Hero’s Child C24

Chapter 24

“Damn it! Of all times, my body had to switch then? If not for that bastard, I’d have dragged those goblins here myself!”

“Oh, shut up, you idiot. If it weren’t for him, you’d be in pieces by now—blown apart by that hurricane. You get that?”

“Blown apart, my ass! My body’s built like iron.”

When the villains who attacked Seonghwa Hero University were revealed to be goblins, people suddenly recalled a name they’d long forgotten—Aengak. Six years ago, it had been the source of catastrophe, the curse that wiped out an entire village. The wooden spirit Penghu Aengak.

Among all the awakened spirits of recent years, Aengak was the only one the Hero Association had failed to capture. That alone spoke volumes about its power—swift, elusive, and impossible to contain.

Phantom Thief Kill flicked a Joker card into the air. When Hyde’s gaze followed it, the card distorted into a grotesque, weeping face. A bad omen—signaling that great misfortune would follow this affair.

“Oh dear… a crying Joker. That’s an ill sign indeed. This mission will be messy, dangerous, and long. In all my life, I’ve only seen the Joker cry once. I have a very bad feeling about this.”

“The item is intriguing,” Hyde said, “but there’s no need to pick a fight with goblins. In the Hell will withdraw from this case.”

“What?”

“You’re serious?”

Everyone stared at him in disbelief—including Uichan. In the Hell had never once backed out of an operation before. But as Hyde said, this was Aengak they were dealing with—an ancient curse, a spirit born of disaster. There was no reason to stir that hornet’s nest.

Besides, this incident already involved far too many organizations and heroes. If In the Hell joined the fray too, Seoul could easily be reduced to rubble.

Yet for Uichan, this was an opportunity that might never come again. If he missed it now, he might never get another chance to trace Aengak’s trail.

“We don’t know what Aengak’s goal is,” Hyde continued calmly. “Acting rashly will only cost us. Don’t forget our final objective—Aengak is our ultimate adversary. There’s nothing to gain from fighting it now, and I think you all understand that.”

Aengak was the embodiment of calamity, and In the Hell was the pinnacle of organized wickedness. They were equals—two forces locked in perfect opposition. Hyde valued that balance; it kept Aengak from running rampant.

Kyarruk—kyarruk!

While the others sat grim-faced, little Podo squirmed happily in Uichan’s lap, kicking his legs and laughing, oblivious to the tension.

There was no point in provoking bloodshed without knowing Aengak’s strength. The others, though reluctant, nodded in agreement. Hyde’s decision was final. Only Uichan… couldn’t bring himself to nod.

The cold, pale eyes marked with the Big Dipper fixed on him, watching quietly. And in his arms, the child’s mischievous expression faded. Podo merely blinked, studying Uichan closely, until at last, he gave a small, knowing smile when Uichan finally lowered his head.

The past few days had been uneventful—so dull it almost hurt. June had arrived, bringing its thick summer heat. Still, it was the perfect weather to pack a lunch and eat at the park.

It would’ve been peaceful, too—if not for Park Rion, who clung to his leg like a desperate barnacle.

“I told you, the water pipe burst at my place! The whole room’s flooded! How am I supposed to sleep there? It’s a half-basement, it smells damp and moldy!”

Uichan sat on a park bench, eating his lunch in peace. Across the street stood the Nonhier Office, its open windows letting him see Director Song Ojun now and then as he wiped the glass clean.

He picked up a piece of rolled omelet, dropped it, then picked it back up from the lunchbox. Still good.

“So, Uichan… can’t I stay at your place for a few days?”

“Just sleep at the office.”

“I can’t! What if ghosts show up? It’s creepy there at night, and the streetlights don’t even work!”

With a resigned sigh, Uichan set down his chopsticks. Rion looked at him with teary, pleading eyes—like a chick gazing up at its mother hen.

“…How long?”

“Two days! Just two! They said they’ll fix the pipes by then.”

Two days wasn’t so bad. After a quick mental calculation, Uichan gave a reluctant nod.

“Only two days, right?”

When he got home, he’d hide his maternity notebook first thing, then lay out bedding in the small spare room. Rion was too dense to notice even if he stumbled upon it, but still—Uichan would tell him not to come out at night, just in case.

“Our Uichan’s the best!”

