I’m Not That Villain

46 – Misunderstanding (4)

Joo Hwarin contacted me. After setting a separate location, I went to meet her…

I saw a woman with a bandage wrapped tightly around one arm.

“Are you hurt?”

“Hurt? No! To make my body like this… It was truly no different from a monster!”

“A monster?”

Joo Hwarin spat in excitement.

“The magic bullet! Its performance is certain! Even though the opponent was an ability user, it definitely pierced through the heart!”

“Yoon Siwoo was an ability user?”

“No! That’s not it! But… ugh!”

I gave the excited Joo Hwarin a drink. She took a deep breath and exhaled.

“There was one more person!”

“One more?”

“A bodyguard! An ability user! My vision was blocked for a moment! It must have been an ability related to that. But the magic bullet of this body. Even without eyes, it can hit! As long as the target is recognized, it can hit, that’s why it’s a magic bullet!”

“Well done. So?”

“Unfortunately, the magic bullet didn’t go out separately. But with the tenth confirmed magic bullet, I pierced a hole in the enemy’s heart!”

“How does the weapon feel?”

“Extreeeeeeemely goood!!!”

“Lower your voice.”

“But! But!”

“I said lower it.”

Juhwa Rin slowly lowered his voice. He whispered, as if suddenly aware of the surrounding gazes.

“But there were not one, but two bodyguards.”

“Two?”

“The one who appeared last tried to protect Yoon Siwoo. But… he was incredibly strong. He got hit by a bullet and just bounced it off his body.”

“…It’s not something that can be bounced off so easily, right? Didn’t he resist with some ability?”

“Actually… I’m not sure. It was just a brief clash, but all the surrounding buildings collapsed. He was like a real monster. With just one punch, the building crumbled!”

That’s quite an exaggeration.

I casually asked about the reason I came out.

“So?”

“Huh?”

“Did you succeed in assassinating Yoon Siwoo?”

“I did! I definitely took care of it! I pierced his forehead with a bang!”

“Good. What’s next?”

“Next…?”

“I asked you to set up the scene as if to advertise that I did it, didn’t I?”

“…….”

Juhwa Rin subtly extended his bandaged arm.

“I’m a patient.”

“So what.”

“I was in a hurry to get out! The opponent was almost like a high-ranking member of a large organization!”

“If he’s a high-ranking member of a large organization… is he strong?”

“Of course! If he’s a high-ranking member of an organization that devoured an entire district, there’s no need for further explanation. They are the independently risen strongmen in Seoul, and they are extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely tricky. The opponent was of that level! He must be at least within the top 1,000 in the unofficial Seoul ranking!”

“Unofficial Seoul ranking?”

“You don’t know trends as much as I thought. Not knowing that, you might be a secret fool…”

“I will never repair your weapon again.”

“Ahhh! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Juhwa Rin begged, rubbing his hands together.

“The unofficial Seoul ranking, also known as SR (Seoul Rank). Since it’s an unofficial ranking of ability holders, people often mention it as a joke…”

“As a joke?”

“Some people actually believe it. Among ability holders, it’s quite a sensitive topic. The notorious strong ones usually make it into the list, most of them being ability holders from large organizations that have taken over districts.”

“If it’s unofficial, does that mean the numbers aren’t accurate?”

“Of course. Battles are influenced by various conditions like one’s state before the fight, so it’s just based on rumors. There are more real strong ones, and some on the list might be exaggerated. But!”

Juhwa-rin puffed out her chest.

“Anyway, those whose names are on the list are at least competent. And it’s no exaggeration to say that those within the top 1000 of SR (Seoul Rank) are rarely exaggerated! So, that guy was skilled enough to be on the list… it’s true…”

“Didn’t you collapse last time because you were messing around?”

“I worked really hard, why do I have to hear this!”

“Lower your voice.”

Well, the fact that he was killed is important.

I took out my phone. Juhwa-rin’s eyes sparkled beside me.

“What are you writing?”

“A notice. Now, let’s get going.”

“Wait, is this it?”

“Yes, there’s no point in getting more involved.”

“What about the repair of my special equipment?”

“Reserve a slot when it’s available. I’ll repair yours at the same price.”

“Wait…! Wait! What about the bullet supply?”

I looked at Juhwa-rin blankly.

“I’ll charge you a million won per magazine. There’s a limit to how much I can produce in a month.”

“A million won per magazine…?! Why is it so expensive!”

“Don’t use it if you don’t want to. Your special equipment can handle similar bullets. Even if you use cheaper bullets, only the ‘impact enhancement’ among the three enhancement elements will be lost.”

“…….”

“You won’t always be taking assassination jobs for ability holders, right? Use the ammo sparingly. Don’t forget to have it serviced once a month. Oh, and…”

I stood up.

“If my location is exposed, I’ll never repair your special equipment again. Got it?”

“…Can’t you at least lower the price…”

“Those bullets are like extra lifelines for you, aren’t they?”

Of course they are.

Even considering the time and effort it takes to make that ammunition, I can certainly lower the price significantly.

But this is for the crime of impudence. You brat. You think I would show you kindness after you aimed for my life?

A pawn I used once. That’s about it. I lightly pressed down on Ju Hwarin’s head.

“If you say an extra life is expensive, that’s a problem. Well then, I’ll contact you again if there’s more work. Friend.”

“Fr-friend…? Are you and I friends?”

