I’m Not That Villain

30 – Newcomer (1)

Exclusive equipment.

What is that?

It simply refers to custom-made personal equipment. Well, to be honest, it’s not perfectly defined yet.

In the end, exclusive equipment refers to custom-made personal equipment.

Later, it became a term referring to ‘special ability exclusive equipment.’

So, in other words…

“If you hang it on your nose, it’s a nose ring. If you hang it on your ear, it’s an earring, right?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Well… even if it’s personal equipment without special ability factors, if it’s custom-made, can’t it be called exclusive equipment?”

Lily sighed.

“Did you fail?”

“Yes!”

Ha!

Although you can’t be full with the first bite, I ended up without even a bowl!

I chuckled. Ah, this is fun. Somehow, failing this much is actually really fun.

I glanced at the exclusive equipment set up on the stand.

“There are many problems. In various ways.”

“What exactly were you trying to make?”

“My personal equipment.”

“Explain it properly.”

“Um… let’s see…”

I sat Lily down on the chair. Just like with Cha Seo-yoon, I tapped the board.

“Now. Here we have something called personal equipment. What do you think personal equipment is?”

“It’s equipment for ability holders that assists their abilities.”

“Correct. So, what happens if someone else tries to use personal equipment?”

“…That…”

Lily tilted her head.

“I heard that ordinary people can’t use it at all. It’s no different from other metal weaponsthat’s the accurate way to put it. If an ability holder tries to use it forcibly, they will suffer minor to severe injuries.”

“That’s right. The repulsion of the ability factor. Personal equipment is custom-made for the individual, so it’s called personal equipment. Naturally, no one but the owner can use it. But… as I explain this, it makes me wonder, what is Cha Seo-yoon doing that he doesn’t answer calls or pick up his equipment?”

“The team leader is a busy person. He has a lot of work. So much that it’s indescribable.”

Is he a high-level talent?

Well, if he doesn’t pick up his completed personal equipment, it’s his loss.

I nodded and continued the explanation.

“But my dream is to develop personal equipment that ordinary people can use. To be precise, personal equipment that ‘I’ can use.”

“But Mr. Lee Seo-jun, you’re not an ability holder, right? You don’t have abilities… can you make ability-specific equipment?”

Lily hit the nail on the head.

“Personal equipment is ultimately equipment made to fit ability holders. So… even if Mr. Lee Seo-jun, who isn’t an ability holder, makes some equipment, it’s just personal equipment, not personal equipment for abilities.”

“Sharp… Kim Lily…”

“Don’t add weird titles.”

She is sharp.

But you see, the project I’m currently working on is different.

Something that no one else imagines. A field that no one else challenges.

“But there’s a reason I call what I’m making now ‘personal equipment.'”

“What reason?”

“I’m making it little by little these days.”

I smiled.

“Artificial ability factor.”

“…….?”

Lily blinked. She turned her gaze away and tilted her head, then looked back at me.

She squinted as if trying to figure out my intentions.

“Artificial… ability factor? What is that?”

“It literally means an artificially created ability factor.”

“…….?”

Lily blinked. She quickly picked up her phone and searched for the term.

I looked over her shoulder. She was searching for artificial ability factor…

But it only came up as a joke.

Would something like that even show up in a search?

“…….?”

Lily looked back at my face. Her eyes narrowed even more, as if she was trying to understand but couldn’t.

I pressed down on my furrowed brow to smooth it out.

“You’ll get wrinkles.”

“…Artificial… ability factor?”

“Yes.”

“Is that possible?”

Sigh.

Isn’t that the core question that penetrates everything, front, back, side, top, and bottom?

Is that possible!

“Do you think it is?”

“…….?”

“It’s a field that no one has ventured into yet. The structure and analysis of ability factors are progressing little by little each year, but we’ve only barely grasped their form. No one knows about their internal structure and principles.”

I stretched out. My body, stiff from working overnight, cracked as I loosened it.

“So, well, the consensus is that it’s impossible. Even if it were possible… it would take at least a hundred years, wouldn’t it?”

“…Then what was that sound just now?”

“It means we tried something impossible and failed.”

