Villain Hides His True Colors

“Keueu…”

Go Changsu grabbed his throbbing head as he opened his eyes. His consciousness was still a blur and he felt lightheaded.

Where…am I?

He realized that his body was half stuck in a puddle of muddy water.

Amidst his blurred consciousness, he tried to retrace his memories. Then, the scene just before he passed out replayed in his head.

[Ahjussi woke up again. Please do the same thing as before.]

“Heuk!”

His tense body rose and he cautiously looked around. However, he couldn’t see the appearance of Blackie anywhere.

Instead, a landscape, which had turned into a mess as if it had been bombarded, welcomed him.

A pile of collapsed trash, and the bodies of monsters all over the place.

“Wh-what the hell is going on?”

What had happened while he was unconscious? Were the children safe?

He hurriedly stood up and looked around. Soon, he could see the fallen children gathered together in one place.

It was not just one or two, but a number that seemed close to 50.

He hurriedly checked the condition of each child. Fortunately, they seemed to have just lost unconsciousness, as there were no abnormalities with their bodies. He let out a small sigh of relief.

“Huu…Where did all of them come from anyway?”

Questions arose belatedly. Why were there so many children gathered in one place?

Some of them were quite familiar faces. They were children who he had kept an eye on because he thought they were being abused at home.

No way…Did Noah do all of this?

The scale of the incident had become too big while he was unconscious.

And for such a commotion, even if it was Guangcheng District, investigators were bound to be dispatched.

If the investigators see this…

He looked at the dozens of children armed with guns and the countless bodies scattered on the ground.

They were all monsters, but would the investigators believe that?

Perhaps all the children involved in this would be seriously hurt.

It’s a big problem…

His expression hardened. Suddenly, a desperate cry came from somewhere. It was Noah’s voice.

“N-Noah!”

Did something happen to the boy? He immediately ran in the direction the sound had come from.

Then there, he saw Noah sitting on the ground next to a large body of a man.

It was a face that he remembered seeing somewhere. And soon he was able to recall the identity of the man.

..Werewolf?

A notorious dark fixer who handled anything for money. He was a B-Rank villain that he had seen wanted posters of in the past.

Wh-why is this dangerous guy here…? Wasn’t he active in Pyongyang…

The reason why he was killed here wasn’t clear, but he was certain it was related to Noah.

Noah’s strength…I can’t believe it was enough to deal with a B-Rank villain.

How many people in the world could deal with B-Rank villains at Noah’s age?

It was a strength that couldn’t be understood by common sense. But that didn’t mean Go Changsu was happy for him.

This…on the contrary, it could be poisonous to Noah.

His expression hardened.

He had witnessed countless people become corrupted and turn into villains after gaining great strength at a young age.

Rather than people who had turned to crime and became villains, there were many more people who had become villains because they had gained strength…

Maybe Noah would take a similar path. Unlike in the past, his behavior was already very wild and unconventional.

Even Noah…I need to be firm and scold him.

He decided to take this opportunity to break Noah’s habit and lead him on the right path.

As he thought as such, he approached Noah. He called out to him in as strict of a voice as he could muster.

“Noah! You brat! I don’t know what you’ve done, but…”

The boy slowly raised his head.

And, no words came to mind the moment he saw Noah’s face.

Was the expression of the ancestors who had lost their country a long time ago also like this? The boy’s eyes seemed empty and lifeless.

“Oh…you’re here. Ahjussi?”

“…”

He came to a realization the moment he heard Noah’s sad and bitter voice.

This boy was trying to shoulder everything himself.

That’s right…that’s what happened…

He didn’t know how, but it was clear this child had known in advance of the disaster that would happen here today.

However, in order to protect the residents of Guangcheng District, he stepped up where no hero would reach out first.

So even though the boy knew it was the wrong way, he must have tried to protect this place in his own way.

Yeah…There’s no way a child who is so thoughtful and kind would become a villain all of a sudden.

In front of a child who was struggling alone with such a heavy burden, he had only nagged the child…

As an adult, he only felt ashamed.

If he had strength in the first place, the boy would have trusted and told him everything…

However, there is still something I can do.

With determination, he spoke.

“Noah. Don’t worry about the aftermath. I’ll take care of everything.” 

“…What?”

“Oho! Why do you keep trying so hard on your own? I know you don’t trust mister, but you can rely on me a little bit, kid! Don’t say unnecessary things and hurry up and go. I’ll wake up the kids.”

In that way, he pushed Noah’s back. And after a while, Go Changsu, who was left alone in the garbage dump, had a thought.

The boy would continue to help others with his own power in the future.

Of course, he still felt anxious like a child standing on the shore of a beach, but he felt somewhat at ease knowing that the boy was capable of overpowering B-Rank villains.

Rather than that, adults who would want to use such a child may cause legal troubles like today.

If so, there was only one thing to do.

Anyhow…I think it’s time to go back to Pyongyang.

For him who had failed to protect his son, he thought he didn’t deserve to be a police officer.

However, in order to help Noah in the future, the status of a police officer would be much more advantageous.

It was time to get out of the past and move forward again.

At that moment, Go Changsu’s face shone fiercely like his past days when he was a detective.

…But will the old uniform fit me?

He sighed as he looked down at the increased belly fat compared to his younger days.

* * * * * * * * * *

At a slum in the Guangcheng District. A gentleman with a monocle and a clean mustache could be seen.

After taking a leisure walk around with a cane for a while, he stopped in front of a house that had been burnt black by a fire.

“Hm…it’s a complete heap of ashes.”

The house, which was only filled with skeletons, was gruesomely illuminated by the gradually rising sun.

