shiny floors, men in black suits sat around a long table. These people, who were each heads of individual departments in the Hero Association, were the top executives in the company. After receiving government financial support in addition to sponsors, the Association was estimated at a 500 billion-dollar company. The massive glass doors showed a clearly healthy budget. A voice rang out as an older man slammed his fists on the table. ¡°What can we do about this? Someone give me an answer.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± A middle-aged man with the first sign of wrinkles answered dutifully. ¡°My employees and I developed three possible ways to completely defeat the Villain Association.¡± The man pressed buttons on a tablet and brought up holograms over the table. ¡°The first choice is simple. We can mobilize all S class heroes toward their base. We are estimated to find the base in less than three days, giving us plenty of time to call all available S class Heroes. The problem with this choice is that it will leave less flexibility in large scale monster attacks, as we would not be able to deal with Threat Level: Fire threats easily.¡± The Hero Association, in order to improve efficiency of defense measures, has a system of identifying threat levels. The lowest- Threat Level: Spark- is the lowest. These threats can usually be dealt with by any B class hero, or a team of C class heroes. The next threat level- Flame- can be dealt with by and A class hero or above. The next, and second highest, is called Fire. Threat Level: Fire would usually require a team of A class heroes, or a single S rank hero. These estimations aren¡¯t set in stone, however. Occasionally, threat levels can escalate to a higher threat level as information is acquired. The room of middle aged and wrinkled men grunted in response. Assembling all S class heroes was usually a last resort, as many of the heroes have difficult personalities and time schedules. The man continued talking. ¡°The second choice would be a large-scale invasion of lower ranked heroes. If we assembled enough teams and squads of A, B, and C rank heroes, we would be able to annihilate their headquarters through sheer quantity.¡± The room of men sat forward in their seats. The old man, who was named Anubis Godfrey, was the director of the company. He responded. ¡°While this would likely have heavy casualties, this choice is a double-edged sword. While I believe organizing this team would be easier than the entirety of S class, we would have difficulty keeping trust with our heroes for employing a method such as this.¡± The middle-aged man, who was giving the impression, smiled respectfully. ¡°Correct. Additionally, the Villain Organization has at least 5 S ranked villains. This choice has the highest chance of ending in defeat. Thus, I believe that the third option is the best course of action.¡± The room of executives looked expectantly. Godfrey listened. ¡°The third choice is to mobilize multiple S ranked Heroes, while supplementing them with support teams of B and C ranked heroes.¡± Godfrey narrowed his eyes at the man¡¯s words before speaking. ¡°No A class?¡± ¡°No, sir. The A rank, as the class just below S, has incredible strength. While these heroes are weaker than S, we have over five times the amount of A rank heroes as the S class. Keeping the A rank heroes flexible to answer to threats will be able to handle any monster attacks. As long as we increase their pay, most will be fine with working overtime. In addition, many A rank heroes have a strong sense of duty.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Godfrey replied with an approving look. He faced the executives of the table and barked orders. ¡°We will be going with choice three. We will choose three S rank heroes to deal with the S rank villains, and have a multitude of C rank and B rank heroes offer support and clear the trash.¡± The group of executives nodded their heads with a serious expression. The Villain Association had been a thorn in their sides for years, but it had recently grown more aggressive and bold. As the venture to find them was expensive and dangerous, they could no longer be ignored.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°The operation will take place in three days. Make it happen.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± The crowd nodded in unison before leaving the room to fill their duties. The man giving the speech began to walk out as well. ¡°Cash.¡± The middle-aged man turned his head to see the director. ¡°For this operation, I am putting you in charge. Prove to me that you are capable of taking over the Hero Association in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Cash bowed and left the room. He had been waiting for an opportunity such as this. Under no circumstances could he fail and lose the favor of the current director. . . . Elsewhere, in the middle of the wilderness with no other buildings for miles, a staircase leading underground was hidden beneath the trees. After descending a lengthy flight of stairs, a metal door was locked. A man with a hood held a card up to the door. After a few moments, the door opened. Walking through the doorway, the hooded man entered a large room made completely out of quartz. Strangely, the room was so filled with machinery and gems, the inside looked more like a spaceship than a secret hideout. The man sat down in a five-seated glass table in the shape of a pentagon. At each point of the pentagon was an empty seat. The man clicked a button on the table to reveal holograms in the shape of people in each seat. Everyone except for the man in the hood was a dark hologram, only showing the outline of the person. With two shadows being that of men and two being that of women, the five seats were full. The man in the hood began talking. ¡°Sorry to call you all on such short notice.