Chapter 1 – From Strongest to Weak
It was midnight. Between two tall buildings, a young man dashed forward, Airstorm crackling around his body. His target stood ahead — a man whose hands burned with dark flames.
In a flash, the guy with Airstorm strike clashed with the man's dark fire. Air and flames filled the air. A moment later, the enemy lay dead on the ground.
The guy walked over, staring at the body. He crouched, reached out, and touched the dead man's arm. Within seconds, black fire spread onto the guy's own left arm — exactly the same as his enemy's.
Without a word, he leapt up to the rooftops. Electricity burst across his body as he dashed away at lightning speed.
But then — in the middle of his run — a hooded man in a dark robe appeared in his path.
"MOVE!" the guy shouted.
The man didn't move.
The guy stopped just in time. "Phew… that was close! What are you doing in a place this dark?"
The hooded man said nothing.
"Huh!? Didn't you hear me?!" The guy yelled. Still no answer.
The man only smiled.
"What are you smiling at!?" The guy clenched his fists, flames and lightning gathering in both hands. "You got a problem!? I can kill you with my—"
The hooded man pulled out a plain-looking dagger.
The guy laughed. "What's that? You're too slow!"
But suddenly… time felt slower.
"Wh-what!? Why am I moving so slowly?!" His body felt like it could only move a millisecond at a time.
The hooded man walked toward him.
"You think you can kill me with that?" The guy growled. "I'm a High Human! Weapons can't hurt me!"
The man smiled again and kept approaching.
"I'm Ryhu — Highest Human Rank 4 in this country! No weapon can hurt me, not even the strongest material!"
The dagger pierced his stomach.
"AUGHHH!" Ryhu coughed blood, glaring at the hooded man.
"You… son of—"
The man let go of the dagger, leaving it in Ryhu's stomach. "Now you're the one who hunts heroes," he said with a smile.
"Wait! Come back!" Ryhu shouted, coughing more blood.
"I'll be waiting for you to kill me," the hooded man replied before vanishing into the darkness.
Ryhu could move again. He tried to chase the man, dagger still in his stomach — but suddenly, his powers were gone.
"Huh!? Why can't I use my power?" He looked at the dagger. "Tch… this must be the reason!"
He pulled it out — and blacked out.
---
When Ryhu woke, a dog was licking his face. It was morning. He sat up in a park, the same place where he'd been stabbed.
"Tch… I need to find that hooded man," he muttered, brushing dust from his clothes.
He noticed people staring at him.
"Great… now they'll recognize me." He braced himself for camera flashes.
But no one reacted — they just went back to their phones.
"Huh? Don't they know who I am? I'm pretty famous!"
Feeling uneasy, he pulled out his phone. But when he tried to unlock it, the fingerprint didn't work.
"This fingerprint doesn't match," the phone said.
"Hmm… let me try again."
Five failed attempts. The phone locked.
"F***! What's wrong with this?!"
Then a man pointed at him. "That's him, officer! He stole someone else phone and clothes!"
Ryhu glared. "How dare you talk to me like that!" He tried to summon his powers — but nothing happened.
"What!? Why can't I—"
The officer tackled him easily.
"Huh? How did I… lose to a Low Human?" Ryhu thought, shocked, before blacking out.
---
When he woke, he was handcuffed in a police station.
"Where am I?" he growled.
"You're in a police station," said the investigator.
"How dare you treat me like a cockroach!" Ryhu shouted, trying to summon lightning — but nothing came.
"What!? Why can't I use my power!?"
The investigator stared coldly. "Alright, sir. We'd like to ask a few questions."
"Sir!? Don't you know who I am? I'm Ryhu!"
"You mean Ryhu — the strongest Highest Human?"
"Yes! You can't recognize me?!"
The investigator sighed. "Alright… first question. How old are you?"
"I'm 19!"
The man gave him a dead stare. "…Are you roleplaying, sir?"
"Roleplaying!?" Ryhu shouted.
The investigator took out a small mirror. "Sir, you're a middle-aged man. You do NOT look like Ryhu."
Ryhu's eyes widened.
"Wh-what…?!"
The face in the mirror wasn't his own — it was the hooded man who stabbed him.
"This… can't be… Why do I look like him?!"
The investigator continued, "Sir, why do you have Ryhu's clothes and phone?"
But Ryhu didn't hear him — his mind was spiraling in confusion.
"I think you should rest, sir," the investigator said. "You're the prime suspect in the disappearance of Ryhu."
Two officers dragged Ryhu away.
"Lowest human scum," the investigator muttered.
When Ryhu was gone, another man entered the room. "Did he say anything?"
"All trash," the investigator said. "Still no trace of Ryhu."
The man clenched his fists. "Fine.I'll kill Ryhu myself when I find him."
The investigator thought to himself: We'll find you, Ryhu. You're wanted in the underground Special market.