The Monster Aspires to Be a Hero!

The vehicle that stopped before Una and me was a type called a limousine.
I knew she was wealthy, but it still felt rather intimidating.
“Get in.”
Despite her leg troubles, Una boarded the car with practiced ease.
I followed Una into the car, hesitating briefly before speaking up.
“Una.”
“What is it?”
“So what was the real reason you came to deliver that rice cake?”
“People deliver rice cakes when moving in, so I went to do that…”
“Who actually delivers rice cakes these days? Moreover, how did someone with difficulties walking even make it that far in the first place?”
“Um… well?”
Una avoided the question with that response.
“You could have done it once your legs fully recovered, right?”
“Um… um…”
Una simply made grunting sounds, evading my inquiry.
As if it were some unmentionable secret.
“You were gone from home for about a week too, right?”
“…Um.”
How exasperating.
I don’t understand why she’s so fixated on this repayment matter.
“Una.”
“Yes.”
“The house you’re currently living in has a cheap deposit and low rent. I consider that sufficient repayment already.”
So I hoped she wouldn’t force herself any further with these repayment excuses, given her physical difficulties.
Though I spoke with that intention, Una didn’t seem too pleased.
No, she even looked slightly sullen.
“Una?”
“It’s nothing.”
Una turned away and let out a sigh.
What was that about?
With Una turning away, an awkward atmosphere filled the car.

Perhaps she desires a more intimate relationship with you?
While possible, it still felt a bit off.

Curious. The usual you wouldn’t outright reject someone like this.
I do choose who I associate with carefully, though.
I don’t think she’s a bad person.
But her brash forwardness does make me uncomfortable.
From the very start, she was aware of my circumstances and even arranged this housing for me.
Perhaps she is connected to that person who used clairvoyance on me and stole my trash.
It’s difficult to view someone engaging in such illegal acts favorably, isn’t it?
The car carrying us maintained that tense atmosphere as it drove for around 3 minutes before stopping.
The driver escorted Una out and opened the door for her.
Using a cane, Una slowly set foot onto the road.
Her movements looked quite unsteady, causing concern.
Though somewhat reluctant about her, I didn’t want to simply watch someone in apparent pain either.
I naturally took a spot beside her.
“Hm?”
“It’s unsafe, isn’t it?”
I had a feeling I would be racked with guilt if she happened to fall.
At my words, Una’s expression, unlike before, became somewhat satisfied.
“I’ll see you later, then.”
“Yes.”
The driver who had been at the wheel then departed in the limousine.
Matching Una’s pace, I slowly made my way with her toward the training room.

The training room developed for ability users was an enormously large building.
Its scale gave the impression registration fees would be exorbitant.
But to improve my lacking abilities, I had no choice but to swallow my apprehensions and proceed.
“Welcome! How may I assist you today?”
“I’d like to register, please.”
“Certainly, one moment!”
The staff member at the counter asked what type of registration we wanted.
I stated it was for superhuman ability training, while Una said rehabilitation training.
Registration options were available for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months, with increasing discounts for longer periods.
Private rooms were provided for superhuman ability training, so the fees were quite steep.
For 1 month it was 800,000 won, while registering for 12 months averaged 640,000 won per month.
Those who had passed the hero certification exam received an additional 10% discount.
Even with the discount, it was still an exorbitant amount.
…If not for Una’s brazen maneuvers, the realistic cost would have prevented me from attending.
With the cheap housing deposit leaving me some spare funds, I decided to register for just 1 month initially.
If all went well, I planned to extend it for a full year afterwards.
After confirming my registration, Una followed suit and also signed up for 1 month.
“For rehabilitation treatment, please come this way.”
The staff said that as they escorted Una away.
Una glanced at me before leaving with the staff member.
After a brief wait, a burly man who seemed to be a trainer approached me.
“You registered as a multi-ability user with physical enhancement and hardening, correct?”
“Yes, I’m in your care.”
“Very well, this way please.”
I followed him into the training room.
“Let’s start with some light warmup exercises first.”
Following his instructions, I began light warmup stretches.
After around 5 minutes of stretching, he retrieved some kind of document.
“We’ll begin training the physical enhancement ability first, then move on to freely controlling your multi-abilities.”
“Understood.”
As I nodded, the trainer brought out what looked like a ladder made of ropes.
Commonly known as a speed ladder or step ladder.
“The first training focuses on developing explosive power.”