¡± ¡°Before we begin, why don¡¯t you remove your hood, Sirius? It¡¯s common manners.¡± The shadow of a large, brutish man growled. The aggressive tone of the voice sounded more like a beast than a man. ¡°My apologies, Ash.¡± The man removed his hood to reveal a white mask. He lifted his mask to show his severely scarred face. It had clearly been burned terribly in the past. He spoke with a professionally calm tone. ¡°Then, I will not waste anybody¡¯s time. We have successfully begun the first stage of our goal thanks to the effort put forth by everyone here. However, as a result of the previous success, we have finally caught the Hero¡¯s Association¡¯s attention. They will be attacking our central headquarters in three days.¡± ¡°Let them come.¡± The brutish man growled again. ¡°I¡¯ll put them down like the dogs that they are.¡± ¡°Ssso, it¡¯s finally begun.¡± One of the women spoke. Her voice, which sounded like a serpent¡¯s hiss, carried an air of arrogance. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve killed and heroesss¡­¡± The two figures that had yet to speak sat in silence. The woman sat upright in an unwavering position, while the man had slouched into his seat. He made the yawning gesture as the others conversed. Sirius responded with the plan to deal with the hero attack. ¡°There will be three S rank heroes attacking. They will most likely the weakest of the S class heroes, but they are still dangerous. Ash and Medusa, I will leave the S ranked heroes to you.¡± ¡°Sirius.¡± Ash spoke in a loud and aggressive voice. The voice trembled in anger. ¡°You think I cannot devour them myself?¡± Medusa giggled at the anger shown by Ash. She spoke with a shrill hiss. ¡°You overestimate yourself, Ash. Brute force is not enough sometimes, hm?¡± Ash looked over at the shade of Medusa. His voice trembled in outrage. Even though no one could see his face, everyone could feel the wrath behind his tone itself. ¡°Medusa¡­ If you keep speaking, I will prove that a snake can¡¯t grow back their tail.¡± ¡°Enough, Medusa.¡± Sirius¡¯s voice broke the tension. ¡°Ash, it is not that I do not have courage in your strength. Your power is truly a boon to our cause. However, S class heroes are nothing to sneeze at. Almost all of them have more than one trick up their sleeve, so having Medusa as backup in case of trouble is a necessity. After all, the outcome of this conflict will likely end up on the news and in other media, so we cannot risk even the slightest chance of failure. Your two tasks are to slay the S class heroes. If, for some reason, you feel at risk of losing your lives, immediately withdraw. Losing a headquarters would be a loss, but losing our top Villains is a much bigger setback.¡± Ash calmed himself as he listened to Sirius¡¯s explanation. If they were to accomplish their purpose, the five of them must remain alive until the time comes. Medusa and Ash were both incredibly strong figures in the Villain Association. Sirius continued his instruction. ¡°Hellfire.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± The woman that still had not spoken finally broke her silence. ¡°There will be a large amount of lower ranked heroes in the attack as well. I will leave that to your Dark Company.¡± ¡°Understood. We will defeat them by any means necessary.¡± The woman spoke promptly. ¡°Excellent.¡± ¡°Oy.¡± The last person of the five spoke. His voice sounded sleepy. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like coming over there, so you guys can handle it yourselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, Dream Eater. However, in the future, you must be willing to assign the tasks assigned.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯s a long way away, right? I¡¯ll just relax until then.¡± Before anybody could respond, his hologram disappeared. He had broken the link to leave the meeting. ¡°Bastard.¡± Ash¡¯s voice rumbled. It was not surprising that he would be frustrated- despite both having the same prestige, their personalities were polar opposites. Like fire and ice, they had no hope of getting along. ¡°Anyway, that concludes the meeting. I will send the coordinates of the predicted attack point to you. Do not fail. This is just the first clash in our long-fated battle with the Hero Association.¡± The holograms disappeared in a flash. Far away, in a large castle on the side of a volcano, a woman sat on a throne made of volcanic rock and iron. Her scarlet hair, which flickered flames, sat underneath a hovering red circlet. Despite her beautiful face, her eyes showed a brutal and harsh demeanor. The colorful jewels that littered the design showed an obvious status symbol. Her red and black style of clothing was remnant of ancient royalty. She stood and descended the stairs in front of the throne as a man in black armor kneeled. ¡°Queen Hellfire¡­ Might I ask for orders?