Chapter 41: Artificial Demons And Natural Demons (4)
Hot pink was fine.
It was a matter of personal taste for heroes to choose their own color, and this personal preference should not be casually interfered with.
[I’d like my costume to be deep dark black.]
[What? Isn’t black a bit of a villain-like color?]
[What did you say? Did you just call my favorite color, black, a villainous color? Grrr, I’m getting dark!]
[No, are you crazy?]
Superhumans were like delicate pieces of glass; touch them carelessly, and they tended to darken.
So when heroes choose their superpower suits, you shouldn’t casually interject.
Hot pink.
It was a color that deserved respect.
Some people made hero costumes in rainbow colors; compared to that, hot pink was quite a gentleman’s color.
“Hot pink. That’s good. The color is clear, and it’s a suit that dangerous people can recognize as a ‘hero’ even in the dark.”
“Right?”
“But not Dodjirider.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a villain.”
Hot pink was fine.
Light pink was also fine.
But Dodjirider was not.
“Regardless of Dodjirider’s design, the Goblin is a villain. Which heroes in the world would copy a villain’s costume?”
“It’s a pity, teacher. People don’t think that way.”
“What?”
“People felt ‘cool’ seeing the design of the Goblin, and as a result, everyone, you and I, are creating new hero costumes based on the design of the Goblin.”
“No.”
This was nonsense.
“Oh, you didn’t know? It was a hot issue within the past week.”
“I was working in the basement of the library, reading books. I wasn’t interested in that. It wasn’t even on the news, was it?”
“There was a very active discussion in the student-only community. Especially among male students. ‘A man can’t help but look at this’ and so on.”
I understood.
Because it stimulated the sentiments of that era while being transformed into a design that didn’t feel outdated even in 2025.
Did it undergo excessive variation to shed its existing design? No.
Was it a design that made the viewer laugh to maintain a certain concept too simple? No.
Did it give a sense of disgust to those who saw it for the first time, like, ‘Damn, what is that?’? That, too, No.
Every man carried a transformed hero in his heart at least once, and I had actually transformed in that way.
“Sejong Academy looks like a villain’s version of it now. Can you believe it? How can they design and wear a villain’s costume in an educational environment?”
“It’s not a villain’s costume. It’s a hero’s costume fighting against alien monsters and demons from space. Mixed with a slight mechanical vibe.”
“Huh.”
I was astounded by all the designs Yoon Iseon showed me.
“Didn’t this come out before we were even born?”
“Yes. Right in 2000, before the world went into turmoil, it was a typical Korean hero that caused a sensation.”
Almost no one would know this.
If they knew this, they would be the perfect targets to be teased by young friends like, ‘What is that, oldie?’
“Earth Warrior.”
“…Yeah, I get that it’s a Korean special effects work. But is it really okay for everyone to follow this? Don’t these superhumans have any sense of shame?”
“More important than shame is ‘cool’. Isn’t it more important for a hero to look cool? No matter how skilled a hero is, they won’t be popular if the costume is a failure.”
That was the undeniable truth.
“If the appearance is a failure, you can’t be popular as a hero. Isn’t that right?”
“True.”
Even if one was a powerful hero, even if they were an S-rank hero, which was rare in the world, if their appearance failed, their popularity also fell.
[Would you call me Mosquito Man?]
[How can you attach ‘mosquito’ to an S-rank hero! There’s something suitable like ‘wolf’ or ‘killer whale’!]
[But due to his fascination with mosquitoes….]
Let me say it again, superhumans were as delicate as glass.
[What? Insulting mosquitoes? I can tolerate insults about me, but I can’t tolerate insults about mosquitoes! Apologize for that!]
[Damn it, I don’t know about anything else, but not mosquitoes! There’s no one in the world who likes mosquitoes! Even if you make a cool concept based on a cockroach, it would at least be unique! I said no mosquitoes!]
[Insulting mosquitoes, unforgivable! I will reverse the rotten mental state of all those in the world who hate mosquitoes until they like them!]
[That’s because you’re crazy! Whether an S-rank turns evil or not, I must say what must be said!]
Such things happen all over the world.
In cases where other superhumans, adults, and ordinary people could not accept the appearance that the hero was pursuing.
[Bring it on! The cool Mosquito Man! If the design doesn’t suit me, I’ll leave this country!]
[Where will you go?]
[Until a country that accepts Mosquito Man comes along!]
[Damn it, let’s do it! Let’s see how the world accepts Mosquito Man!!]
