NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 62
Chapter 62. So It’s Come to This…
“I’m off.”
“Take care~!”
“Oh? Off to flirt with some girls, are you?!”
I jabbed my old man in the solar plexus for saying something stupid and left the house.
Today, I’m officially a weekend worker, heading to the office on my day off. A proper corporate slave, grinning and bearing my boss’s summons.
Side note: yesterday, I was shocked to find a black cat at home. Apparently, it had been in Ao’s room all the day before, so I didn’t notice. Its eyes are as beautiful as the moon, and now it’s named Louis. With a fluffy friend in the house, I’m super happy. On my way back from HQ, I’ll visit Sally too, so my fluff-meter might max out. If this meter hits zero, I’ll die, by the way.
The summer sun beats down on me.
Phew, so bright!
Even on such a hot day, I step outside. Maybe this is what they call living the dream.
“Kyah~ Jun-kun, you’re so cool!”
“Hmph! Today, I’ll take you anywhere you want!”
A couple in love walks past me.
“…”
“Eek?!”
Oops. I must’ve been making a scary face again. The couple looks pale and bolts away.
Not good, not good. My usual habits are showing. Ha ha! …Why don’t I have a girlfriend?
Pondering the world’s greatest mystery, I head to HQ and move to the location Kongo-san specified.
“Oh, you’re here, Hero-kun!”
“What’s with that?”
Kongo-san greets me with some bizarre nickname.
“Well, the people who saw you fight are calling you that. Makes sense, considering you took on four massive enemies alone, with no casualties. Calling you a hero isn’t far off.”
“If you can become a hero just for defeating four of those things, how many heroes would there be in the world right now…?”
“Well, probably just enough to count on both hands.”
No way. Just from what I know, at least four people can do what I did. On a global scale, you’d have to multiply that by five or six. Unless my circle is unusually full of crazy people.
“Anyway, the Takamiya family head is furious.”
“Huh?! What’d I do?”
I delivered his daughters back safely and destroyed the city while taking out the enemy. There shouldn’t be anything to complain about. Oh wait, is the city destruction the issue?
“Apparently, Runa-chan talks about you every day, and he’s jealous.”
“…”
“Pfft, be careful. The Takamiya family’s influence is terrifying. You never know when they might ambush you. Heh heh heh!”
Don’t laugh!
Getting targeted over something that petty is no joke!
If you’re a person in power, you should be a little more magnanimous.
“Anyway, you didn’t call me here just to chat, right?”
“Relax, no rush. I’m really grateful for your work this time. It wouldn’t have been possible without you. I truly appreciate it.”
Not that you’d say no to a mission.
This guy’s quite the powerhouse. Come to think of it, isn’t this unit packed with top-tier talent? Like Kirisaki-senpai, with her healing abilities. You can’t assume all countries have people like this.
“Well, I was the only one suitable for the job.”
“Ha ha, lucky for us.”
From my perspective, it felt more like bad luck.
While I sigh, Kongo-san grins mischievously at me.
“Alright, time to get to the main topic.”
Finally. According to the email, this mission is controversial. What’s going on?
“To cut to the chase, some higher-ups have started moving to use your power. Not for public safety, of course, but for their own personal gain.”
“Of course…”
“Some of them are rotten to the core. The Takamiya-related cleanup took out quite a few, but these people are as persistent as cockroaches—and just as numerous.”
Kongo-san’s words drip with disdain, his tone suggesting a deep-seated grudge. Maybe something happened in the past. There’s an almost palpable bloodlust in his voice.
“Considering your accomplishments, it wouldn’t be surprising if you were made an Absolute One. But instead, they’re trying to keep you in the Special Ability Unit to control you.”
Ah, I see. Absolute Ones are supposedly exempt from the law. They want to keep me where they can manipulate me.
Sigh… Stop dumping endless work on 16-year-old Hayato. I’m just a student going through puberty here.
“By the way, how does someone become an Absolute One?”
“Well, to put it simply, it’s determined by mission results and a point system. Results are sent to a global supervisory organization for evaluation. Occasionally, someone becomes an Absolute One by defeating a powerful enemy, which would be your case.”
But if they’re suppressing my results, I can’t become one.
Wait, isn’t this a dead end?
If my results are erased, my points will be zero. There’s nothing I can do about that.
“You’ve figured it out, huh? That’s right. At this rate, you’ll just become a puppet for the corrupt higher-ups.”
“So today’s meeting is basically a ‘Rest in peace. Maybe next life will be better’ kind of thing? Can I cry now?”
“Calm down and hear me out.”
How can I stay calm?!
This is about my future!
Oh, wait! I could ask the Takamiya head for help… but he hates me, so that’d just complicate things.
“The solution is simple: become an Absolute One, Hayato!”
Kongo-san declares with a triumphant look, but I just glare at him.
“Didn’t you just say it’s impossible for me to become one?”
“Normally, yes.”
“Then…?”
“But! There’s one way.”
Kongo-san pulls out a piece of paper.
On it, I see the words:
“World Tournament.”
A cold sweat runs down my cheek.
“What… is this?”
“Exactly what it says. A tournament where the world’s top ability users gather to compete. This time, two Absolute Ones are participating, making it a huge deal.”
Ah, I see where this is going.
This is the worst déjà vu ever.
I want to refuse with all my might, but luck is never on my side.
“So…”
“That’s right. Take down an Absolute One! If you defeat one, no one can argue against you becoming the ninth Absolute One. It’s the only way.”
This is absurd.
Absolute Ones are basically overpowered cheats.
They’re on a whole different level from the monsters I’ve fought before.
“No, that’s just—”
“You can do it.”
Kongo-san interrupts, speaking with absolute conviction.
Surprised, I look up to see his unwavering gaze fixed on me.
“Hayato, you defied Kikuri’s prophecy and survived against four S-rank enemies. Trust in your potential.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
Overwhelmed by his intensity, I nod instinctively.
Well… yeah, he’s right.
If I don’t become an Absolute One, I’ll be in danger anyway. I guess I’ll give it a shot.
“…Alright. I’ll do it.”
“Good resolve. Just in case, I’ll have Sairenji accompany you. She can get you back immediately if anything happens. Oh, and let’s bring Hattori too…”
“Hattori-san as well?”
Why? If Sairenji-san is there, Hattori shouldn’t be necessary.
“Oh, um… Right! Hattori-san’s been abroad a lot, so he can be your guide. Ha ha! You’ll have two companions—lucky you. I can’t leave here to fool the higher-ups, but good luck out there.”
“Uh… okay?”
Why is he so flustered?
Oh, wait. When’s the tournament again?
“When is the tournament?”
“In ten days.”
What?! So soon?!