¡± ¡°Organize the Dark Company. We¡¯re hunting Heroes.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The man kneeled further before leaving to gather the soldiers. She continued down the hallway before being led outside. Looking up and brushing her flaming hair out of her face to stare at the night sky, a cold and distant voice whispered from her lips. ¡°So, the time has finally come¡­ Forrest.¡± . . . (9) Heroes Vs. Villains (Part 2) -Two Days Later- ¡°Hey! Did you hear?¡± A hero spoke to his friend in a bar. ¡°The Hero Association are paying big bucks to any C and B class hero that will participate in the upcoming Villain Organization attack.¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard. I¡¯m already signed up. Apparently, there are even going to be three S class heroes in the group.¡± The other hero responded energetically. ¡°You¡¯d have to be stupid not to participate. I mean, with the S class there, it will be easy money.¡± ¡°True, but didn¡¯t the Villain Association have five S ranked Villains? Will just three S ranks be enough?¡± ¡°Idiot.¡± A third hero from across the bar joined the conversation. The tavern was popular among local heroes, as the owner is the brother of an A rank. Additionally, he offered a discount to heroes. The bar¡¯s name was Smooth Justice. Fitting. ¡°One of our S class heroes are worth ten S class monsters or villains. Have you even seen the list of S class that are signed up?¡± ¡°Eh? Is it already out?¡± The two tipsy heroes looked at the third in surprise. ¡°It just got released. There are some really big names on there, too. The first is King Ape.¡± ¡°Oooohhh!¡± The first hero spoke excitedly. ¡°King Ape is gonna be there? Awesome!¡± The first hero spoke. ¡°His superb strength and long arms give him the advantage over anyone.¡± The second hero spoke while pushing his glasses up over his face that was red from the liquor. ¡°The second is a newcomer to the S class. His name is Steel Blade.¡± ¡°Hm? Steel Blade? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of him.¡± ¡°Neither have I.¡± The second hero agreed with the first. ¡°No surprise there. He was promoted directly to A class after taking the exam this year, and he managed to get promoted to S class in just a month. If you haven¡¯t been keeping up with current media for the past month, you would have never even heard of him.¡± ¡°Wha-! He was promoted to S class already?! We joined at the same time, but he¡¯s already at S?!¡± The first hero spoke in an envious yell. ¡°That¡¯s certainly impressive. I had been focused on training and meeting quotas for the past month after passing the exam, so I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to other affairs.¡± The second hero replied as he pushed his glasses up again. ¡°Rookies, eh?¡± The third hero walked over and sat down beside them. ¡°The name¡¯s Bjorn. B class Rank 88.¡± ¡°Wow, B class? Cool!¡± The first hero replied. ¡°My name is Izumi. I still haven¡¯t gotten my hero name.¡± Izumi awkwardly laughed. He was really looking forward to a cool-sounding name like other heroes. ¡°You can call me Four Eyes. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Four Eyes spoke respectfully to the veteran in front of him. Bjorn had a jagged scar over his left eye and wore an eyepatch on his right. His clothes were reminiscent of a pirate captain. ¡°Always good to see new heroes. I¡¯ve been in the business for a long time now- going on ten years, and am one of the oldest employed B ranked heroes around.¡± ¡°Likewise, it¡¯s good to see experienced veterans in our field of work. It gives me inspiration for future endeavors.¡± Four Eyes spoke in as professional manner as ever. Izumi continued to sip his drink as he attempted to pay attention despite his drunk body.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Anyway, who is the third S class?¡± Four Eyes pressed for more information. ¡°The third hero is probably the most well-known of the three. Her many fan clubs have already blown up about her participation in the event. Her name¡¯s Aurora.¡± PFFFT Izumi spat out his drink all over the table. ¡°Aurora¡¯s going to be there?! Isn¡¯t she S class rank 9?!¡± Izumi asked in a flustered display. ¡°Aurora¡­ If she¡¯s there, I¡¯d say that even twenty S class villains won¡¯t be enough.¡± Four Eyes offered high praise to the hero Aurora. Aurora, who had joined the Hero Association years ago, had progressed through the ranks quickly. Starting as a C class hero, she quickly flew through the ranks to S class. Acquiring many fans along the way, she was often on the cover of magazines. One example of her fame is that when she was on the cover of a swimsuit magazine, the magazine broke many sales records. Aurora was definitely known across the world as a face of the Hero Association. A scream from across the bar grabbed the attention of the heroes and everyone around. ¡°Ah! Help! I¡¯m being robbed!¡± A woman yelled as she cowered in fear. ¡°No! I¡¯m not robbing you, I¡¯m just walking to meet some friends!¡± Mohawk Thug tried to explain that he was not actually a thug. ¡°It¡¯s your nasty face. It¡¯s only natural for people to be scared of it.