Although I gave an extreme example, the Dodjirider was similar to the case of Mosquito Man.
“Yoon Iseon, I definitely said that even if the form known to the world is a demon or a monster, if its actions are righteous, then it’s a hero.”
“Yes.”
“Suppose, for example, Yoon Iseon, you transform into…something like a nine-tailed fox. However, instead of the fox stealing people’s livers, it extracts the villain’s magic power in a very special way and stores it somewhere like a bead.”
“……Would you explain in detail?”
Yoon Iseon’s pupils started to twinkle.
Judging by the fact that she seemed to be outright spoiling the direction of her power development, not just her future costume, Yoon Iseon definitely showed considerable interest.
“Like this, for instance. A nine-tailed fox wearing a Hanbok carrying an energy bead like the orb of a prophet. From it, fox fire is spewed, and in close combat, she swings claws made of magic power and whips her nine tails like a whip, and fox fireflies out from each tail to attack enemies.”
“…Wearing Hanbok?”
“Yes. Eventually transforming into a full-fledged nine-tailed fox. Ah, is this too much?”
Yoon Iseon’s ultimate form would be a tall, beautiful woman with a balanced physique.
“You could go with the concept of absorbing the opponent’s magic power. Wearing a hot pink Hanbok.”
Rather than recklessly turning a hero into some massive beast, it was better to leave some room here.
“But it’s not the Goblin.”
A legendary hero, Super Ranger, Power Force, Masked Rider; such concepts weren’t for the nine-tailed fox, they weren’t Yoon Iseon’s!
“Making it look like the Goblin could easily turn into endorsing the Goblin.”
“But I’m pro-Goblin.”
Damn.
The conversation was repeating itself.
“Alright. Let’s say you become something similar to a Hot Pink Dodjirider, a Pink Rider. Would the public gaze be able to bear it?”
“Yes. You’re overlooking something, teacher. The Goblin, as a person, has enough popularity to have a fan club, not only in Korea but globally.”
“Even though he’s a villain?”
“That’s from the perspective of the state. Though indeed a member of the criminal organization, the Goblin has not committed any crime except executing villains.”
“…….”
She was right.
As a law-abiding citizen, I had not recklessly used my powers or revealed my identity at any moment except when executing villains.
“When villains run rampant, he steps forward to deal with them, ensuring that there are no civilian casualties, and gives people a sense of vicarious satisfaction by executing villains in a way that the heroes can’t.”
I was screwed.
The persuasion wasn’t working at all.
“Everyone knows that the Goblin’s actions are criminal. Even the Goblin fan club doesn’t deny that his execution of villains is not a ‘crime’. But everyone is enthusiastic because his actions provide vicarious satisfaction, catharsis.”
“So, what you’re saying is…”
“Because he refreshingly kills villains, everyone has fallen for him. Wasn’t it a huge trend when the Goblin first appeared in a suit behind a mask?”
“Is that really so?”
“Yes. It was brief, and the suit gave off an ordinary vibe, so everyone was slightly disappointed. But this time, it’s different. With just a few modifications, a change in color and design, he could easily be seen as a ‘hero’.”
Previously, the public opinion on the Goblin was favorable, and now he has appeared with a completely new and cool outward appearance?
“The Goblin messed up.”
“What do you mean?”
“By transforming into a strange form, he bewitched the people.”
I never thought his confident transformation would cause such a Goblin craze.
“This is difficult, really.”
“Right? The people are passionate…”
Suddenly
Yoon Iseon and I froze.
“Iseon, students are not the only ones who are passionate.”
“… That’s an insult to the Goblin.”
The drama on the TV in the restaurant suddenly switched to a live broadcast.
[This is Saerogu Square! A monster resembling the ‘Goblin’ is running wild right now! The villain seems to have transformed into that form due to a desire to mimic the Goblin and is currently being called by the codename ‘Doppelganger’!]
“Of course.”
Yoon Iseon rose from her seat with a smug grin.
“Superstars make both heroes and villains go crazy.”
Was that the right phrase to use in this situation…?
“Teacher. I need to go somewhere.”
“You’re not going there, are you?”
“It’s nearby, and my thoughts have changed after listening to you.”
A tiny pink flame sparked from the tips of Yoon Iseon’s fingers.
“Would you like to witness the new transformation of the student council president?”
“… It’s not a rider, is it?”
“…….”
Yoon Iseon just smiled with her eyes curved like a crescent moon.
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