When androids first emerged into the world, the majority of people were in awe of the leap in scientific progress. Most hailed it as a breakthrough that brought society closer to the futuristic technologies seen only in movies. They looked forward to the remarkable advancements that seemed to be just around the corner.

However, a tiny fraction, less than 0.1% of the population, reacted differently. For them, it was a moment of despair.

“What? Robots replacing heroes below B-rank?” “Are they kidding…? There’s no way that’s possible, right?” “Come on, this isn’t some sci-fi movie…”

Initially, even the heroes doubted it. It seemed ludicrous to think that mere machines could replace the role of heroes—a role that only a chosen few could fulfill. There was no way, they thought, that some mindless robots could perform such sacred duties.

But when the Dragon-Bone Soldiers and Iblisloids were activated for limited deployment in W City, the broadcasts of these armed androids dispatching villains without a scratch left the public stunned. And the despair among heroes below B-rank, including aspiring heroes, became inexpressible.

“…I’m a C-rank hero, okay? My plan was to gain experience here and eventually move to another city to become a B-rank hero.” “Hm, I see.”

“But now, even the association hesitates to promote anyone to B-rank. Why? Because there are cheaper, better androids around!”

Blue Beetle, a C-rank hero, shouted through his tears. He couldn’t hold back his frustrations any longer, pouring his anguish into the ears of Galrm, who, watching the teary-eyed hero, exhaled a heavy sigh internally.

Counseling was the last thing he should be doing… Shouldn’t he just knock this guy out and pretend he hadn’t heard anything? The temptation crossed Galrm’s mind, though he knew better than to act on it.

“I’ve wanted to be a hero since I was a kid… but now, my dream, my whole world, is falling apart…”

“So why are you giving up so easily?”

“What do you mean? I know my limits too well. No matter how hard I work, B-rank is probably my cap. And by the time I reach it, technology will have advanced even more—there might not be a need for A-rank heroes either!”

“Isn’t it your ‘dream’? If it’s something you can toss aside so easily, then it wasn’t something you truly wanted.”

“…!”

Blue Beetle froze as Galrm’s words hit him squarely. He hung his head, thinking back on why he had wanted to be a hero. He recalled a time in his childhood when he’d saved a friend from being bullied. Among heroes, his power was modest, but among the neighborhood kids, he was nearly invincible. The praise and admiration he’d received that day had been dazzling. He had been certain he would chase this dream for life. Yes, that was the simple motivation that had driven him to become a hero.

So it made sense that his dream was shattering over something as trivial as a robot replacing B-rank heroes. His reasoning? His skills would only ever qualify him for B-rank status, and if a machine could take that title away, he would lose any chance of being admired.

“Yeah… looking back, calling it a ‘dream’ was pretty generous…”

“All your worries resolved now?”

“Yes, I—”

“Then let’s start over.”

“What?”

Wham!

Galrm landed a solid punch, knocking Blue Beetle out cold, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over him.

“A guy crying like that… unbelievable.”

Really, it was something he would never have imagined in his heyday, back when he roamed the battlefield.

“Understood, boss. I’ll get on it immediately.”

After the line clicked off, I sank onto the sofa, feeling laziness creep up on me. Back on Earth, I hadn’t even thought of being idle, but a few months of indulgence, and now I was ready to be lazy at any opportunity.

That’s just human nature, I suppose. Rationalizing my idleness, I replayed the orders I’d just received from the boss.

“To prepare for a war against the world…”

At first, I wondered if she was experiencing some early onset of teenage angst, but given her follow-up explanation, it actually made sense.

The organization had become too powerful. More specifically, Iblis Corporation had grown too large.

Now wielding influence over five cities, it was only natural for other corporations and city-states to start keeping us in check. Some were even preparing to dismantle Iblis and devour it piece by piece, with the recent hearing being a step in that direction.

“Conquering by force would be inefficient…”

If someone told me to conquer the entire world, that would be a tough task. There’s just too much to prepare, and success is far from guaranteed.

But if someone asked me to simply ruin the world? That’s easy—a much simpler task than trying to conquer it.

“Then again, I doubt the boss’s plan is to rule over a ruined world…”

I began mentally sorting through possible weaponry options, filtering out ideas that modern technology could feasibly recreate. With superpowers in play, there were a few things we could potentially pull off, even with technological limitations.

But I opposed developing any weapon capable of single-handedly destroying the planet. If such a weapon fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be beyond control.

After all, this was a world where some people could control sentient AI through psychic abilities. Individuals with powers that defy physical limitations entirely.

Creating weapons as powerful as a planet-destroying bomb would be a terrible mistake.

“Let’s start by building something deployable on a squad level…”

While I was still deep in thought, Galrm strolled into the lab, rotating his shoulders. I scowled at the impolite beast for barging in without knocking.

“Welcome back, Mr. Galrm.”

“Yeah, let’s get this treatment started.”

“Yes, please come in.”

Galrm’s body was still a mess from the last battle with Steel Titan, where he had recklessly consumed two gene capsules and gone berserk. Although he’d been told rest would heal him, he secretly took another capsule to fight a dragon, prolonging his recovery even further.

It was exasperating, but there was no stopping Galrm. Who could restrain a creature whose mind was as muscle-bound as his physique?

“Not sweating today, I see?”

“I doubled it as rehab. Told ‘em not to send any tough ones.”

“Surprisingly cooperative of the association.”

I’d meant it as a subtle hint to cut down on his usual sweat-drenched stints, but Galrm’s response surprised me. Apparently, he had already sent the Hero Association a memo.

It was an arrangement I was still getting used to. Sure, on Earth, there had been ties between criminals and law enforcement, but never this blatant. This wasn’t Mexico.

“Oh, right, scientist? I ran into a strange one today.”

“Oh, really?”

“A hero with a serious grudge against you. Better watch your back.”

“…Against me?”

“Yep, you.”

Tilting my head, baffled as to why anyone would resent a nice guy like me, I stared at Galrm, who elaborated on the hero in question.

“He was a C-rank. Said he lost his dream because of you, started whining.”

“…And why would that be my fault?”

“Something about the association holding back on promotions above B-rank because of the androids you made.”

Ah. Only then did it start to make sense. This wasn’t a new story; history was full of examples where technological advancement took away jobs.

Progress enriches people’s lives, but it can also rob some of their livelihoods. That was extreme enough to spawn the Luddite movement during the Industrial Revolution.

“I’m holding back as much as I can, though.”

“Holding back?”

“I haven’t taken every job away just yet.”

Technological advancement requires sacrifices, but they don’t happen all at once. While progress makes life easier, it can’t simply replace existing systems overnight.

There are people impacted by these changes.

The development of the car, for example—it was cheaper, safer, more efficient, and better performing than horse-drawn carriages. Yet they didn’t just kill off every horse overnight; there was a transitional period so society could adapt.

The same applies here.

“If we take every job away instantly, it would cause… complications.”

“Complications?”

“For instance, if the machines were to go on strike, there’d be no one to take their place.”

Precisely.

Machines taking over human jobs is just another way of saying that machines hold life-or-death power over humanity.

In a world where humans have no work and no need to learn skills, if machines were to strike, all the systems that society relies on would grind to a halt.

“It was only after humanity endured those indelible scars that they decided to impose restrictions on the tasks machines could perform. The ensuing period came to be known in history as the so-called ‘Blank Hundred Years.’”