Evolving Infinitely From An E-Class Hero

Chapter 6

The International Superhero Association — the ISA — was the world's governing body for heroes, the institution responsible for licensing, monitoring, and regulating our actions under a set of laws known as the Heroic Law.

It kept us in check, ensured we weren't running wild like some lawless vigilantes, and determined who was officially recognized as a hero.

But the thing was, the ISA wasn't a hero organization in itself.

It didn't dispatch us into the field, didn't train us, and sure as hell didn't fund us beyond the basic stipend every licensed hero received.

These were done by Guilds.

In the world, superheroes weren't just people with capes and flashy abilities running around saving lives.

We were assets — brands, resources that could be mobilized, marketed, and, to some extent, owned.

This was done under Guilds. They contracted different heroes, branded them with superhero names and characters then dispatched them for a monthly funding from the ISA.

There were four major Guilds;

The Red Lion Guild, the Silver Tiger Guild, the Blue Cross Guild and the Iron Fang Guild.

Some Guilds were more powerful than the others, therefore had more star power and gathered interest from heroes in search of contracts.

Each of these guilds had at least one of their heroes in the Guardian Corps, and they constantly vied to add more.

Superheroing had become more political than just saving people. Everything was about reputation, power, and influence.

And that's why today, the last day of civilian hero assessments, was so important.

Guild headhunters filled the arena, standing at the corners, watching from the stands, each of them searching for the next big name to sign under their banner.

E-Class heroes like me didn't belong to any Guilds, so for us to maintain our license or get any kind of pay, we had to do things such as community service and role calls.

With my second Enlightenment Event, hopefully these days were now behind me.

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The ISA Hero Assessment Center was a massive complex, an entire facility dedicated to testing aspiring heroes.

It was done in Sector A and I had to get on a cab over there just in time.

The energy was palpable inside. Everywhere you looked, wannabe heroes crowded the waiting area, stretching, cracking their knuckles, or practicing with their weapons and abilities.

Some were sweating bullets, others looked cocky, but all of them had the same goal: to prove themselves.

I walked past the crowd, wearing a hooded sleeveless shirt over blue jeans, keeping my hood low.

At the entrance checkpoint, a bored-looking worker scanned my ID. The machine beeped, and my profile appeared on a hovering screen.

Reno Renly – Skateboard Man – E-Class Hero

I barely glanced at it before moving on.

As I stepped further inside, I spotted the familiar figures of guild recruiters—sharp-eyed men and women, dressed in sleek suits or customized hero gear, watching the candidates with the same intensity a predator watches its prey.

They certainly weren't looking at people like me. Yet, at the same time, they were.

I heard my name being called out. "Hey! Reno! Reno!"

Turning my head, I saw Jake and Ellie waving at me from the stands.

Jake Todd had messy brown hair, a lanky figure and bushy brows.

His superhero name was Boomerang Man, and he'd shown up dressed in his usual hero costume, a dark blue jacket with a stylized boomerang emblem on the chest.

His utility belt was loaded with his signature weapons, gleaming under the bright lights.

Next to him was Ellie. She was red-haired and spent time with us because there weren't many female superheroes in the E-Class.

Her superhero alias was Balloon Burster, and she was also wearing her costume; a colorful vest with pouches filled with water balloons.

As usual, my friends both had the same excitement, as if being E-Class heroes didn't bother them at all.

I walked over, and the first thing out of their mouths was—

"Dude, why aren't you in costume?"

I shrugged. "Didn't feel like it."

Which was true. But also, Skateboard Man was dead.

It wasn't just because I had the Forever Armor now, it was the realization that, after everything I'd sacrificed, everything I believed in… it still didn't matter.

To the world, Skateboard Man was nothing.

Jake and Ellie didn't notice my mood. They were too hyped about today.

It'd suck to tell them later. They'd been in this struggle with me, the three of us in the same boat—E-Class nobodies trying to make a difference.

Jake could throw a boomerang well enough to hit targets at a distance. Ellie's power was… well, it was flinging water balloons at criminals.

And I used a skateboard to fight crime. No wonder we were at the bottom.

But now, things had changed.

With the Forever Core and the Forever Armor, I had the chance to apply for a reassessment and I could be a C, B or even A-Class.

Though it felt like I would be abandoning Jake and Ellie, I only hoped it was something they'd understand.

As I sat down beside them, I realized something. How come they were all speaking to me so casually? Why wasn't the security surprised when it scanned me as Skateboard Man?

I finally turned to them.

"How did you guys know I was okay?"

Both of them blinked at me, confused.

Jake tilted his head. "Uh… what do you mean? Why wouldn't you be?"

I frowned. "Didn't you hear about what happened yesterday? With the Snake King?"

Ellie nodded, crossing her arms. "Oh yeah. I heard the Guardian Corps showed up and took him down. He was an S-Class Villain, right? Must've been a big deal to cause the Guardians to show up."

I froze. That was it?

I stared at them, waiting for more. But they just looked at me like I was acting weird.

"…Is that all you heard?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah. Why? Did something else happen?"

I looked away, my hands curling into fists.

No. Never mind.

Of course, no one had talked about me. Fucking hell, what did I even expect?!

The news only covered the Guardian Corps swooping in at the last moment, taking the credit for stopping the Snake King. Not the fact that I was the one who held him off long enough for them to get there.

If I hadn't fought, if I hadn't sacrificed myself, there wouldn't have been anyone left to save.

But no one cared. They discarded me like none of it mattered.

I exhaled slowly. I know... I knew...

Being a hero wasn't about validation, it was about doing the right thing.

Yet… it stung. It really did.

E-Classes suffered like this all the time.

But maybe, just maybe, if I reassessed today, I could get a higher Class. I could finally get the respect I deserved.

Jake suddenly smacked my shoulder, grinning. "Hey, hey, hey! There she is!"

I furrowed my brows. "Who?"

I followed his gaze to the main assessment stage, where a girl walked up with slow, confident steps.

She was tall and slender, slightly above five feet five, with raven-black hair in a sharp long bob, dressed in a sleek, dark bodysuit.

Her gothic aesthetic was punctuated by her pale skin, dark lipstick, and an expression that practically screamed 'I don't care about you peasants.'

Despite that, everyone was watching her.

She was calm, composed, assured, like she already knew the results and just wanted to get out of this place.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Who is she?" I asked.

Jake's grin widened. "That's Yelena Darkov. The most anticipated candidate today."

I glanced at him. "Why?"

"You mean you don't know? Her Enlightenment Event was insane. The most catastrophic in years. It's been all over the news."

I watched as the headhunters practically leaned forward, waiting to see her performance, ready to throw contracts at her the moment the test ended.

Even the examiner seemed to respect her, gesturing politely to where she should stand.

My eyes squinted with intrigue. Who exactly was this girl?

Jake smiled excitedly. "The citizens have already given her a hero name."

I kept watching as she adjusted her stance, preparing for the test.

"They call her Shadowgirl."