¡± The voice of the tiny, blue haired girl insulted Mohawk Thug. ¡°Shut up!¡± Mohawk Thug yelled back with a face of both anger and embarrassment. ¡°Ah! Mohawk Thug!¡± Four Eyes called over Mohawk Thug. By this time, Izumi was practically asleep on the table. ¡°Yo. Who¡¯s the old dude?¡± ¡°How rude. The name¡¯s Bjorn.¡± ¡°Old Dude it is.¡± ¡°You!¡± Mohawk Thug pulled out a seat and sat with his friends that he hadn¡¯t seen in a week. Mandy walked over to the bartender to order her extremely elaborate drink. After conversing amongst each other for a while, Mohawk Thug suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh yeah, where¡¯s Forrest? He not here yet?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t get in touch with him. Earlier today we stopped by his house but nobody was home.¡± Four Eyes replied in a worried tone. ¡°Geez. He better not miss this opportunity! He¡¯s struggling for cash as much as us.¡± ¡°You guys have money problems?¡± Bjorn laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there were any heroes that struggled for money.¡± ¡°Shut up, old dude. It¡¯s tough in the C class.¡± Izumi, who apparently had just registered in his mind what Mohawk Thug had asked, lifted his head to speak. ¡°I talked to him a couple of days ago on the phone. He said he¡¯s on the verge of a breakthrough so he¡¯s practicing all day with Jarret.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Four Eyes responded approvingly. ¡°His ability does have potential.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t even use it though, so it¡¯s useless.¡± Mohawk Thug scoffed while looking away. He appeared to be pouting. Slap A small, delicate hand slapped the back of his head. His face, completely covered in rage, turned toward his back as he lifted his bat and spoke. ¡°Who has a death wish?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous of other¡¯s abilities. Your ability isn¡¯t weak, and I don¡¯t plan to spend forever among the dregs of C class.¡± Mandy spoke as she sipped from her glass with a blank expression. ¡°Whatever!¡± Mohawk Thug downed his drink and started walking toward the door in an annoyed fashion. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some rest before the attack. Forrest better be there.¡± Mohawk Thug opened the door and left into the dark night toward his house. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take his seat!¡± Mandy sat down with an innocent expression as she smiled while sipping her colorful drink. Izumi and Four Eyes stared in shock. They had never seen anyone act that way toward Mohawk Thug. He would normally fight anyone that as much as looked at him funny. Mandy, apparently, had an extremely manipulative personality. ¡°So¡­¡± Bjorn ventured to change the subject. ¡°What are your guys abilities, anyway?¡± Mandy responded first for Mohawk Thug. ¡°He can channel power into his baseball bat. In addition, the power can empower himself as well. Until recently, however, he didn¡¯t even know about that.¡± Bjorn and the rest listened intently. Four Eyes spoke next. ¡°When I wear my glasses, I can see through objects if I focus. I can also do other things, but that is my main ability.¡± Izumi tipped his glass into his mouth to get the last drop. He spoke with slurred words. ¡°My ability is teleportation.¡± Bjorn showed a surprised reaction. That was a strangely incredible ability for the average-looking in front of him. However, Izumi continued. ¡°Of course, I lose consciousness almost immediately after I teleport, so it¡¯s not very useful in fights.¡± Bjorn¡¯s previously impressed face dropped. That was the definition of incomplete ability. After telling his ability, Izumi¡¯s head dropped back to the desk as he passed out. Four Eyes stood up and put his arm over his shoulder to help him stand up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting late. I¡¯ll make sure he gets home- I¡¯m sure his mom is worried. Goodbye.¡± Mandy had finished her drink and stood up as well. ¡°I better make sure Mohawk Thug isn¡¯t doing anything indecent, so I¡¯ll be going as well.¡± Bjorn said goodbye and left the bar as well. They all had an important day tomorrow, so they wanted to get plenty of rest. The Villain Organization was large, and the operation to exterminate them was large as well. Many heroes rested in preparation for the coming battle. However, none of them knew the incredible turn of events that would take place the next day. (10) Heroes Vs. Villains (Part 3) ¡°Hello, Heroes of the Hero Association! We thank all of you for answering the call in civilization¡¯s time of need.