Became a Failed Experimental Subject-Chapter 77: The Hero’s Synonym

[When was the last time a city got wiped out by a monster?]

[Since the urban fortress plan was implemented, D-City is the first to be completely annihilated, right?]

[D-City was always called “Doomed City” as a joke because it had no people, no attractions, no infrastructure. But I never thought it would actually disappear....]

[I can’t wrap my head around it; is it just me?]

[In this day and age, unless it’s your own city, it might not feel real.]

There were those who were simply fixated on the fact that a city had disappeared.

Among them, those who remembered the chaos when monsters first started appearing seemed to be experiencing trauma, demanding that Blaccky be put down immediately.

[I remember when my whole family was wiped out by a monster....]

[When Grade 1 monster Code 005 wrecked my hometown, it was just like this.]

[Whoa, man. Code numbers for monsters? That’s ancient history.]

[If a monster destroyed an entire city, it should be the top priority for extermination.]

[Seriously, that thing is insanely dangerous; it must be killed immediately.]

In this era of relative stability, a monster capable of wiping out an entire city — just how powerful was it?

Among them, some slightly more composed citizens focused not on Blaccky but on the original parasite monsters.

[It wasn’t Blaccky who destroyed D-City; it was Baal.]

[I heard that bug monsters have a tendency to swarm, but has there ever been one that grew to that size?]

[Guess we shouldn’t underestimate Kill-Class monsters.]

[Baal is technically classified as Kill-Class, but its danger level is Rank 1-. That’s the same as Extinction-Class.]

[But the detected level was still below Kill-Class. Has there ever been a monster whose grade was this messed up?]

[No, Rank 1- doesn’t mean it’s as dangerous as Extinction-Class. It just means it’s safer than Extinction-Class but more dangerous than Despair-Class.]

[Oh, that’s what it meant? Yeah, I guess it wasn’t quite at Extinction-Class level.]

If you had to nitpick, Baal was the one that destroyed D-City, and Blaccky was the one that eradicated Baal’s nest.

For these people, Blaccky was a savior who eliminated a monster that had been silently consuming a city.

Those who thought this way were particularly concentrated in W-City.

[Holy shit, Godcat-sama is now hunting down dangerous monsters far away too!]

[Our lord, the Great Cat!]

[I have a hero boyfriend, and he said that Blaccky even catches monsters remotely while taking a nap!]

[So, was Blaccky just annoyed by all the bugs in W-City and went to exterminate them?]

[Blaccky...? That’s not a monster... that’s the Guardian Deity of W-City!]

[The fact is, if not for Blaccky, W-City would still be under quarantine and social distancing restrictions.]

[The Automatic Monster Detection and Interception System ‘BLACKCAT’ is the pride of W-City. Are other cities afraid of W-City’s Blaccky?]

Citizens of W-City, who had been directly exposed to the fear of the parasite monsters, were too busy worshipping Blaccky.

To them, it was just the usual banter, but citizens of other cities took those posts far more seriously.

[So, W-City really has a monster named Blaccky that actually protects the city?]

[And it’s a monster so strong that even regular S-Class heroes are a joke in comparison?]

According to Cage’s report, the S-Class hero Vector, who was infected by parasites, was still using his abilities as usual.

In fact, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) he was emitting an abnormal wavelength, as if receiving assistance from the parasites inside his body, and his output exceeded what was previously known.

A monster that could completely destroy D-City despite being targeted by such an S-Class hero — Blaccky.

A nightmare-inducing monster that protects humans and cities?

For those who were always suffering from a lack of heroes, there was no story more tantalizing.

[Are you telling me that W-City’s so-called joke videos and memes about Blaccky were actually true?]

[I thought W-City was just doing some self-deprecating humor because they couldn’t catch Blaccky.]

[Me too.]

[A-City’s citizens already knew quite a lot about Blaccky. But a monster is still just a monster.]

[Sure, but if it’s a monster, there are plenty of ways it could actually be useful, right? Even just off the top of my head, I can think of so many. Like deploying it in places too dangerous for heroes to handle.]

[If they could weaponize monsters, even clearing out the closed zones wouldn’t be a pipe dream.]

[That’s terrifying... So, if W-City ever gets into a conflict with another city, Blaccky could just go berserk and rampage like it did in D-City?]

[What was our city even doing all this time?]

[Why don’t we have a monster like Blaccky?]

The thought that powerful monsters lurking in the closed zones could be turned into watchdogs to protect them — a greed-driven thought.

Citizens of other cities, and those in high-ranking positions, arrived at the same conclusion.

[Wasn’t the monster weaponization project declared impossible ages ago?]

[But if you look at Blaccky, doesn’t it seem like they actually succeeded?]

[But that’s not a test subject; it’s just a freak mutation.]

[After reading through all these posts, it just seems like Blaccky is a really weird, rare-type monster.]

Monster weaponization — a project that had long been abandoned as a failed endeavor.

But now, it was time to try again.

[Then we need to capture Blaccky, dissect it, and figure out what caused that mutation.]

And for that, they would need Blaccky.

****

[“I refuse. The risk is too high.”]

[“But, Cage-nim... if A-City could just take down Blaccky, every city would benefit—”]

[“If you’re thinking of dragging A-City into a gamble, stop right there. I’ll be honest — we’re not confident we can subdue that thing.”]

[“Th-then... that means....”]

[“Electrice and I have already lost to Blaccky once. I suggest you read the battle report that Starlight and I compiled about Blaccky again.”]

Beep.

The moment Cage ended the call, another incoming call rang out.

[“It’s Cage. I’m busy, so spare me the formalities and get to the point.”]

[“Thank you for taking the call. This is Yun Gilsang, the mayor of G-City.”]

[“I said, skip the formalities.”]

