I’m Not That Villain

40 – Second Exclusive Equipment (2)

“Hwarin.”

“Yes?”

“The world is survival of the fittest.”

Her sister stared at her quietly.

Ju Hwarin felt that gaze was slightly stinging. It always was.

When receiving that gaze…

It felt like she was truly a worthless piece of trash.

“If you’re weak, you get eaten, and if you’re strong, you eat. Do you know why?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Humans are born that way.”

My sister stared blankly at the ticking alarm clock.

“You are supposed to be eaten. Your ability is trash, isn’t it? But thanks to me, you haven’t been eaten. It’s also because of me that you haven’t been sold as a prostitute because of your pretty face, and that you can eat without doing any work.”

“…….”

“Then why do you think I protect you, who should originally be eaten?”

“Uh, because you’re my sister…”

“Unfortunately, we are not blood-related, are we? Well, the only one who would be disappointed is you. We are just strangers who happened to be picked from the same orphanage.”

I don’t understand the intention of the question.

Ju Hwarin just blinked her eyes.

My sister smiled. As always. Kindly.

“Calling me sister is just a title. We are strangers, Hwarin.”

“……”

“Then why do I take care of you? Why do I keep you, who has a worthless ability, by my side?”

…Her gaze.

Her gaze is burdensome.

Ju Hwarin lowered her head. She heard her sister’s laughter.

“Do you know the answer?”

“…Because you… love me…?”

“…As expected.”

A hand that pats her head.

She liked that hand.

Because it was the only hand in her world that patted her.

“You are hopeless. Really. You are never boring to watch. That’s the whole reason.”

A sharp criticism spoken in a sweet voice.

But even so, she couldn’t say anything.

Because she couldn’t imagine herself without her sister.

. . .

Ju Hwarin stared blankly at the gun on the table.

She seemed to move, then went down to the basement. There was a small door next to the storage room…

Inside, there was an improvised shooting range.

A narrow interior. The target not too far away.

The clean outer wall was characteristic for something installed underground, but…

It wasn’t that spacious to begin with. Far too inadequate to gauge shooting skills.

“Isn’t it pretty decent for something hastily put together?”

“As expected of you, Master.”

This place is strange.

Even when a cat spoke, no one was surprised. Not only that, but everyone took it for granted when mechanical arms inside moved on their own.

A group where common sense was shattered. And among them, the most broken was that man.

Ju Hwarin stared blankly at the pistol in her hand.

She knew her own ability best.

She was the only one who called it a magic bullet. Even her sister had said it.

A useless, idiotic talent.

Yet she wanted to be helpful. So she worked hard until she cried tears of blood…

Trash is still trash.

Even if she accurately hit the opponent’s vital point, it was meaningless if it couldn’t penetrate. It was somewhat useful against ordinary people, but…

The truth was that an ordinary bullet couldn’t penetrate the body of someone with abilities like hers.

Even the probability of that was low, making it even worse. She pretended her talent was a magic bullet, but…

She knew.

That it wasn’t an ability worthy of being called a magic bullet.

But that man said the weapon in her hand would change that ability.

Ju Hwarin sincerely wanted to ask.

What was there to gain from such a prank?

It was specialized equipment. She knew it too. It took a long time to make something like this.

Even equipment that improved abilities. She had never heard of such a thing. It was the kind of story everyone turned away from because it had no chance of success.

“Shoot it.”

His face, speaking calmly, was filled with a strange anticipation.

As if he was eager to tease her.

“…….”

If she shot that person with the magazine she just loaded…

She would die.

In this group, there lives a monstrous child. When our eyes meet, my knees tremble for no reason, and I end up sneaking away.

After being caught a few times, I understood. All the hard training I had done alone so far was in vain.

If I had been born with talent, I would have escaped quickly.

It seems that my sister and I are still far apart.

I organize the thoughts that float up like clouds. In the end, all I could do was follow.

I lightly aim beside the target. While keeping the actual target in sight…

I pull the trigger.

Bang!

A familiar recoil. The feeling of an ordinary pistol that I have felt dozens of times while shooting.

“…….?”

But something wriggled inside me for a moment.

A sensation somewhat different from when my ability is activated.

“…Huh…?”

Something is strange. After firing one shot, I examine the pistol.

The ability ‘Magic Bullet’…

There is a definite feeling just before it activates. It’s a structure that I recognize the moment I shoot.

Of course, it didn’t activate this time. The target was intact. But something… something…

It feels like it will work.

A feeling that I will succeed in better condition than usual.

“Huh…?”

I fire the gun again. And the ability…

Activated exactly on the third shot.

Bang!!!

The bullet flew with unbelievable speed and power, tearing the target to shreds. Juhwa-rin’s eyes widened at the destructive power that was hard to believe came from a silenced pistol.

A definite sensation.

No, to be precise…

More than twice the thrill of usual.

“Huh… huh…?”

A deflated sound came out of my mouth.

From the moment I sensed the change…

With an unbearable excitement welling up.

. . .

Juhwa-rin sat in front of me like an obedient puppy. After firing the gun once, she was like that.

She seemed to like it quite a bit. Well, who made it? But still, I had to explain, so I spoke clearly.

“Listen carefully from now on. Got it?”

“Got it!”