¡± Cash, with his slicked back hair and slightly aged eyes, stood in front of an enormous group of heroes. As they had been assigned as three groups, each underneath an S class hero, they were standing in large huddles with their group. Cash¡¯s microphone amplified voice reached all the way to the back of the 106 heroes that had signed up. 42 B class and 64 C class heroes in tow, the Hero Association was about to begin their march toward the discovered headquarters. ¡°For this operation, I will remain in the Hero Headquarters and communicate with the S class heroes. If you get separated from your assigned S class, call the headquarters for our navigators to guide you back. The S class heroes- 12thranked King Ape, 18th ranked Steel Blade, and 9thranked Aurora will have full control of making decisions to adapt to the situation. They will also handle any S Ranked enemies that we come across. Your duty will be to follow any and all orders given by your S ranked captain. Any heroes that are found to disobey or ignore orders will be demoted. If the act is severe enough, we will remove your Hero¡¯s Registration. Once the S class heroes arrive and introduce themselves, we will immediately depart. Take these few minutes to warm up your bodies- once the action begins, there¡¯s no telling how long or how intense it will be.¡± Mohawk Thug, standing with Izumi, looked around the crowd of heroes. As many of their outfits were large and extravagant, he could not get a good look. The two of them were assigned to Squad #3. Squad #3 was under the command of Steel Blade. Squad #2 was commanded by King Ape, and Squad #1 followed Aurora. As two of the three heroes had not arrived yet, Steel Blade and Aurora, the crowds were itching to meet their S class. ¡°Oy, he did show up, right?¡± Mohawk Thug asked in a concerned fashion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I went by his house, but there was still nobody home.¡± Mohawk Thug sighed. He wanted to leave Forrest in the dust in front of him due to his recent training, but he might not get the chance. ¡°Where¡¯s Four Eyes then?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in King Ape¡¯s group.¡± Mohawk Thug looked in the direction pointed at by Izumi. His eyes immediately drew to the hairy, bearded man barking primal inspiration to a crowd. ¡°We¡¯re going to destroy them. Do exactly as I say! Look at these guns!¡± King Ape flexed his extremely muscular and long arms. However, the hair on his arms almost completely hid any visibility of his biceps. ¡°I¡¯m the Alpha! Listen to me! As the Alpha¡¯s underlings, you will be smaller alphas yourselves! Follow my lead! King Ape will guide us to victory!¡± ¡°HOO!¡± The crowd chanted in unison with energy and excitement. As wildly strange as it was, these weird words filled them with a surge of adrenaline and energy. Of course, there was at least one that was not very enthusiastic. Four Eyes slipped away from his group during the loud screams once he had caught eyes with Izumi and Mohawk Thug.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re having fun, eh?¡± Mohawk Thug teased with a grin. Four Eyes sighed. ¡°I feel like that idiotic Neanderthal behavior is more suited to someone like you.¡± After Mohawk Thug finished arguing with Four Eyes over the obviously accurate statement, Four Eyes looked for the third person. ¡°Is Forrest still not in your group either?¡± ¡°Yeah, but we don¡¯t even know if he signed up.¡± Izumi sighed with increasing worry. ¡°Who didn¡¯t sign up?¡± Forrest appeared behind Izumi seemingly out of nowhere. ¡°Forrest! Are you in our group?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m in Squad #1.¡± ¡°Ohhh!¡± Izumi¡¯s face turned to one of excitement. ¡°You get to be under the famous and beautiful Aurora. I¡¯m under some rookie S rank that probably isn¡¯t even older than me.¡± Forrest laughed awkwardly. Izumi certainly isn¡¯t the type to get nervous about stuff like this, considering he was thinking about such things. Forrest cleared his throat before speaking. ¡°Guys, I want you to know that I¡¯m really grateful for friends like you.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The three men stared with a blank expression. Izumi, without much thought, simply returned the compliment. ¡°I¡¯m grateful too. If it wasn¡¯t for you guys, C class would be intolerable.¡± Mohawk Thug, embarrassed from the sudden words, lashed out. ¡°Idiot, what¡¯s with the goodbye speeches?! Quit acting like we¡¯re going to die or something!¡± Four Eyes chuckled. Mohawk Thug had been the most worried one out of them. He clearly considered Forrest a rival. Anyway, C class was rough. C class without friends to laugh with would be painfully lonely. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Forrest rubbed the back of his head as he spoke. ¡°What I mean is that, even though it sounds weird, I think it¡¯s fun having people to share these experiences with. I can¡¯t wait to join B rank with you guys.¡± Izumi replied arrogantly. ¡°I agree. Leaving you guys too far in the dust would be boring.¡± ¡°Sound¡¯s good.¡± Four Eyes pushed up his glasses. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t we have to wait a while for Mohawk Thug?¡± ¡°Wha-!¡± Mohawk Thug yelled. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one waiting for you guys!¡± Forrest smiled as he looked at the three laughing as they joked. He knew, somewhere in his heart, that he couldn¡¯t tell them what had happened during his training. He didn¡¯t want to concern anybody over something that he himself didn¡¯t fully comprehend. At this time, Aurora arrived and Squad #1 quieted down. Forrest, walking away from the group toward Squad #1, spoke with an extremely determined voice. ¡°Then, when the time comes, and we all get promoted together, I¡¯ll buy the alcohol to celebrate.¡± The three stared blankly. For people as poor as them, they got excited once again. ¡°Then, it¡¯s a promise!