Hero Killer: The Shadow
Chapter 1: A Shadow Awakens
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Prologue: Legends Cast Long Shadows
They called him the Distorter, a man who defied the laws of space itself. Kang-Woo wasn't just the strongest hero in Korea; he was the strongest in the world. To the public, he was a living god—a symbol of invincibility.
But to Jin-Woo, Kang-Woo was something else entirely. A reminder of everything he could never be.
In a world defined by power, where your Kore determined your worth, Jin-Woo's weak shadow abilities had earned him nothing but scorn. Even his older sister, Yoo Ara—a rising star among heroes—looked down on him.
And Kang-Woo? He didn't even know Jin-Woo existed.
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The Present
The skies above Seoul glowed a sickly orange as explosions rocked the city. Jin-Woo darted through the alleys, his heart pounding. The Hero Association had declared a Level 5 Villain Emergency, and Kang-Woo had been dispatched.
Most people would've run the other way. Jin-Woo wasn't most people.
"This is stupid," he muttered, pulling his hood tighter. "Why am I even here?"
Because Yoo Ara was there. His sister. The golden hero. The one person who made him feel smaller than the rest of the world combined.
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Jin-Woo reached the edge of the battlefield and climbed onto a rooftop to get a better view. His breath caught in his throat.
The villain—a massive man with a Kore that allowed him to manipulate molten metal—was tearing through the city. Rivers of glowing magma flowed around him, carving deep scars into the streets. Buildings groaned and collapsed as the heat warped their foundations.
And there, standing amidst the chaos, was Kang-Woo.
The strongest hero looked almost bored, his hands in his pockets as he walked toward the villain. His white coat fluttered behind him, pristine despite the ash and smoke.
"Do you know who I am?" the villain roared, raising a massive fist dripping with molten steel. "I'm Vulcan, the Scourge of Seoul! I've taken down ten heroes!"
Kang-Woo tilted his head slightly. "Ten, huh? Impressive."
Vulcan grinned, thinking he'd earned a compliment, but Kang-Woo's voice turned cold.
"That's nine more than you should've gotten away with."
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The Fight
Vulcan roared and slammed his molten fist into the ground, sending a wave of fiery destruction toward Kang-Woo. The hero didn't move.
Instead, the wave of magma stopped a few feet from him, freezing in mid-air. Kang-Woo raised a single hand, his Kore activating.
"Let's put some distance between us," he said casually.
The magma rippled and bent, the space between Kang-Woo and Vulcan stretching unnaturally. Vulcan's attack couldn't reach him, no matter how much force he applied.
Kang-Woo sighed. "I'm only using three percent of my power. Don't make me regret coming here."
Vulcan growled and charged, his molten body glowing brighter. He swung wildly, but each strike stopped inches from Kang-Woo, as if hitting an invisible wall.
"It's like fighting air!" Vulcan bellowed.
Kang-Woo smirked. "No, air would at least let you get close."
With a flick of his wrist, Kang-Woo compressed the space between them, sending Vulcan flying backward like a ragdoll. The villain crashed into a building, the molten metal hardening into jagged shards around him.
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Jin-Woo's Perspective
Jin-Woo watched in awe, his heart hammering. This wasn't a fight—it was a performance. Kang-Woo barely exerted himself, yet he was completely untouchable.
"Unreal," Jin-Woo muttered.
Beside Kang-Woo, Yoo Ara joined the fray, her radiant Kore lighting up the battlefield. She created shields of pure light to protect civilians, while firing beams to pin Vulcan down.
Jin-Woo felt a pang of jealousy. She moved with such confidence, such grace. Compared to her, he was nothing.
But then something caught his eye. In the shadows near Vulcan's crash site, a third figure emerged.
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The Shadowy Figure
The figure was draped in black, their face obscured. Unlike Vulcan, they didn't announce their presence with fire and fury. They moved silently, their Kore warping the air around them like heat waves.
Jin-Woo's instincts screamed at him to run, but he couldn't move. The figure wasn't attacking Kang-Woo or Ara. They were heading straight for the civilians still trapped in the rubble.
"I can't just stand here," Jin-Woo whispered.
For the first time, his Kore responded without hesitation. Shadows flickered around him, cloaking his movements as he descended into the chaos.
He reached the civilians just as the figure did. The man sneered, his hand glowing with dark energy. Jin-Woo didn't think—he lunged, tackling the figure away from the group.
The man hissed, his energy flaring as he threw Jin-Woo off. "Another hero wannabe?"
Jin-Woo scrambled to his feet, his shadowy Kore flickering weakly. "Not... exactly."
Before the man could strike again, a beam of golden light shot through the air, forcing him to retreat. Ara landed beside Jin-Woo, her expression furious.
"Jin-Woo? What the hell are you doing here?"
"I was—"
"Get out of here!" she snapped. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
Kang-Woo appeared behind her, glancing at Jin-Woo briefly before focusing on the shadowy figure.
"Huh," Kang-Woo said, his tone mildly curious. "Looks like we've got a rat."
The figure froze as Kang-Woo raised his hand, the space around him warping. "You have three seconds to tell me who you're working for."
The figure didn't answer. Instead, they dissolved into mist, vanishing into the night.
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Aftermath
As the dust settled, Ara dragged Jin-Woo to safety. "What were you thinking?" she scolded. "You're not a hero, Jin-Woo. You don't belong here."
Jin-Woo didn't respond. He couldn't. His mind was racing with what he had seen—and what he had done. For the first time, his Kore had felt... real.
Kang-Woo passed by them, barely sparing Jin-Woo a glance. "You've got guts, kid," he said. "But guts won't save you."
As the heroes regrouped, Jin-Woo stayed behind, staring at his trembling hands. The shadowy figure's words echoed in his mind.
This was just the beginning.