“Magic Bullet. Your ability. A probabilistic projectile-type ability. It activates with a 1% chance, and the bullet is guided to the desired target. No matter which direction you shoot, no matter how you shoot, as long as it activates, it will definitely hitright?”

“Right!”

Juhwa-rin nodded enthusiastically. I looked at what I had modified.

“First, I increased the probability. I raised the 1% chance to 10%. You probably felt it yourself, didn’t you? Didn’t you feel strangely good?”

“I felt great!”

“Right. And, while modifying your ability factor, I also noticed something else. The talent of Magic Bullet didn’t just have automatic tracking. ‘Impact Enhancement’ was also applied.”

“Impact… Enhancement?”

“It’s a simple definition of the increased destructive power of the bullet when it hits the target. Of course, you probably never felt it. Why? Because it was very subtle. But I also modified that. I greatly increased the amount of impact enhancement. If Magic Bullet activates, even an ability holder would be seriously injured. Most ability holders would suffer minor or major injuries and have holes in their bodies. Even those who have trained their bodies to the extreme would receive significant impact.”

“R-really?!”

“Yes, really. The important thing is, to do that, you need to change the bullets. Not regular bullets, but specially made bullets for you. Special bullets that I made, containing the ability factor.”

I nodded.

“Keep shooting. All the remaining bullets.”

Juhwa-rin followed my command without hesitation. The bullets aimed next to the target quietly embedded into the wall…

The last, tenth bullet tore the already tattered target to shreds once again.

“I-I felt it! I felt it before shooting!”

“Exactly what?”

“I definitely felt the Magic Bullet in my hand before shooting the last shot! What is this…?”

“I told you. Guaranteed ceiling. I implemented that. I manipulated the coerciveness of probability. The bullets before that might not be Magic Bullets, but the last one is definitely set to be a Magic Bullet.”

“……!”

Juhwa-rin’s eyes sparkled. I briefly informed her.

“There are three effects in your exclusive equipment. Guaranteed ceiling. Impact enhancement. Probability increase. And because the functions are so diverse…”

“So diverse?”

“They break easily.”

“…Huh?”

I recalled the leash I had deliberately put on. I smiled faintly.

I laid out the prepared words.

“I’ve improved your ability several times over, but in return, I sacrificed durability. You have to use special equipment and special bullets… and even the special bullets you need to supply. Only I can make those bullets.”

“……”

“Once a week. Even if you don’t use it much, you have to leave the maintenance to me at least once a month. Otherwise, it will break down beyond repair. If you want to get the bullets supplied, you have to find me. It’s not something that can be mass-produced.”

In fact, it can be mass-produced.

But there’s no need to tell her that.

“In short, to use that special equipment, you must go through me. Do you understand?”

“…I understand.”

“But, if you think you don’t need to use it, you don’t have to come back to me. It’s entirely your choice. Anyway, this should be enough as a reward, right? Even if it’s a limited weapon for a month, its power is certain. Now, it’s time to complete the remaining transaction. I saved your life and even gave you a reward, so go to work.”

“Are you telling me to kill Yoon Si-woo?”

“Of course. Kill him cleanly, without any loose ends. You can do it your way. Flashily. The important thing is…”

I patted Joo Hwa-rin’s shoulder.

“Show everyone what happens to those who mess with Heuk-gyeong. Don’t forget to leave clear traces that I took revenge. Let it be a warning to everyone targeting me. Now, go to work. Joo Hwa-rin.”

“…Hmm…”

The warning itself could be poison aimed at me. But to continue operating in this field, it’s better to become famous and let everyone know that I’m not a pushover.

She looked at the gun with a somewhat complicated expression, as if she was mesmerized. From her gaze, it was clear that she was already deeply fascinated.

Of course. Equipment is something that cannot be ignored. If you didn’t have it before, you might not know, but once you use it, you can’t go back to before.

Moreover, it’s my equipment!

Not just any special equipment, but my equipment that can modify abilities!

That’s what my special equipment is. Moreover, it was made in the most positive direction for her.

Joo Hwa-rin’s eyes trembled slightly. It seemed like there was a small resolution in her eyes, as if she was at a crossroads.

But she still seemed hesitant about whether to run away or not, so I patted her shoulder once more. It would be better to close the distance now. It might become a gun she has to use often.

“And by the way, how about creating a new assassin account instead of Night Owl?”

“My, my own?”

“Yes. With this weapon, you are no different from a proper assassin. No, not just proper. You could say ‘an ability holder far above average’.”

“Far, far above average…? Does that mean I’m not inferior to others?”

“Of course. Have confidence. Straighten your shoulders. No matter what you were like before.”

I whispered in her ear.

“With the weapon I made, you won’t need the name Night Owl anymore. Why?”

He wraps his arm around her shoulder.

He whispered softly.

“You don’t need to rely on such a name, because your sister will become competent enough to find you herself.”

“Com…petent…”

Joo Hwa-rin got excited as if she was hooked on that word.

“Am I becoming competent?!”

“No, Joo Hwa-rin. You were competent from the beginning. But I gave you wings on top of that. So you can fly freely.”

“…Wings!”

I patted her head, gently but firmly.

“I need you, and you need me, so let’s maintain a good relationship. Got it?”

“…Yes! Got it! You! You’re a good person!”

Easy. So easy.