Rion threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly. At that exact moment, shadows flickered within the forest surrounding the park—three of them. Left, right, and center. One hid behind an old tree; the others crouched low in the thick shrubs.

Neither Rion nor Uichan noticed. They had no idea that those three shadows belonged to some of the busiest heroes in the world—each there for one reason: to watch him.

“I, uh, brought my stuff! I’ll just pop by the office real quick, okay? You finish your meal—and don’t eat anything you drop again!”

Rion dashed off toward the office, his oversized hiking backpack bouncing behind him until he disappeared into the distance. Uichan shook his head and focused on finishing his food—popping cherry tomatoes into his mouth, then eating the perfectly fried meat patties. A few bites of white kimchi to balance the flavor, and soon the lunchbox was empty.

Little beans, behave today, okay? I’ll get you some chocolate milk later.

He rubbed his belly gently, murmuring the words like a prayer. But his mind drifted to Hyde’s decision from a few days ago—how In the Hell had agreed to step back from anything related to Aengak. It was the logical choice.

…Maybe it was for the best. Uichan needed rest now, more than ever. His body—and the twins—needed calm.

But peace never sat easily in his heart. He’d spent five long years chasing Aengak.

If only I’d gained the Reversal ability sooner…

Maybe then he could’ve saved his family. Saved everyone.

After the Seolhyang Village tragedy, Uichan had drifted through the streets like a vagrant. Disillusioned by the government’s negligence, he became a runaway and survived on odd jobs, often lying about his age.

It was only possible because of his Pickpocket ability—he could steal other people’s powers through physical contact and use them as his own.

But one day, he made a mistake. He brushed past a man on the street and accidentally stole his ability. Seconds later, that man was hit by a car and died right before his eyes.

And the power Uichan stole that day—was Reversal.

He’d tried to discard it out of guilt.

Why… isn’t it going away?

No matter what he did, the ability wouldn’t disappear. Even after using it repeatedly, Reversal clung to him, etched into his ability slot like a scar. From that day on, Uichan had two powers.

At nineteen, while drifting through the city, he met Song Ojun, the current head of the Nonhier Office—the man who had once saved his life. Out of guilt or responsibility, Ojun occasionally gave him small jobs. By the time Uichan turned twenty, he was officially recruited into the office.

At first, Ojun suggested accounting work. But once he discovered that Uichan held a hero’s license, he registered him as one through the labor bureau—without even asking. Before long, Uichan found himself doing assignments like finding missing cats.

“Uichan!”

His thoughts were interrupted as Rion returned, hauling a mountain-sized backpack that looked bigger than his body. He stopped in front of Uichan and grabbed his hand eagerly.

At that same moment, the bushes rustled again.

“Since I’m the one imposing, Uichan, dinner’s on me tonight! What do you want to eat? Or maybe I’ll make you some new support gear?”

“You don’t have to… it’s just two days.”

“Mm, then I’ll make something anyway. You never ask for anything, so I’ll decide!”

Uichan tried to wave him off, but Rion clasped his hand tighter. The three hidden figures in the bushes clenched their jaws, veins bulging in their necks.

That damn otaku.

And why wasn’t he wearing his glasses, for once? Watching Rion fawn over that face made their blood boil. The thought of Rion living in the same house—same room, same bathroom—was unbearable. The three men each began plotting how to interfere.

Then, just as Rion pulled a sausage from his bag to hand to Uichan—

“—Huh? What the—what is that?!”

Rion froze, eyes widening as his backpack suddenly lifted off his shoulders, floating midair.

“G-Ghost! Let go! That’s mine—let go of my stuff!”

He tossed the sausage toward Uichan like a peace offering and clung tightly to the straps. But the bag jerked forward—and so did Rion, dragged along helplessly.

“No way! Do you know how many matching sets I bought for us, Uichan?!”

Uichan could only stare, dumbfounded, from the bench. When Rion began being pulled out of the park at alarming speed, he jumped up in shock—just as a dark object flew toward him and stopped right in front of his face.

It was a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, floating midair.

Uichan blinked, scanning the surroundings—but there was no sign of anyone nearby. The glasses shook insistently, as if telling him to put them on.

“…You want me to wear them?”

When Uichan hesitated, the glasses gave a frustrated shake—then snatched the sausage from his hand and zipped away.

A pair of glasses stealing a sausage.
Even if he told someone, who would ever believe that?