He demonstrated the motions I would need to perform right in front of me.
Having occasionally used step ladders for soccer training, I was quite familiar with it.
As I followed the training without issue, he nodded and checked something off on an evaluation sheet.
“Now, move at an even faster pace while utilizing your abilities.”
“Got it.”
Following the trainer’s instructions, as I tried to move faster, my legs felt somewhat tangled.
So I limited my speed as I moved, prompting the trainer to make another note on the sheet.
“Your mind still can’t keep up with your enhanced physical abilities. Did you awaken these abilities recently?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Hmm…”
After noting that, he brought over some equipment.
“From now on, I will throw balls at you here. Jinwoo, catch the balls while repeating actions 1 through 17.”
Saying that, he began throwing balls at me.
More balls flew past in unpredictable directions, unable to be caught.
“As a physical enhancement user, you should be able to catch balls at this level. It’s not merely about increased strength.”
He told me to empty my mind and let my bodily movements flow naturally.
Superpowers were, quite literally, superhuman abilities.
The problem was imposing human cognitive limitations on abilities that transcended human capabilities, just because they utilized the physical body.
‘Humans cannot run beyond a certain speed’, ‘Humans cannot lift objects beyond a certain weight’ – such preconceived notions were still ingrained in our minds, leading to such issues.
“For abilities like electrokinesis, they may struggle with control but generally have no output limitations.”
From the very start, it was an ability transcending human cognition.
So they didn’t question the manifestation of electricity – it simply worked because it was a superpower.
That simple mindset seemed to enable more efficient ability usage.
“Jinwoo, your body is already superhuman! You can do it!”
He repeatedly chanted those words like a cheer.
“I can do it!”
Repeating his words, I continued moving my feet.
But my mind remained cluttered, my legs still tangling.
Tripping over balls, losing balance trying to catch them… falling, and falling again.
Around 20 minutes passed in that manner.
“Next is training to broaden your field of vision.”
“Field of vision… you mean?”
“Yes. As a physical enhancement ability user who passed the hero certification exam, I assume you’ll be working in that field?”
“Yes.”
“Then we must train while assuming battles against villains and monsters.”
Saying that, he briefly displayed an image on the screen before turning it off again.
“What was shown on the screen just now?”
“A child holding a balloon, and what seemed to be the child’s father.”
“The color of the balloon?”
“Red.”
“Then what was the child wearing?”
“Um… blue, I think?”
“And the child’s shoes?”
“That… I’m not sure.”
“This training involves perceiving all those details within a brief timeframe.”
Human vision was narrower than we realized.
This exercise would broaden that field of view in preparation for battles against monsters and villains.
The training was more exhausting than expected.
My eyes felt parched, with a persistent ache on one side of my head.
“Now, next is endurance training.”
Another 20 minutes later, he introduced a different training regimen.
Endurance training.
Just the name made it sound unpleasant.
And that expectation became reality.
Pazik, pazizik
That distinctive crackling sound of arcing electricity…
“Physical enhancement users often need to withstand attacks through their abilities. If your enhancement falters when struck, it could be disastrous.”
Saying that, he began stimulating my body with electrical shocks of an intensity that wouldn’t kill me even if my abilities faltered.
“Kkughk!”
Though he claimed it wouldn’t be fatal if my abilities faltered, the pain from the shocks was still considerable.
The agony of my muscles involuntarily convulsing and spasming was indescribable.
After several more shocks confirmed my abilities wouldn’t falter, the trainer nodded in approval.
“From now on, we’ll repeatedly cycle through those three training regimens.”
And once I became accustomed, he said we would combine them into a unified training.
Stepping through the speed ladder while catching balls, enduring shocks, yet also monitoring visuals appearing on screens with my vision.
Just imagining performing all those strenuous tasks simultaneously made my eyes twitch.

Quite an intense training regimen.
Tell me about it.
I had heard the training would be difficult, but not to this extent.
I stepped outside for a brief respite.
As I drank from the water dispenser in the lobby, I heard an unusual tapping sound.
Turning toward it, I saw Una using a crutch.
Rehabilitation exercises had time limits to avoid overtaxing the body.
Her presence here likely meant her training had concluded.
Though I could have continued exercising, I felt it would be best to depart for today.
“You’re finished?”
Una asked that with a rather fatigued expression.
“Yes. Let’s head back now.”
Hearing me, Una nodded with a brief sigh.
We carefully made our way out of the building.
“Thank you for being considerate.”
“Hm?”
“…”
After saying that, she simply walked on without another word.
I blankly watched her before coming to my senses and falling in beside her.
When I had first encountered her, I had felt pity.
Someone around my age, bedridden with an untreatable illness.
Upon meeting her again, I had felt bewilderment.
Out of nowhere, she demanded repayment which I had never expected.
Encountering her in front of my house, I had felt indignation.
As if I had been toyed with in the palm of her hand.
But seeing her unexpectedly courteous demeanor coupled with an endearing quirky side evoked mixed feelings.
A sense that perhaps I had been too harsh towards her.

Which is why you’re called the sweet potato sunbae.
What can I do about my personality being like this?