¡± The three chanted in unison, not intending to let him go back on his word. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Izumi spoke after a few more seconds. ¡°Did Forrest always look so cool?¡± Apparently, Forrest only looked cool when he was serious. The three just now realized that this might be the only time they¡¯ve seen Forrest this serious. Mohawk Thug spoke with a low laugh. ¡°Of course. How could he be my rival if he wasn¡¯t cool?¡± Izumi and Four Eyes looked at each other blankly. Did this guy actually think his bleached Mohawk was cool? Four Eyes slipped back to his group as they had begun to leave. ¡°Attention.¡± An extremely smooth and buttery voice spoke from the front of Squad #3. A handsome man with long, silver hair in Knight¡¯s armor was sitting atop an ornately armored horse. The horse¡¯s snow-white fur reflected the atmosphere given off by the young man. However, despite his elegant appearance, his eyes were cold and harsh. ¡°Do exactly as I say. If you disobey, I will personally punish you and have your registration revoked. If you do something to hinder the operation, I will distribute appropriate punishment. If you endanger the success of the mission at any point, I will not refrain from killing you. Am I understood?¡± The entirety of Squad #3 broke out into cold sweat. This guy was clearly not to be tested! Mohawk Thug grinded his teeth at such an attitude, but dared not speak out. Izumi, on the other hand, had surprisingly been unaffected by the atmosphere. Apparently, he was still mad that he wasn¡¯t put in Aurora¡¯s group. ¡°Sir!¡± The crowd of heroes replied in unison. (11) Heroes Vs. Villains (Part 4) King Ape and squad two departed. They moved toward the target location of their squad as described by the Hero Association. King Ape marched continuously at a fast pace with the heroes at his back. The duty of this squad, as having the most B ranked heroes, is to be the center attack force. The plan was simple: Squad #1 would attack from the left, Squad #2 would attack from the middle, and Squad #3 would attack from the right. The thought process of attacking in this way was that it would not let any villains escape in the chaos. The large crowd of heroes marched onward. Through the thick forest and greenery, an eerie feeling began to build up among the heroes. The singing of the cicadas and howls of coyotes in the distance did nothing to help calm their nerves. ¡°A¡­ Are we almost there yet, Mr. King Ape Sir?¡± The nervous words came from a skinny class C hero. Other than his long green cape, the first thing that was noticed upon inspection of the hero was his protective goggles. ¡°We¡¯re getting close. Everyone, be on your guard. Once the fighting begins, we will need to stand our ground on our own until the other squads reach their destination. However, do not fear, for I-King Ape- am here.¡± The confident and clich¨¦ words calmed the heroes heart. The skinny hero, Goggle Boy, sighed in an attempt to calm himself down. After a moment, he looked forward with newfound determination. A voice beside him spoke. ¡°Being nervous in times like this is natural. However, we must trust in our strength for the best chance of success.¡± Four Eyes spoke to calm Goggle Boy down. Perhaps the goggles led him to feel a kinship towards the weak-looking hero. Either way, Four Eyes wanted to make sure that no one near him would show weakness in battle. King Ape would likely be busy handling the S rank villains, so they must rely on their own power to protect themselves. Teamwork, even sloppy, would greatly increase the survivability of the squad. Four Eyes, despite keeping his cool on the outside, felt an increasing anxiety building in his chest. ¡®Is this because we are about to fight? Or¡­ is it a bad omen of something else?¡¯You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Four Eyes, correct?¡± A pale man on the other side of Four Eyes spoke as they continued following King Ape. ¡°Yes? And you are?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Ghost King. Class B rank 34.¡± Ghost King continued speaking. ¡°I have heard about you from Forrest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a friend of Forrest?¡± ¡°Well, you could say that. We met during the hero exam, and talked on the phone a couple times since.¡± ¡°I just wanted to introduce my-¡± ¡°VILLAINS!¡± The yell from a hero at the front of the pack rang out. King Ape turned his head to follow the pointed finger of the hero. Sure enough, a man dressed in black from head to toe stood on top of a large tree branch. The heroes, upon realizing the presence of the villain above, gripped their weapons and prepared for battle. A large man with an incredible amount of fat underneath his much too small shirt began to charge forward. ¡°I, Mister Thick, will take the prize of the first kill!¡± He ran forward past the other heroes. ¡°Stop.¡± King Ape held up his hand while looking at the villain in order to stop Mister Thick. The fat man looked at King Ape with confusion. ¡°Do not rush. This is clearly a speed oriented scout. His job is to determine the amount of heroes in our squad and report back to their leader.¡± The man snickered behind his black mask and disappeared further into the woods at high speed. ¡°Then..!