I’m Not That Villain

24 – Underdog (4)

“How was it?”

Lily followed me as soon as I came out. I pondered what to say.

While working, I saw some of the works she had created. And you know…

“There’s nothing particularly admirable about their technical skills, is there?”

I didn’t feel any special impression.

Is there something unique about the way they handle the supernatural factor? No. If there were, such low synchronization rate equipment wouldn’t have been created.

In terms of technical skills, it’s hard to say this myself, but…

I’m undoubtedly superior.

Is it because it’s a large workshop? It seems to be on par with some of the seniors I worked with there. In hindsight, that place had quite a high standard, and there were many things to learn…

Well, it’s a natural result, I suppose.

“Are you saying there’s nothing to learn?”

“I guess I’ll have to keep going to work to find out. I did get accepted, after all.”

“You’re just going there to earn money. That’s not very maid-like.”

“…Hmph. I don’t think that’s quite right.”

“Pardon?”

I pressed down on Lily’s head, who had her hood pulled up.

“Ahhh…?! S-stop it!”

What a strange sound.

But cute.

I chuckled.

“There must be a reason why they’re doing well, right? It’s probably more likely due to reasons other than technical skills. The black market experience seemed no joke… Maybe I can learn something other than technical skills.”

“What does that have to do with my head?”

“Make it soft.”

“…Do you want your fingers broken?”

Ignoring Lily’s threat, I continued walking diligently.

Come to think of it, her works. Each one of them had something…

They felt different from mine.

Is noticing that subtle difference the key this time? Let’s dig deep from the bottom.

Is there anything more beautiful than a hardworking genius?

. . .

“Welcome, Lee Seo-jun.”

I started my work at the workshop. My tasks were simple for now.

Inventory check and site assessment. It was the same work I always did at the Black Chain Workshop.

I looked around at all the materials inside and exactly what equipment was on site. There were several pieces of equipment I had never seen before, but the general usage was the same, so there was no big problem.

“What you need to do is simple. Just assist me in making the specialized equipment.”

Assist.

That was something I had done to the point of exhaustion at the Black Chain Workshop.

I skillfully identified the structure of the ability factor and pulled out the materials she wanted from the internet. Along with the necessary parts from the ability factor papers, I prepared everything she might need within the scope of not touching her autonomy.

And naturally, she…

“……”

She looked over the things I had prepared as if she had opened her eyes to a convenience she had never experienced before.

“How… did you know I would need this?”

When you work as the youngest in a large workshop, it becomes second nature.

How much have I eaten humble pie? I smiled behind my mask.

“I thought the direction of your ability factor research would go that way, so I just prepared a few things that seemed necessary.”

“…Hmm…”

Literally an assistant. I brought her what she wanted before she even said it.

After a day or two, her relaxed vigilance was completely gone. So-called complete disarmament.

Having analyzed her coffee preference, I brought her an Americano with three shots of syrup.

“…Mr. Lee Seo-jun.”

“Yes?”

“Is it true that you learned all this by yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Then really… Mr. Lee Seo-jun, you are a genius. Both in social life and in technical skills.”

Contrary to her satisfied expression, the bodyguard following her, Lee Min-ho, did not look pleased.

Although we had never actually spoken, his eyes were full of hostility as he glared at me. It seemed like he was trying to keep me in check…

Are they dating?

Well, whatever it is, it has nothing to do with me. While assisting her, I reviewed the parts of her work that I needed to learn.

And finally, I identified what was lacking in my work.

Design.

Yes. Design.

“…Sigh.”

I, you see, like things that are somewhat rough. I prefer mechanical aesthetics, and I love the bluntness embedded in that roughness.

But hers was different. The exclusive equipment born from her hands was all splendid, adorned with decorations that had nothing to do with functionality.

“Oh? This? It’s also on my site. People like things like this.”

“They like it?”

