The Hated Hero: Sigil-Powered Warrior - Chapter 22: Mercurius, The Boy King

Eighty years ago, an alien war broke out in Earth’s orbit. A powerful fugitive known as Tree was pursued by an extraterrestrial force. In the battle’s aftermath, the fugitive’s heart merged with Earth’s core, giving rise to a massive tree—marking the dawn of superpowers.Awakening. A phenomenon where humans gained extraordinary abilities. Seventeen years later, nearly everyone had awakened… except a few. Those who failed were called Rejecters, the lowest in society.Zane Carter was born into infamy. The son of a fallen superhero-turned-supervillain, he faced discrimination from birth. He dreamed of being a hero, but his father’s sins made him an outcast. Even after rigorous training, his Awakening failed. Rejected by the Hero Academy, ridiculed, and cast aside—his fate seemed sealed.Until one day…[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]Welcome, User. You have been selected as the recipient of the Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System.Generate your first skill? Y/NWith his newfound system, Zane is given a choice: become the hero they never wanted him to be… or the villain they always feared.

The story is about a man who’s opposed to the now-common practice of implanting false memories, but is one day given memories of a fictional childhood friend. This fabricated happiness torments him, but then, to his surprise, he meets her – a girl who shouldn’t exist.

Ken was about to take his own life, after he had experienced a very tragic emotion. However, he was stopped by a mysterious cyan screen before his eyes.“What is this?”The Cyan screen displayed a message. It called itself the Guarantee System, and told him that it would guarantee whatever mission he desires. And through these missions he was to earn a reward, and these rewards were to be massive if the mission he takes, is relating to a… female.Then the question followed…[What will be your first mission?]At that moment, Ken knew… just the right thing he wanted. With a smirk on his face he said.“I WILL GET ALL THE LADIES I WANT!”Hehe'Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and organizations are imaginary and any resemblance to real persons or events is purely coincidental. The narrative is intended for entertainment purposes only and does not reflect real-life occurrences or perspectives.Enjoy!

Yeon-woo had a twin brother who disappeared five years ago. One day, a pocket watch left by his brother returned to his possession. Inside, he found a hidden diary in which was recorded “By the time you hear this, I guess I will be already dead….”