¡± ¡°Do not chase him. With your ability, you will not be able to catch him. Furthermore, getting separated so early will only hurt ourselves. Be patient and continue following me- you will soon have the chance to earn achievements.¡± Mister Thick reluctantly backed down. Four Eyes was surprised at the surprisingly smart outlook by King Ape, despite his animalistic appearance. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Ghost King spoke in a voice just loud enough to be heard by Four Eyes and Goggle Boy. ¡°Looks like even the dumbest S class heroes aren¡¯t idiots.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not so sure about that. King Ape is, certainly, an idiot. However, he certainly has good instincts. Probably due to his monkey DNA.¡± Four Eyes pushed up his glasses. ¡°Haha! Maybe you¡¯re right. Who could go around looking like that and have a normal brain?¡± Goggle Boy looked at the two in shock. Even if he couldn¡¯t hear, King Ape was an S class hero! Show some respect! . . . (12) Heroes Vs. Villains (Part 5) ¡°What¡­ did she just say?¡± Forrest grinded his teeth. If one were to look around at the rest of the crowd, only a few were acting in a similar fashion. One of these people, a Class B rank 71 hero named Flex Pecks, yelled with his muscles tensed with anger. ¡°You can¡¯t talk to us that way! Even if your S class, we¡¯re still heroes too!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Aurora, with her short, icy-blue hair and slim build, answered without looking at Flex Pecks. She clearly did not intend to respect his presence. Flex Pecks continued with even more anger. ¡°Yeah! Calling other heroes weaklings, when a lot of us are just beginning! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re S class or whatever, to me you¡¯re just a bit-!¡± The crowd gasped as a high-pitched screech soared through the air. Before Flex Pecks could finish speaking, a large icicle had already pierced his arm. Blood splattered out of his arm as he roared in pain. Aurora¡¯s cold words pierced the hearts of everyone watching in fear. ¡°You, who are merely a class B hero, have the audacity to speak to me in such a tone?¡± Flex Pecks, while holding his arm, looked at Aurora with terror in his eyes. As a man who was raised to never bow his head, he would not apologize- even if it meant another icicle in his arm. Just as he was beginning to reply, a hand gripped his shoulder. He turned his head to see the dark-haired Forrest with a particularly dark glare. ¡°Oh?¡± Aurora, seeing Forrest firmly staring at her, began to raise her hand for further punishment. Ring Aurora answered her ringing cellphone. ¡°Fine.¡± The only word that came out of her mouth before hanging up and walking toward the forest, she spoke once more. ¡°We are heading out now. Follow my lead if you do not wish to die.¡± The crowd of tense heroes, who were only even more tense due to Aurora¡¯s unruly demeanor, followed promptly. Forrest began to follow the pack while Flex Pecks spoke. ¡°Just my luck, to have such a crazy bitch for a captain. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Forrest. Class C rank 193.¡± ¡°Forrest, huh? I¡¯m Flex Pecks. Class B rank 71. I¡¯m glad to see I¡¯m not the only one with some pride around here.¡± Forrest laughed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not my pride that made me upset. I don¡¯t like seeing people act so haughtily to comrades.¡± ¡°Well said.¡± Flex Pecks began to wrap his arm with a bandage out of his pocket. ¡°Will you be able to fight with that injury?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. It didn¡¯t go very deep, and hit a pretty thick area. Lucky, huh?¡± Forrest looked at Aurora¡¯s back while walking. Luck had nothing to do with it. Even though she spoke down to the heroes in her squad, she probably realized that she needed them to deal with the small fry while she fought the boss. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re moving at a pretty quick pace. Is she trying to make people fall behind on purpose?¡± Flex Pecks sighed as the heroes transitioned into a jog. Forrest narrowed his eyes. Something must have happened for us to risk breaking order like this. Something, indeed. . . . ¡°RUN FOR YOUR LI-!¡± A hero yelled while frantically speeding away before foaming at the mouth and falling down.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Heroes unconscious bodies lay throughout the forest. Clashing of swords and gunshots echoed in all directions. Izumi took a few steps back while looking around with a worried face. Purple smoke radiated through the forest. He took a heart-woven handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it around his face as a mask. ¡°Just a second ago, we were talking amongst ourselves¡­ how could one person have such an impact on such a large group of heroes?!¡± Indeed, the group of heroes had been moving as planned. However, a hissing voice came from behind the crowd. ¡°Ssso¡­ you must be the rookie S class, Sssteel Blade?