[“My apologies. Could you possibly come to G-City? We have a plan to lure Blaccky—”]

[“Lure it, huh...? Even with two S-Class heroes from A-City backing us up, we couldn’t capture that thing. Blaccky doesn’t even trigger the monster detectors. Are you prepared to deal with the consequences if it goes on a rampage?”]

[“...That’s...”]

[“Also, that’s strange. The heroes from G-City just sent me a message saying they don’t want to provoke Blaccky unnecessarily. If you’re serious about it, try convincing them first. But let me make one thing clear... the heroes of G-City aren’t stupid enough to provoke a monster that Cage, Electrice, and Starlight couldn’t capture.”]

Beep.

Cage ended the call with a loud click, making sure Yun Gilsang heard it.

Then, he turned to look at Yu Anna, who was on the other side of a video call.

[“I expected as much, but to think there’d be so many idiots dreaming about monster weaponization.”]

“You’re doing a good job holding them off.”

[“I may have made a promise to you, but this is also a matter of personal disgust. Those greedy fools who only want to suck up the benefits.”]

“At least they’re aware Blaccky is a special variant and aren’t trying to tame other monsters yet.”

[“That would be preferable, honestly. Let those useless pigs die out.”]

Cage’s eyes flashed with killing intent for a brief moment, and the screen flickered under the pressure of his ability’s wavelength.

[“Those fattened pigs who know nothing about the battlefield, who know nothing about what monsters are really like... they just keep shoving heroes into death traps. Heroes are no longer the politicians’ tools. Not as long as I’m here. I won’t allow it.”]

“...Times have changed.”

[“No, say it right. Times didn’t change. I changed them.”]

“Yeah. For that, I’m grateful.”

Yu Anna shrugged, genuinely appreciative.

Ever since Cage rose to political power as a hero with the absolute support of the citizens, many things had improved for heroes.

Wages that were previously denied under the pretense that they’d all die eventually.

Prohibition of secret human experiments through the Hero Registration Act.

Development of strategic plans to increase survival rates.

Passage of the Hero Special Law.

Some heroes even referred to Cage as a shield — not only protecting citizens from monsters but also protecting heroes from both the government and the public.

[“Blaccky and Baal just reminded those government scum of what fear feels like. I plan to use this chance to expand my authority even further.”]

Now, Cage intended to take the destruction of D-City as an opportunity to further empower heroes.

His ultimate goal was to fill all high-ranking governmental positions with superhumans.

[“But... this is exhausting.”]

Beep-beep-beep.

The phone rang again.

With a heavy sigh, Cage grabbed the phone and tossed it to the A-Class hero in the room.

“They always thought they were safe, but now that even high-ranking officials were victims of Baal, they’re scared out of their minds.”

[“They feel fear so easily. Pathetic pigs who only happened to climb to high positions thanks to sheer luck. Useless trash....”]

The A-Class hero, a woman, silently massaged Cage’s shoulders as he seethed with contempt for non-superhumans in power.

[“Starlight, so what did you want to talk about?”]

“...I’m sending you some data.”

After a few minutes of waiting on the video call, Cage finally received the data Yu Anna had compiled.

“The parasites’ activity has drastically decreased after the loss of the main body. To be more precise, their cognitive function has regressed to that of ordinary parasites.”

[“Is this research on infected civilians? You’re still doing that?”]

What Yu Anna had sent was a report on the infected civilians still held in W-City.

Every other city had already exterminated all the infected, but W-City was still holding onto them.

Cage’s expression darkened.

[“Every other city thinks they’ve eradicated the parasites, but they’re still in W-City... Just give it up and kill them, Starlight.”]

“There’s still a chance for a cure.”

[“That’s your problem. That’s why I never wanted to acknowledge you. You’re always so unrealistic... so fucking stupid.”]

Cage clicked his tongue in irritation.

[“Are you saying my choice was wrong? That I shouldn’t have killed all the infected in D-City?”]

“No, that choice was right. But... I’ve been researching a cure the whole time. I just want to see it through to the end.”

[“Every city has already opted to kill the infected. Cutting off the rotten parts — that’s the efficient, quick, and sure solution that someone as dumb as you could never pull off.”]

Cage sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes.

[“So, what’s this supposed cure of yours?”]

“They think they can surgically remove the parasites clinging to the brain and organs.”

[“Even if they can, they wouldn’t be considered alive. Extracting parasites that have replaced brain tissue is the same as cutting away parts of the brain.”]

“That’s why... I want you to request Meister to develop a replacement brain. I’ve marked all the organs that can be surgically extracted. Whether it’s through bioengineering or mechanical parts, if they can be replaced, the patients could return to a normal life.”

Cage skimmed through the data Yu Anna sent, then raised the corners of his lips in a faint, silent smile.

[“Alright, once the replacement brain is completed, I’ll send it to W-City... Hmm, Electrice has been saying she wants to visit a restaurant in W-City she missed out on last time. I’ll have her deliver it.”]

After organizing the data files, Cage stared at Yu Anna through the screen.

[“You’re still as unpleasant as ever, you know that?”]

“What? What’s with the sudden insult?”

[“Thanks to you, my already foul mood has hit rock bottom, you idiot.”]

“Oh? You picking a fight?”

[“It’s a compliment. After all, ‘hero’ and ‘idiot’ are practically synonyms.”]

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Yu Anna scowled as Cage chuckled and ended the call.

Should she feel insulted? Or relieved that Cage agreed to have a replacement brain developed?

At least there was a chance now — a chance to save even one more civilian.

Clinging to that hope, Yu Anna left the communication room, her expression conflicted but tinged with a sliver of anticipation.

And the moment Yu Anna stepped out of the room, a new alarm, designed specifically to detect Blaccky, echoed throughout the hero department building.