The Monster Aspires to Be a Hero!

An enemy.
At Greed’s words, I turned to see someone staring intently at me.
No, not a person.
Its twisted physique, partially bent neck, dragging feet, and unmistakable sense of aberration.
This familiar sensation – it was undoubtedly that monster imitating human form I had hunted before.
Though certainly the same monster… for a moment, I mistook it for an actual human.
The monster before me was contorting its face in a chilling, twisted grin.

It seems our presence has been exposed.
So it would appear.
Was it the muttering that gave us away?

That may have played a role. But the most direct cause is the core.
The core?

Just as I can sense coreless monsters, they can detect inert cores too, can’t they? You within me haven’t grasped that yet?

I’ve transformed into an existence akin to the self imbued in abilities.
I see.
As I locked eyes with the monster while conversing, it began approaching me.
Simultaneously, tentacles emerged from its hands.
“Hunh?”
“Ah, aaaaaahh!”
Onlookers screamed at the eerie sight and scattered.
In that moment, the monster lashed its tentacles at me.
“You creatures really love those tentacles, don’t you!”
Bang!
With an explosive sound, the tentacles aimed for my vitals.
An attack Greed would have directly deflected or blocked with hardening before, but this time the trajectory was unusually clear.
I ducked my head slightly, using the ground to launch myself at the monster.
Around 15m separated us, but I closed that distance in under a second.
The training room regimen had not been wasted time, as my legs showed no signs of tangling.
The monster, still poised with tentacles outstretched, failed to react in any meaningful way.
I immediately thrust my hand toward its heart and pierced through.
Kwaduk! A chewing sound as vitality began surging through my body.
The monster in my grasp gradually lost form, withering into a lifeless husk.
Chalchik! Chalchik chalchik chalchik!
The sounds of shutters firing erupted from all directions.
People holding up their smartphones also emerged.
Despite the frenzy, some had even managed to capture that 1-second skirmish.
Feeling slightly awkward, I scratched my face when someone in a hero suit rushed toward me with a stern expression.
A blue and white suit – likely a hero stationed nearby.
He surveyed the surroundings, confirmed the dispersed remains near me, then checked my face and chest area.
Seeing the temporary hero badge I wore along with my license, he seemed relieved.
“I came upon reports of a monster appearing.”
“Ah, your hard work is appreciated.”
He asked what had occurred, and as I began explaining, the police and Ability Response Team arrived.
“Could you provide a detailed account back at the station?”
A man in his 40s with sparse facial hair showed me his police notebook as he said that.
Simply defeating a regular monster wouldn’t typically escalate matters to this extent.
There had likely been a report of a human transforming into a monster.
I had no choice but to accompany him.

Looks like you’ll become an ex-con before a hero!
Greed mocked me with that unpleasant laugh of his.
Though just defeating a monster shouldn’t create a criminal record, his taunt inexplicably grated on me.
I never expected to ride in a police car during my lifetime.
Apparently the rear doors can’t be opened from the inside…
Lost in such thoughts, I soon found myself at the police station.
“This way.”
The officer who had shown me his notebook led me inside.
Once seated, the previously stern-faced officer placed a vending machine coffee before me and bowed his head slightly.
“My apologies for bringing you in like this so abruptly.”
Introducing himself as Detective Kim Eunseok, he explained this was a very serious matter and requested my cooperation.
Only after I nodded in agreement did he finally heave a sigh of relief.
As he fidgeted with folded arms and restless legs, the door opened.
He immediately rose and bowed to the person entering before stepping out.
“Hello. I’m Lee Eunchul, chief of the Armed Ability Response Team.”
“Hello, I’m Jinwoo.”
He wasted no time getting to the point after taking a seat.
“We received a report about a monster appearing in human form.”
“Yes. It was a monster.”
“…Might there have been a core left behind after defeating it?”
“No. There was no core.”
Upon hearing me, the detective’s expression became quite troubled.
Did he perhaps think I had killed a shapeshifter and was claiming it was a monster?

I’ll tell you an easier way to discern it was that monster than cake.
What might that be?