¡± The group of heroes turned around in a panic as they drew their weapons. In front of them, a woman with snakes as hair and venomous eyes stared at them. Her long scaly tail was wrapped around a thick tree as she looked down at the heroes from above. However, before any had time to even take a step back, a silver flash passed by them. Their eyes widened as the silver flash slashed through the stomach of the snake. The speed that Steel Blade had moved caused wind currents to blow through the crowd and kick up the leaves on the ground. ¡°Wha-! So fast!¡± The voice of a hero echoed. However, the corpse turned into purple smoke as the serpent voice surrounded the crowd of heroes, this time coming from every direction. ¡°It ssseems you¡¯re as fast as the rumors, Sssteel Blade. I wonder¡­ are you fast enough to protect your fellow heroesss?¡± A bloodcurdling shriek came from the front of the crowd. The hero that had been standing next to Izumi fell to the ground while grasping his neck. Foam began to seep out of his mouth as the life left his eyes. Steel Blade narrowed his eyes as he looked around. ¡°You coward¡­ If you are truly S rank, quit hiding and resorting to unsightly gimmicks.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I love your type~! Ssso, I¡¯ll kill you last to see the dessspair on your face as the life leaves your eyesss~!¡± The sinister voice, to the crowd of confused and frightened heroes, seemed to be that of the devil. Izumi looked at the corpse of the hero before calling out in a panicked yet firm voice. ¡°He has a needle in his neck! Watch out for poisoned attacks!¡± ¡°Oh~! Don¡¯t lisssten to him, children! I wouldn¡¯t do sssuch a thing! Hahaha~! Medusa¡¯s giggling caused panic among the heroes. As the heroes began to tense up and yell out in frustration, a hero ran away from the group. ¡°We need to spread out! We¡¯re sitting ducks lined up like this!¡± ¡°Fool.¡± Steel Blade spoke with detest. Suddenly, a purple smoke began to rise from the ground in the direction that the hero was running. Surrounding him, he began to foam at the mouth as he fell to the ground. The group of heroes, that had fallen silent at the sight, stared in fear. The smoke slowly crept toward the crowd. With increasing panic on their faces, the heroes were almost completely broken. Medusa¡¯s eerie giggle rang through the forest once again, causing many of the heroes to jump. They grinded their teeth as their bodies shook in fear. ¡°So cute~ The tough heroes act tough until their in danger. Really, my children are even more heroic than you!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mohawk Thug roared. Even though he was tense, he wasn¡¯t visibly shaking like most of the others. Even if he knew he was in a dangerous position, anybody that looked down on him would not do so without resistance. ¡°Oh~! Sssomeone with a bit of backbone, hm? Don¡¯t take offense. My children are pretty tough, you know. Would you like to meet them?¡± Mohawk Thug grinded his teeth. Izumi, who was now back to back with Mohawk Thug while the other heroes clutched their weapons with frightened faces, was attempting to calmly analyze the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Izumi whispered as his face twisted into a darker expression. ¡°AAAHHHHH!¡± Three heroes let loose a bloodcurdling scream as something was thrown into the air. Steel Blade narrowed his eyes as he saw a man drop to his knees in the center of the screaming heroes. The object landed in front of Steel Blade as his expression remained calm. ¡°H¡­ His head!!!¡± One of heroes near Steel Blade yelled. The man, that had dropped to his knees, had already been decapitated. Yells spilled throughout the crowd as dark figures appeared with killing intent. This sudden assault pushed the already panicked heroes over the edge- utter chaos broke out. Ding Sparks flew as the sound of metal swords colliding echoed in all directions. Izumi and Mohawk Thug, who were still standing back to back in the chaos, were attempting to remain calm despite the chaos. Cold sweat dripped from their faces as Mohawk Thug hollered out. ¡°Steel Blade! What the hell should we do?!¡± Steel Blade, who had remained unmoving after slashing the false Medusa, calmly observed the surroundings. His eyes shifted back and forth as he absorbed the sequence of events in front of him. After a few moments, he spoke in a voice that was loud enough for every hero to hear in the chaos. ¡°Heroes, is that not what you are?¡± The heroes stopped their running and panic at these words. The dark figures continued their onslaught, but most of the heroes were in a more defendable position. They listened with wide eyes for the voice of hope. ¡°If you call yourselves heroes, earn your keep. There are 14 attacking figures, each with the skill of a B rank villain. With our numbers, this should not be a threat. The poison gas in coming from the east- move with the help of those around you to the west as you fight. I will find Medusa and slay her. Exterminate those that dare attack the Hero Association.¡± The group of heroes stared wide-eyed at the graceful man. Even though these words were with some insult, a sudden surge of strength filled them. Mohawk Thug roared as he swung his bat onto the skull of an attacker. ¡°YOU HEARD HIM! SHOW THEM WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MESS WITH A HERO!¡± ¡°UUUURRRRRAAAAA!¡± The heroes replied in powerful unison. Steel Blade disappeared with a flash into the forest in pursuit of Medusa. . . .