Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 265: Let Them Catch Up... If They Can.

Smoke and heat filled the lower half of the Sector 3 simulation zone.

Metal walls shifted. Flame vents burst from the sides. Sparks danced in the air.

Several hero teams were still pushing through Stage One.

A red-haired boy ducked under a collapsing pipe and rolled into cover.

"That door opened five minutes ago," he said, panting.

His teammate, a tall girl with glowing boots, landed beside him.

"Yeah. Two of them cleared the whole stage like it was nothing."

A third hero dropped down from a ledge and joined them.

He was lean, fast, with short black hair and a glowing visor.

"They weren’t even sweating."

The girl clicked her tongue.

"Who are they? I didn’t see them in any pre-stage evaluations."

"Kael Seryon and Syrel Vantayne," the visor guy said.

"New names. No records. No affiliations. They just... showed up."

The red-haired boy frowned.

"They’re not just new. They’re too good."

"That girl—Whisperlash? She made Phase Two look like a warm-up."

"Six eliminations," the girl said. "No hits taken."

"Perfect score," the boy added. "How?"

"I heard she used illusions and control," the third hero said.

"Whip-type user. Fast, tricky, unpredictable."

"She spun through drones like they were training bots."

Another group passed by, overhearing the conversation.

"Those two? They’re monsters."

"I don’t care if they’re new—no one clears both phases like that."

"They’re not monsters," the visor guy said. "They’re threats."

The girl looked back toward the big door ahead—the one they hadn’t reached yet.

"We’re still stuck in phase one. Those disgusting traps just knocked out three people."

"Then we better hurry," the red-haired boy said, gripping his weapon.

"They already set the standard." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"Yeah," the girl said, pulling up her hood.

"But I want to see what happens when they have to fight us."

The simulation rumbled again.

More flame traps are activated. The pressure was rising.

---

Ashblade stood alone in the simulation zone. Smoke drifted past his boots.

Heat swirled through the cracks in the stone floor.

The gate behind him sealed with a hiss.

Six enemies spawned ahead.

Ember Reavers and Pyro Monks flanked the center.

A Firebrand Sentinel stood at the rear.

An Infernal Seer raised her arms, glowing with flame runes.

The Ashen Conduit activated flame nodes across the map.

Ashblade didn’t move.

Above him, the trial text blinked:

[Phase Start – Eliminate All Virtuals]

One of the Reavers charged first.

[Blazing Lunge]

Ashblade watched it come. Calm. Eyes steady.

As it got close, he shifted.

[Phantom Step]

He vanished, reappearing at the Reaver’s blind spot. One smooth strike followed.

[Rift Cleave]

The slash tore a space in front of him. The Reaver was split in half.

The delayed aftershock came a second later, slicing another Pyro Monk mid-jump.

Ashblade lowered his blade.

"Too slow."

The second Monk activated [Detonation Seal], tossing three rune traps at his feet.

The ground glowed red.

Ashblade didn’t flinch.

He lifted his blade high.

[Void Shear]

A thin horizontal wave fired straight through the Monks, the Seer, and one side of the field.

Flame traps burst early.

The Monk dropped—cut before he could blink.

The Seer activated [Mirror Blaze], creating three copies of herself, each running in a separate direction.

Ashblade stepped forward.

His voice was quiet.

"Doesn’t matter which one."

He vanished again.

[Phantom Step]

He reappeared mid-air above the farthest copy and swung down.

[Silent Divide]

The first cut missed. That one was fake.

But the delayed slash struck the second Seer image, revealing it as the real one.

She dropped, digital sparks flashing from her model.

The Firebrand Sentinel raised his arm and slammed the floor.

[Smash Quake]

Ashblade didn’t dodge.

He just timed it.

One step forward. Blade low.

[Rift Cleave] again, this time vertical.

The first slash broke the Sentinel’s shield.

The second cut cracked his armor. Ashblade walked right through the debris.

The Sentinel reeled.

Ashblade moved behind him.

No wasted motion.

"Goodbye."

He stabbed clean through the back.

[Silent Divide] triggered once more.

The second slash exited the front, ending it.

The only one left was the Ashen Conduit.

The Conduit created a burning grid.

[Runeburst Field]

Every tile around Ashblade glowed red.

Ashblade paused.

Then took one step sideways.

[Phantom Step] activated again, this time appearing directly behind the Conduit’s node wall.

"You’re not a threat."

[Void Shear]

The slash went through the Conduit’s back, through the nodes, and into the wall.

The whole section collapsed in flames.

Silence followed.

The field reset.

Above him, the board updated.

[Phase Cleared – Score: Lethal Efficiency]

Ashblade stood alone, blade still humming.

No wounds. No scratches.

Only six enemies left in burning pieces.

A voice came through the speaker.

"Kael Seryon. Simulation complete."

He didn’t respond.

His fingers loosened on the hilt. His eyes stayed calm.

Whisperlash appeared beside him in a flicker of light, arms folded.

"Very dramatic," she said.

He didn’t look at her.

"Efficient."

She smirked behind her mask. "They’re all talking about us, you know."

"I know."

"You’re not even trying to hold back."

Ashblade turned toward the gate as it opened.

"They wanted a show," he said.

"I gave them one."

Whisperlash tilted her head.

"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"

Ashblade didn’t answer right away.

His hand rested lightly on his sword hilt.

His eyes stayed locked on the now-empty simulation zone.

"I enjoy making people feel small."

Whisperlash let out a soft laugh behind her mask.

Her voice was playful, but her eyes stayed sharp.

"You’d make a terrible hero."

Ashblade looked at her. Calm. Unmoved.

"I’m not one."

The exit gate let out a low hum.

Gears turned, locks clicked, and the barrier slid open, revealing the next stage.

They both stared at it.

Blue light spilled through, leading to the final phase.

But neither of them moved.

Whisperlash glanced sideways.

"You want to walk in now?"

Ashblade shook his head once.

"No."

She smiled.

"Waiting to see how the others do?"

"Yes."

He stepped to the edge of the platform and looked back toward the simulation field.

Far in the distance, flashes of light, flame trails, and echoing impacts filled the zone.

The others were still fighting.

Some were struggling.

Some were stalling.

One group had just reached the door.

Ashblade watched silently.

"I want to see how close they get... to what we just did."

Whisperlash stepped beside him, her arms folded again.

"You already know none of them will match it."

"I know."

"Then why wait?"

Ashblade’s voice was quiet.

"To see who thinks they did."

Whisperlash smirked under her mask.

"Let them dream a little before you crush them."

The gate stayed open.

But Ashblade and Whisperlash stood still.

Waiting. Watching.

Not because they needed to.

But they liked the view from above.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