When that monster died, it turned to dust. Its clothes too.
“Ah.”
“Is something the matter?”
“In the midst of fighting that monster, I tore off its clothes. But those clothes squirmed like living creatures before perishing.”
“Ah, could it be…?”
“Yes. It was a monster that had disguised itself as clothes too. It seems it didn’t trigger the monster detectors because it was a coreless temporary entity. When I pierced its heart, there was no core.”
Hearing me, he folded his arms in contemplation before noting something down on his laptop.
He asked about distinguishing disguised monsters and quickly detecting any sense of aberration.
I relayed to him the sensations I had felt upon encountering that monster.
Firstly, though appearing human, there was an unmistakable sense of discomfort upon closer inspection.
Unable to stand upright, hunched back, dragging their feet as they walked.
Almost zombie-like movements.
“Hmm… any other distinguishing features?”
“Ah, there was this too.”
Their eyes moved independently of each other.
I had heard of people who could control their eyes separately, but for that disguised monster, both sets of eyes had peculiar gaze patterns.
One eye could look straight ahead while the other looked sideways.
An indescribable, primal dread arose from such an anomaly.
“With such clear indicators, why didn’t others notice… Ah.”
A hunched back and strange posture weren’t exclusive to monsters.
Quite a few disabled individuals exhibited similar traits.
Particularly those sent to nursing homes, as their families didn’t wish to care for them directly.
Chief Lee Eunchul covered his eyes with his hand and sighed, only for his smartphone to ring.
Retrieving it, his expression hardened as he spoke, shooting me a pointed look by the end.
What was that about?

Quite an unpleasant expression.
As Greed said, his look seemed to convey, “Just who are you, exactly?”
After that prolonged call, he ended it and handed me his business card.
“If another monster appears, please contact me without fail.”
Then, in case any additional issues arose, he confirmed my phone number before saying I could leave.
“Take care.”
Even as I bid him farewell and exited the station, a complex feeling lingered.
A global urban legend persists:
That human-form monsters are living amongst human society.
Though most dismiss it as implausible, they can’t entirely rule out the possibility.
The urban legend of human-form monsters exists.
Yet there have been no official government announcements about it.
In that context, a monster appearing human-like was a first.
Whether that being was truly human or monster remained unconfirmed.
Cross-verifications, background checks on me, and more would likely take considerable time.
Yet he had already bid me farewell, as if the matter was settled.
Just what was that about?
At least I should still have time for lunch at home, I thought as I raised my head.
Only for a car to pull up right in front of me – a rather familiar vehicle I had seen recently.
The rear window rolled down, revealing an equally familiar person staring at me.
“Let’s have lunch together.”
“…Una, was it?”
“Yes, I’m Yuna.”
“…”
That wasn’t quite what I meant.
“Huh? Ah… aah…”
Una seemed flustered, fidgeting before letting out an awkward cough with a slightly flushed face.
I found her mildly silly demeanor quite perplexing.
For someone so endearingly clumsy, her actions clashed jarringly with my values.
So I had no desire to become any closer to her than necessary.
Lest my stance inadvertently hurt her feelings.
I had made it clear I expected no recompense and left no ambiguity in my rejection.
My refusal had been firm enough to potentially come across as discourteous or angering, depending on her perspective.
Yet why did she keep behaving this way?

Still, without this woman, your weekend might have ended very differently.
Greed had a point.
A monster disguised in human form.
Quite a few witnesses and even video footage, so it would definitely be reported on the 9 PM news tonight.
Methods to discern human-form monsters would spread, drawing attention to me as the initial witness and neutralizer.
By the time I left the station, night would have likely fallen.
In that situation, I should be grateful to her for securing my release.
And yet, an irrational sense of aversion arose.

You’re more suited to the nickname ‘Hypocrite’ than ‘Sweet Potato’. How vexing.
No, isn’t that precisely the issue?
For a national institution to release someone they had apprehended with a mere phone call…
I truly dislike people of that sort.

Which is why I said you’re an idiot! Hypocrites are more accepted, happier, and longer-lived than good-natured fools.
Even so, I’d rather be less accepted, less happy, and shorter-lived.
“What are you doing? Hurry and get in. You have some time, don’t you?”
“…I went camping in the mountains yesterday, so I’d rather not get in smelling like this.”
Gesturing with my thumb to the backpack on my back, I subtly expressed my reluctance.
If only I could outright voice my distaste for those who wield power so shamelessly…

If you’re going to be all noble, why not just say it directly?
I don’t wish to hurt others simply because I’m in a foul mood.
Whether wealthy or impoverished, intelligent or foolish, everyone has their own troubles.
For all I know, she too could have some trauma or hurt related to power or family background…

Oh… that level of idiocy has surpassed mere foolishness, making you rather endearing instead. From now on, you’re the superhero ‘Idiot’!
As Greed laughed “Kuhuhuh,” I pondered while the door opened again.
“Then let’s walk together, I suppose.”
Saying that, she wobbled her legs like a newborn fawn, leaning out of the car.
“G-Give me a ride, please.”
Hearing me, Una looked at me with an expression like, “You should have said so sooner,” and smiled faintly.
Infuriating.
Whenever I was with Una, the entire tempo seemed to become unnaturally skewed.