Being a Villain is My True Calling

Kung! With that sound, the mall crumbled.
Yet without losing her composure, Ice Queen glided forward, using her ability.

‘Projecting just enough cold energy to be visible from her hand. To think of restraint even in this situation is quite admirable.’

If she had truly intended to kill, she would have created an ice rapier instead.
I smiled faintly.

As she gradually approached, I timed it perfectly and swiftly moved into her range.

Bang!!

Using my ability, I ‘produced’ a gun and pulled the trigger, aiming at her forehead.

Following the gun’s trajectory, Ice Queen’s upper body was flung backward.
Almost instantly, she managed to create ice at her forehead to defend herself successfully.

Furthermore, despite her unbalanced weight causing her body to slide backward, she regained her footing without falling.

‘Her senses are truly insane, though I did intend to block her from the start.’

In any case, this would undoubtedly make her hostile towards me.
With this, no matter what challenges I presented, she would persevere with the resolve to apprehend me.

“That was impressive.”

As if in awe of her skills, I opened my eyes wide and gave a small round of applause.
Ice Queen glared at me in response.

“Your ability?”
Her gaze met mine.
My eyes were likely glowing golden by now…

I nodded, affirming her question.

“Yes, a rather unremarkable ability.”

“Unremarkable, you say?”

Ice Queen looked at me with an incredulous expression.
By the way, shouldn’t you be doing something about the building tilting in real-time?

Kugugugung-

“…Tch!!”

As the pace of the collapse accelerated to an undeniable degree, she clicked her tongue and placed her hand on the rooftop floor.

Zzzzzzzz!!!

From the point of her hand, the mall rapidly froze over.

Kekekkek
The rate of collapse slowed significantly.

However, it seemed to be the limit of her ability to maintain the current state, as she kept her hand firmly on the floor and glared at me defiantly.

‘Hmm. Even after triggering her trauma, her eyes are still burning.’

Befitting a heroine, indeed.
I looked at her for a moment, then turned my head and addressed the organization members.

“Shall we depart?”

“Yes, understood.”

As if they had anticipated my words, the organization member who had perceptively set up the empty teacup and chair had already made preparations.

‘The more I see, the more I like him.’

“What is your name?”

“Combat Division Squad 6 Member 42, sir.”

“Understood. We’ll have a proper conversation later…”

“Wait…!!”

Just as I was about to leave, Ice Queen called out to me.

“Stay right there!”

Zzzzak
With that sound, ice adhered to the soles of my shoes.
However, likely due to her ability being strained from maintaining the mall, I could break free relatively easily.

I approached her and knelt on one knee to meet her gaze.

“You intend to apprehend me?”

“……”

Despite her exhaustion, a faint spark of determination to capture me remained in her eyes.

‘Why is she acting like this?’

I was perplexed. This wasn’t her usual demeanor.
While she had been diligent in apprehending villains, her priority had always been protecting civilians.

I had thought her focus would be on the civilians rather than capturing me…

Civilians?

I recalled the situation right before I pressed the detonation switch.
The man with the bright voice and the irritated man.
And the mannequins the man had shouted about right before I pressed the switch…

Ah.

‘Could it be that she thinks the civilians are all fake or dead?’

I looked at Ice Queen’s face again.

Her reddened eyes glaring at me threateningly.
Her gritted teeth.
Even her trembling shoulders.

‘…I see.’

I quickly spoke to correct her misunderstanding.

“The civilians are likely still alive.”

“…How can I trust that?”

“While I did gather mannequins resembling people for the deception, I also took the mall’s civilians hostage as a precaution and tied them up in various locations.”

“……”

“Since they were placed as far away from the bombs as possible, their chances of survival are high.”

‘I’ll simply state my case without trying to persuade her.’

Believing me or not is solely the hero’s choice.
And you won’t be able to apprehend me even if you’re suspicious.

After all, you can’t risk harming any potential remaining civilians.

The intensity of the ice creeping up my body seemed to weaken, as if trying to restrain me even slightly.

“Will you really waste time trying to apprehend me when there may still be civilians alive?”

At my words, the ice slowly climbing upwards immediately fell away.

Kkaddeuk, biting down hard, Ice Queen looked at me with fiery eyes.

“I will definitely catch you.”

“I wish you the best of luck going forward.”

I gave a slight smile and stood up, glancing around.
The organization’s helicopter had arrived at some point.

“Well then, farewell!”

As if bidding her goodbye, I adopted a courteous, gentlemanly stance.
And as I boarded the helicopter, it took off at high speed.

A few pursuers clung on annoyingly, but only for a short while.
With the exceptional skill of the pilot, all pursuers were shaken off, and we headed towards the organization’s location.

“Phew…”

And so, my first terrorist attack came to a close.

“Good work, Maker.”

“It was nothing.”

As if it were no big deal, I sat on the sofa, took out a teacup and pot, and began boiling water.
Seeing my nonchalant attitude, Astra’s impressed expression turned to one of disbelief as she looked at me.

“…I had certainly thought your ability was more suited for non-combat situations.”

“You mean ‘Creation’?”

The ability I had possessed since reincarnating as a newborn baby in this world – Creation.