“Yes. Some people want exclusive equipment purely for ‘efficiency,’ but many buy it because they want a unique accessory that exists nowhere else in the world. And even those who buy for efficiency value appearance greatly. So, I also study design in my spare time.”

I hadn’t completely ignored the idea myself.

But I had never been as devoted as she was.

Finally finding something to learn, I began studying design under her.

In terms of carving and refining decorations, she had a few advantages over me. Engraving antique patterns, applying colors, and decorating equipment as if painting a picture.

Being almost a novice in drawing, I diligently learned how to shape. The first day was somewhat clumsy, but from the second day, I started to get the hang of it.

Seo Ji-soo asked hesitantly.

“…This… is your first time… learning, right?”

“I think it would be better if we did it this way, what do you think?”

“…It’s excellent.”

We also had conversations outside of work.

“I’ve been holding a hammer for quite a while. I started in middle school. Well, I was clumsy back then and couldn’t make anything properly. I started selling things… five years ago. And now, I’ve managed to succeed somewhat.”

“Do you have any secrets?”

“Secrets? Well. I didn’t do well from the start. I actually failed a lot. I often stayed up all night while working part-time, and my body and mind were deteriorating.”

She leisurely leaned back on the sofa, skimming through the report on the supernatural factor.

“Then there was a turning point. In the second year. It was exactly then. I wasn’t making money, and I couldn’t sleep properly… I was thinking of giving up. Then I met a customer by chance. A customer who wanted to buy supernatural equipment at a low price.”

“Oh…”

“Maybe they liked my work, because from then on, transactions started to open up. It helped that the person was quite remarkable. You could say I was lucky.”

I seriously pondered whether I should also meet good customers.

Seo Ji-soo shrugged.

“But if I were to start over… I think I would try to find what I ‘want to make’ rather than obsessing over success.”

“…What I want to make?”

“Every artisan has aesthetic elements they pursue, right? I had them at first too, but I eventually forgot them as I got caught up in reality. I ended up just clumsily following others. Then one day, I suddenly decided to try making what I originally wanted to pursue. I thought, if I’m going to fail anyway, I might as well try everything I want to do and failthat’s what I thought. But surprisingly, the response was good. Meeting that customer was also when I was just beginning to vaguely realize what I wanted to do. And the work I made then caught his eye, giving me the opportunity.”

Seo Ji-soo snapped her fingers.

“When you think about it, isn’t everything like that? In the end, I think the proper start is finding what you want to make after going around in circles. Does this make me sound too old-fashioned…?”

What I want to make.

I pondered for a moment over the newly raised question.

I am definitely brilliant. I have intelligence and genius talent. If everything Cha Seo-yoon said is true, there is no one who can match me in terms of ‘skill’.

And with this, I intend to seize wealth and success. I certainly have a distinctiveness that sets me apart from others. Besides, honestly speaking, I don’t think my sense is bad either. After all, drawing is also a skill. As I gradually got used to designing, I could quickly copy trends.

But running towards that success…

Hmm…

Is that… fun?

Just aiming for success?

“……”

I threw myself into a fundamental question. Honestly, the reason I became interested in professional equipment was not just because it could bring me wealth.

It looked fun. Yes, it looked fun. And in reality, it was very fun.

I like creating something. I also like seeing my work being used by others.

It was enjoyable to make Cha Seo-yoon’s exclusive equipment. It was also enjoyable to make Seol Ye-won’s exclusive equipment.

Therefore,

I found joy in making exclusive equipment and freely modifying the abilities.

But apart from that fun, if you ask me what I want to make…

I want to make the world’s best exclusive equipment.

Even for someone like me who has no abilities.

Equipment that allows me to use abilities just like those who possess them.

Such an absurd exclusive equipment.

But I forgot. I forgot about reality. Yes. Reality made me forget my dream. Honestly, it was an absurd dream.

Equipment that allows you to use abilities…

Is there such a thing?

“…….”

But.