“Isn’t that the same as everyone else?”

“Well, it’s not like we completely failed… we’re gradually getting a clearer picture…”

I glanced at the failed creation I had cobbled together.

“I realized that even with that failure, we could do something interesting.”

“Interesting…?”

“Something like a maid-like thing.”

“Don’t imitate me.”

“Without further ado, let’s take a look.”

I removed the equipment, unsure whether to call it a finished product or a defective one.

Developing artificial intelligence factors, you see, I realized it was truly absurd as I began the work.

There were several issues, and if I had to pick the most important one…

The amount of labor required was too much for me to cover alone.

It seemed that a more complex and detailed design had to be incorporated inside than I had thought.

The sturdy body to support it had to be set more robustly than any equipment I had made so far.

Well, there were many other reasons, but ultimately the most important thing was that at this point, I couldn’t produce results immediately.

But does that mean I gained nothing at all?

That wasn’t the case.

I found my own limitations and, as I progressed with the development of artificial intelligence factors, I could deeply understand more complex and detailed designs.

The organic structure of objects and objects. And within that, I was able to develop something akin to the pinnacle of current technology.

The facilities in the warehouse, which I had been gradually expanding as a side job. While the machines I developed piled up on one side, I was able to complete one machine that penetrated them all.

Of course, it’s only a prototype. But still, couldn’t I call this my own ‘special equipment’?

I whispered to the spherical object placed on the stand.

“Can you hear me?”

“Yes, master.”

The artificial intelligence responded with a slightly noisy mechanical sound. And with that, all parts of the facility began to operate organically and move.

Lily flinched. She blinked as she stared at the numerous machines that suddenly started running.

“What… did you do?”

“Regarding the special equipment, there’s still a long way to go, but thanks to it, I was able to develop at least the body for my artificial intelligence. Well, it’s still quite inefficient, and there’s a long way to go on this side too…”

I looked at the soundless, spherical drone floating in the air.

My special artificial intelligence that held all the command authority of my current work facility.

“But the important thing is that the basic structure is complete.”

“…….”

Lily’s eyes trembled slightly.

“So… what I’m saying is…”

“Huh?”

“Not only did you develop it yourself, but you also created a body for the AI that can now even engage in conversation…”

“Yes.”

“You connected it to the entire workshop, creating an environment where it can move autonomously…”

“That’s right?”

“Those… tools over there…”

I glanced back. What started from nothing has now become a fully formed, newly created infrastructure.

Each one of them is not something bought from outside. I personally modified and designed them, and some were newly created processing machines with the help of the AI.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? Now, even difficult tasks can be completed quickly. A reduction in labor. It’s like a space where miracles happen.”

“You completed all this within three months of starting AI development? Even while having a side job?”

“I’m quite talented.”

Lily brought a glass of cold water. She took a sip and then sighed.

“You really are talented…”

Huh? Isn’t that obvious?

There’s nothing more unpleasant than someone who isn’t talented claiming they are. Indeed.

“But what about the self-defense equipment? This isn’t specialized equipment, it feels more like an assistant that creates slightly better workpieces, doesn’t it?”

“…Oops.”

“Oops?”

Oh, right.

Self-defense equipment. Sigh. Yeah. That’s what I was trying to develop.

I got so fixated on the idea of specialized equipment that I ended up making something entirely different. But what can I do? It was really fun.

“Still, this guy has basic armaments.”

“Basic… armaments?”

“Guard mode.”

A simple command. With just that, ‘it’ floating in the air entered ‘armed mode.’

The drone that was floating in the air flipped inside out. And with it, numerous firearms poured out.

Lily flinched at the sight of the hidden, menacing items. I raised my finger and made a bang sound.

“It can’t perfectly counter those with abilities, but it can buy enough time to escape in an emergency. Until we develop artificial ability factors… we’ll have to be content with this for now. Once ‘that’ which I’ve only designed is completed, the story will change. Hehe… I’ll show you ‘that’ once it’s finished. It’s every man’s dream!”

“……”

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What can’t you make?”

“There’s no such thing. For a top-notch craftsman, nothing is impossible!”