“Of course.”

Just in case, I left a small bait for the future.

“Don’t you like it?”

“Uh, uh?! No, it’s not that I don’t like it… It’s just… it’s my first time having a friend…”

“I don’t have one either. So we’re even.”

“R-really?!”

“Yeah. And…”

Although things didn’t go as expected, it’s something that can be sufficiently managed.

“I’m glad I entrusted the job to you.”

“……?!”

“You’re indeed competent. Thanks for handling it well, Matan.”

Ju Hwarin blinked. Her body trembled, then she suddenly stood up following me.

Her shoulders straightened even more. Both hands went up to her waist.

A gesture of utmost arrogance.

“Of course, because it’s me!”

I turned around cleanly.

“Contact me if there’s more work next time. See you later.”

“Yes! Friend! I’ll contact you too!”

Geez.

She doesn’t lower her voice until the end.

. . .

Matters concerning the dead are bound to be gradually forgotten. No matter how great a person was, as time passes, they eventually stop being talked about.

The same was true for the Black Market’s Black Mirror. Those who were angry eventually quieted down and began to search for new bait on the internet.

But then.

A sudden notice was posted on the account everyone thought was dead.

[This is Heukgyeong.]

The content itself was simple. There were only a few lines written.

It was just about recent updates and the reactivation of the order slots.

[Recently, there was an attempt on my life.]

[I’ll say just one thing.]

[I don’t mind if you target my life…]

The people watching beyond the screen blinked at the last phrase.

[But you will have to pay the price for it.]

A calm statement.

And the ripple effect it caused.

[Seller! I knew you would come back!]

[Which b*stard targeted Heukgyeong.]

[Can you increase the order slots to twenty per day? The competition is too fierce ㅜ You don’t even take pre-orders…]

[Please contact me personally. I’ll take care of it for you.]

[Wow. They really targeted you. How did they find you with so little information?]

[I heard the black market has significantly strengthened personal information management…]

[Do you have any social media? If so, please share.]

[It’s obvious that it’s a craftsman from the same industry. No need to see to know.]

[They can’t compete with skill or character, so they just try to kill their competitor ㅋㅋ]

[Do you have a personal bodyguard? Or are you a superhuman?]

[Where do you take collaboration inquiries?]

[I’d like to visit your place once…]

[I want to meet you personally.]

[Is the author of the above post a woman?]

The person thought to be dead was actually alive.

And when the story of the assassination attempt was revealed, public opinion quickly grew intense.

At the same time, it spread beyond the black market to other communities.

The ‘Craftsman Gallery’, where new posts frequently appeared, was soon filled with this topic.

[Do you have nothing better to do than send an assassin ㅋㅋ]

[Idiot.]

[You must have blown a lot of money. Ability users must have been expensive, so did you hire cheap foreign workers?]

[Where are foreign workers these days? They’re just natives.]

[Wow. But seriously, this Heukgyeong guy, he doesn’t seem like an ordinary craftsman, does he? Does he have a personal bodyguard or something?]

[These days, most assassins hired by people with some money are ability users, so Heukgyeong is probably an ability user or uses an ability user bodyguard.]

[If a private seller uses a personal bodyguard… how much money does he have? Isn’t the basic salary for an ability user bodyguard at least five hundred a month?]

[Five hundred? Damn. What nonsense is that? Those who have made a name for themselves start at a thousand a month.]

[Making money is really easy.]

[That’s how ability users are. Honestly, even if they just extort passersby, they could make five hundred a month, lol.]

[Aren’t there a lot of extortionists too? I haven’t gone into the back alleys for a while because I’m scared.]

[When I see those guys on bikes, I tend to keep my distance.]

[Isn’t that basic in Seoul?]

[Non-ability losers, lol. I make fifteen hundred a month.]

[Yeah, right.]

[Acting all tough because it’s anonymous. b*stard.]

[Yeah, get lost.]

Amidst the noisy ‘Craftsman Gallery’, one opinion implicitly dominated.

Craftsman Heukgyeong.

The suddenly appeared exclusive equipment repairman is not an ordinary person… all opinions converged to this conclusion.

[In my opinion…]

Then one day, a post that confidently received a lot of upvotes was pinned to the main page of the Craftsman Gallery.

[There’s a high possibility that Heukgyeong is laundering the identity of a big shot.]

[What kind of nonsense is this?]

[Do you know something?]

[Despite being targeted by an assassin once, he calmly returned. Moreover, he even wrote a post with a threatening nuance? It means he’s used to it. To that extent.]

[That’s too much.]

[Why would a big shot do this?]

[So think about it. Idiots. Ridiculously low prices. Handling an impossible amount, and instead of raising the price… he keeps it the same? It can only be explained as trying to build recognition.]

[Recognition?]

[Yeah. Idiots. After gaining attention from people, he’s definitely planning to do something big… Recently, I got some information. It’s famous that there’s a partner workshop with a huge organization, right? The most famous workshop in Seoul would be ‘Eternity Workshop’…]

The Craftsman Gallery was on fire.

Due to the author’s last comment on the concept post.

[There was a recent incident where a key craftsman left. One of the two founding members. The timing vaguely overlaps… Isn’t this person that person? Leaving with nothing and starting anew, but as a member of the Eternity Workshop, he would have many enemies, so he tried to use a disguised identity. A capable craftsman. As ‘Black Mirror’.]