Absent from the original story and with a high degree of difficulty, it had taken me quite some time to properly utilize this ability.

“Yes, unlike other ability users who can act instantly, I have to keep thinking and using my head outside of combat situations.”

“But with proper preparation, terrorist attacks like today’s are easily possible dozens of times over.”

Terrorism, rather than combat.
Unlike battles that require split-second timing and judgment, terrorism was a domain that allowed for ample preparation.

For instance, mass-producing numerous bombs or creating mannequins resembling people and detonating them, as I had done.

“Certainly, that’s true. While not suitable for combat alone, it’s undoubtedly a powerful ability.”

“So, is your business concluded?”

“Yes, now that the report is done, you’re on leave until the next summons.”

At the signal to leave, I picked up the teacup, took the last sip, and stood up.

“As for the mission reward, you can think about it later. Or would you prefer money now?”

I shook my head, and Astra nodded as if she had expected it.

‘I already have plenty of money.’

By utilizing my knowledge from the original story, I had invested everything in jackpots, so I wouldn’t lack money for the rest of my life.

I bid farewell to Astra and left her office.

After taking a shower in my room, I plopped down on the sofa wearing a robe.

“Whew, I’m tired.”

Having just finished showering, I felt a bit drowsy, but I was curious about the public’s reaction, so I picked up my smartphone and checked the news articles.

[Shocking! Major Mall Terrorist Attack in B District!]

[Who is the new villain ‘Maker’?]

[Zero Casualties. An Unprecedented Record Set by Ice Queen.]

Even though hours had passed since the terrorist attack ended, new articles were still emerging.

‘They keep changing with every refresh.’

It seemed my debut as a villain was received quite well.

-As expected from A-rank hero Ice Queen. Another crisis resolved today! (Likes: 36 / Dislikes: 4) [1]

-Seriously, seeing her single-handedly stop the collapsing mall with her powers was chilling (Likes: 23 / Dislikes: 3) [2]

-But don’t you think Maker would be handsome without the mask? My heart is pounding… (Likes: 13 / Dislikes: 47) [24]

‘The public broadcasts seem adequate. As for the comments… they’re a bit disappointing. I wanted to see the citizens’ raw reactions.’

In cases like this, it’s better to check internet communities.
Though there seemed to be something strange at the end, I brushed it off and entered a community site.

(BeyDat)[WTF are the heroes doing?]

[Ice Queen is hot, but seeing her panting from exhaustion is a turn-off.]

[But what is Maker even doing?]

‘Hmm. This is the internet, alright.’

For a moment, I felt a familiar sense of being back home.
I clicked on one of the top posts.

[WTF are the heroes doing?]

They can’t even catch a terrorist villain.
They tried to rescue the civilians but ended up blowing up the building instead.
The civilians were safely waiting in a corner, but the heroes just got themselves injured with their antics.

What are these guys even doing?

===

-Lmao they should have just followed the villain’s instructions~

-They snuck in when they could have just waited to be released lmao

At least half would have survived if they had just waited lmao
Doesn’t this mean the heroes committed the terrorist act?

-Just typical K-heroes lmao

-But Ice Queen did try her best lmao She single-handedly stopped the collapsing mall lmao

Ice cream popsicle caught lmao
The ice cream popsicle herself. Arrested while breathing at home lmao

-Fact) While the heroes were clowning around, the civilians were just relaxing.

Exactly.
Just an idiot convention.

“The public opinion isn’t as good as I expected.”

While there has always been a tendency to criticize heroes,
it seems that since they failed to apprehend me and their mistakes were broadcast live, those who dislike heroes or simply like to stir up trouble have jumped on the bandwagon.

‘But it’s none of my business.’

Wishing the heroes would handle it properly, I clicked on a post mentioning my name.

[But what is Maker even doing?]

Isn’t that Eclipse organization? The one whose guys get beaten up by B-rank heroes??
No info on this new villain;

Has his identity been revealed or something?

===

-Why are you so curious?

(OP) Just because he’s handsome.
You’re gay…

-He did say he belongs to Eclipse during the terrorism, so that part seems true?

(OP) But aren’t they weak? I saw them getting beaten by B-rank heroes last time?
? No, you probably saw their grunts and squad leaders? The executives are monsters.
Just look at freaks like Kekui and Heurang, and this guy is tame in comparison lmao
(OP) Really? How did I not know that lol
Probably because none of the executives have conducted a full-blown terrorist attack before? This was the first proper terrorism from one of them.

-Is he even an ability user?

Judging from how he instantly produced a gun in his hand when Ice Queen rushed him, he’s probably an ability user.
So some kind of summoning ability?
You idiot. His name is Maker, so his ability is likely creation.
WTF is that even an ability?
How should I know? Abilities vary from person to person.
?

-His identity is probably being investigated by Ice Queen’s team, but if it hasn’t been revealed yet, they’ve likely given up.

(OP) Aww

…While the intention of the original poster seems a bit strange, seeing the flurry of comments is quite pleasing.
I tossed my smartphone aside and completely relaxed my body.

The contact with the heroes.
And a spectacular debut that will leave an impression on everyone.

“……”

In my opinion, it was quite a success.