Lily sighed and leaned back on the sofa.

For a while, she didn’t say anything. Keeping silent like that, she slyly asked me.

“…So…what should we call ‘that’?”

“Ah. It doesn’t have a name yet. It was only completed yesterday.”

Neither the AI.

Nor the equipment.

Had been given a proper name. But, you see, there were some name candidates.

“…But…there is a name I had prepared in advance. The name that marked the beginning of my second life. The name that brought me forward by a few years…!”

“No way.”

The name I had come up with on a whim eventually led me here.

So, wouldn’t I be unable to forget that name?

“Viper. Your name is Vipe…!”

Lily firmly rejected it.

“No. Besides the tackiness of the name, there’s a security risk.”

“……”

“Please choose another name.”

“…Well, then, the second choice.”

I gave the floating AI a name.

“From today, you are Scarlet.”

My assistant Scarlet.

Protect your master and paint the world crimson…

With the enemy’s blood!

“…How can every name you come up with be so childish…”

“I can hear everything.”

. . .

My income not only stabilized but increased significantly.

Well, in a way, it was natural. Even though I was still getting bashed among the still gloomy accounts with accumulating hate comments…

Due to the gradually increasing reviews, the order slots I had set up were fully booked every hour. Even if there was a gap, it would be sold out within an hour, to the point where even I was surprised.

But the malicious comments kept coming. It seemed like they were desperate to bring me down, and leading the charge was always someone with the nickname ‘Blackmask.’

These b*stards. Just by looking at them, you can tell they’re in the same industry. No, they’re not even skilled enough to be called craftsmen. Judging by how much time they spend on this political nonsense, most of them probably can’t even hold a hammer properly.

As for me, I don’t talk. I crush them with my skills. Keep writing your malicious comments, you idiots. Once I slowly establish my position and fully secure my foundation…

I’ll strike back at you.

Right now, I’m just sharpening the blade of revenge for that time.

I’m not a magnanimous person. I’m more of a petty person. So I measure everything I receive and return it twofold.

Especially you, Blackmask. You b*stard.

I’ll make sure you get a big taste of my revenge. Be prepared…

Anyway, the important thing was that as the number of customers gradually increased, certain measures became necessary.

What’s the point of doing well in business if I have to run around to several places just to receive one item?

Thanks to the facilities I developed myself, the actual working time has significantly reduced. With the help of the continuously learning AI ‘Scarlett,’ complex repair work that used to take nearly half a day now finishes in just one or two hours.

Ironically, the time spent going out to collect weapons has become longer than the working time.

I’m making good money. Compared to before, it’s really amazing, like my side job has become my main job. But I was slowly feeling the limitations of this business.

If only someone could collect the weapons from the customers for me. I feel like I could handle twice as many orders as I do now…

I can’t ask for help from the black market. They’ve made it clear that they’ll only observe this matter.

So I had no choice but to find someone myself. Someone who could collect the weapons from the customers and bring them to me.

And you know what?

I knew just the person. Someone who knew the location of my workshop…

Someone I had quite a bit of acquaintance with, and had done several transactions with after the first one.

“Who are you talking about?”

“You know, the person who always brings me materials. The one we know as the White Anvil Workshop.”

“…That person seems a bit unreliable… Are you sure? I’ve seen them trip over their own feet in the warehouse before.”

“I thought so too. They’re clumsy. But…”

I casually picked up the phone.

“They’re an amazing driver. They move those heavy materials without a single scratch on any of them. Even though the packaging was ordinary, it means their driving skills are no joke. With that level of skill, they can shake off anyone following them, don’t you think?”

“…That person?”

“They know they’re clumsy, so they prepare that much more. I personally rate them highly. And besides…”

I called her after a long time. Even though it had been a month, she had been sending me occasional texts asking if I needed anything.

“She seems to need money. She said her business has been slow lately, and she’s on the verge of going bankrupt.”

The only woman among outsiders who had my contact information.

The material seller, Renata Lyudmila, answered the phone.

[Hello!]

A cheerful voice was accompanied by a clattering sound.

This woman is always the same.