I heard that dreams are originally about chasing the absurd.

Money? Good. Exclusive equipment? Good. Wealth and fame?

Great!

Aren’t they things you can’t live without!

But having all those things, I also want to achieve my dream that I remembered late. Yes. I also want to use abilities. I want to try everything I can and stand at the top.

You can mock me as a child. Well, curse me if you want. But what can I do.

If you mock me as a child for that, then I’ll just be a child for life.

“…Haha.”

Thanks to her, I remembered what I had forgotten.

Because of that, I was able to set a clear direction.

What is specialized equipment? It can be seen as advanced equipment that exquisitely incorporates bioengineering and mechanical engineering.

I have mastered it for now. You could say I am at a level that others cannot reach.

…But.

Is that enough?

No. Yes. No. I feel like I can climb higher.

More precise.

More complex.

More amazing!

I had the confidence that I could create such a thing. Yes. Because I am a genius!

“…Yes.”

But…

But can I do it ‘alone’?

I suddenly looked into the mirror. I stared at myself reflected there.

A man wearing a mask. And behind him, Seo Ji-soo.

Success. That is also important. But to ultimately achieve my goal…

I need an assistant like Seo Ji-soo.

Someone who can take on my complex tasks, sometimes give me advice…

Someone who can coordinate my entire work.

…But.

But can I find such a person?

No. Yes. No. I can’t. Even if I raise one myself, who knows how long it will take, and I don’t think I would invest in such a slim possibility.

Let’s change direction. How?

I’ll make one myself.

An assistant to help me…

In the form of ‘artificial intelligence’.

“Hehehe.”

The goal was set. It was the biggest thing I had gained since coming here.

The path to take has been perfectly set, now it’s just a matter of developing the means to reach the destination one by one.

While working at Seo Ji-soo’s workshop, I started planning in my spare time.

More precisely. Adding various functions.

Only by setting up a more perfect workshop can I aim for what I want to create.

I started moving my hands, holed up in the workshop. Except for minimal self-care, I went into complete recluse mode.

I read papers and studied. After seriously reflecting on what I had crammed into my head, I went through several failures.

Mechanical engineering. Beyond that, I also dabbled in programming. I needed a perfect assistant. An assistant that could calculate the figures I needed to input on its own and coordinate my work, the only one of its kind in the world.

In this day and age, artificial intelligence isn’t that rare. In fact, it could be considered common. Even large corporations had high-performance artificial intelligence.

And I needed something like that too. An assistant that could assist me from start to finish in creating what I wanted. Of course, it wasn’t an easy task. Although I had some knowledge of coding, it wasn’t so professional, so developing artificial intelligence was like swimming towards an unseen place in the vast ocean.

But you know what?

It was fun.

Very much so.

Do you know the feeling of setting a goal and moving towards it? I could proudly say that was my current feeling.

What’s the harm in sleeping a little less? It’s fun. It’s like staying up all night playing a game. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I was extremely happy.

Ah.

This is life! Not just aiming for simple success, but having a clear purpose is so wonderful, isn’t it?

I looked at the AI I had completed in half a month. Although the functions were still clumsy due to self-development, I could say that the basic parts were done.

It was possible because various theories had already been established and spread among people. I casually chatted with the AI.

I thought it had reached the level where basic conversation was possible…

Will this work properly?

[Do you understand what I’m saying?]

[…]

The ellipsis that continued was soon clumsily replaced from beyond the screen.

[Yes, master.]

Excellent!

Good. From now on, the key was to raise this AI as ‘my assistant.’

Eat this and that too. Grow by consuming a lot of data.

I hummed as I started working. I built a good relationship with Seo Ji-soo and spent my days diligently.

But then…

“Let’s have a chat.”

A disturbance arose in that routine.

The presence of Minho Lee, Seojisu’s bodyguard, who lowered his voice threateningly while glaring.

“I have something to say.”

“…….?”

What’s wrong with this guy?