He stared at the scene with a satisfied smile and nodded.

“Fortunately, I think I’ve come to the right place this time.”

He raised his arm and waved it as if he was a conductor of an orchestra.

Then, the structures of the collapsed house slowly regained its original form as if time was turning back.

If someone witnessed this sight, they would have doubted their eyes.

Soon, he opened the restored front door and entered the house.

“Excuse me.”

He looked around the unfamiliar house.

Black bodies like charcoal were scattered everywhere in the house that still had the warm scent of home.

It was a bizarre disharmony.

Suddenly, a weak groan came from the corner of the house.

“Keu-keuh…”

“You were there.”

At the end of his gaze, there was a boy lying on the floor wriggling.

Unlike the other bodies, the boy was still breathing.

The reason why he visited Guangcheng District today was to find a ‘living dead.’

“Th-thirsty…”

A very cracked voice trickled from the boy. He smiled at the boy.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll solve it for you soon.”

He tapped his cane in the air.

An opaque sphere formed and a woman in her underwear fell out.

“Wh-where…?”

The woman, who had bumped her butt on the floor, looked around with a puzzled look.

And soon after, when she saw a man standing in front of her, she immediately raised her fists.

“Wh-who are you?! A-are you a villain?!”

“Villain? I’m just the host who has invited Miss here.”

“That! I-I knew it, a villain!”

She immediately attacked the gentleman by firing flames from her fists.

However, he waved his cane and she was stopped in place with her whole body frozen.

“Agh! Wh-what’s this?! Release me! Do you know who I am…heup!”

He quieted the noisy woman and approached the boy who was on the floor.

The boy was breathing weakly as if he was about to die.

“Keuh…”

“Hey, hurry up and eat. If you eat this, you’ll feel better.”

Saying so, he pushed the frozen body at the boy.

“…I don’t want to.”

“Hmm…Why not? The thirst you’re feeling right now will be unbearable.”

The boy struggled to turn away from the woman. Seeing that, the gentleman smirked.

“I guess I didn’t introduce the dish well enough.”

Like a chef explaining a dish, he elegantly whispered in the boy’s ear.

“Don’t you want to know who killed your family today?”

Suddenly, the boy, who was lying on the floor like a corpse, grabbed the gentleman’s arm.

***

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

In his eye sockets, which were burnt out and only holes existed in its place, dark blue energy formed and swayed.

“Keuh…Tell me…Tell me!”

“His name is Hongir. He’s a murder contractor called Werewolf. Oh, but unfortunately, he died a while ago.”

“Kueaaak! Th-then who!…Who!”

“Well, let’s talk about that part slowly. First of all, this woman is the one who had put a hit on your family.”

Crack–!

The boy’s neck turned in an irreversible direction toward the woman.

“And funnily enough, this woman is the daughter of a famous hero family. Unlike you, she is someone who has everything.”

“Wh-why…!”

The boy screamed in a very cracked voice. The gentleman kindly told him the reason.

“Probably, the only reason she ordered for your family to be killed is to cover up details of her drug purchases?”

“J-just…for that reason…”

“Yes. Just for that reason. For those heroes, their honor is more important than your family’s life. What do you think? Doesn’t this dish look quite appetizing now?”

It was none other than a hero who had commissioned it.

The boy looked at the struggling woman.

She was the cause of his uncles’ death. His younger sister, who excitedly dressed up her face, was also killed.

“Heup! Heup!”

The woman cried. As if she was begging to be spared.

“Hurry up and eat before the food gets cold.”

It was hard to hold back his thirst anymore. As such, he listened to the gentleman’s honeyed words.

And…

Crack–!

“Heup! Heuh! Heuh!”

The boy began to eat the woman’s body alive. Hot blood scattered like a sauce.

Crack–! Crack–!

It was befitting of the Night of the Dead where red food was eaten.

Instead of the red food that the boy wanted to eat with his family, he drank the red blood to his heart’s content.

At some point, the woman stopped screaming. 

The boy savored the sweet taste of revenge as he licked up the blood off the floor.

Gulp—

He swallowed the last piece of flesh in his mouth. The gentleman smiled gently and asked.

“How was it? Were you satisfied with your meal?”

“…It’s not enough.”

“I didn’t have time to prepare more because I was busy. But don’t worry. There’s a separate main dish prepared.”

The boy’s body, which was as black as a chunk of charcoal, suddenly half of his body sprouted new flesh.

“Main…dish?”

“That’s right. Dinner is several, no, tens, hundreds of times more than today’s meal. If you follow me, you’ll be able to enjoy the main dish.”

The boy’s eyes shook for a moment at the gentleman’s words. And soon he nodded slowly.

“That’s a wise decision. Oh, by the way, I don’t even know your name yet.”

“I’m Fernando…And…you are…?”

“Haha, I guess I’m a bit late to introduce myself too. Then, let me officially introduce myself.”

Bowing gracefully like an old noble, the gentleman spoke.

“My name is Azazel, captain of the special forces in the 1st Army Corps of the demon army and your savior who had come down under the order of the great Evil God.”

A purple glow swayed in Azazel’s eyes as he greeted the boy.

* * * * * * * * * *

Having spent a short but long night in Guangcheng District, I returned home using the warrior teleportation skill.

Seeing my whole face covered in blood, Choi Bokhui sighed as if she was close to resignation, while Elizabeth, who was next to me, looked at the wound on my body and made a fuss.

A few days later, on the news, there were reports about the tragedy that had taken place in Guangcheng District.

For some reason, there was no mention of me.

It seemed that Hairy had done something just as he had boasted he would.

I wasn’t sure why he had suddenly decided to do it, but it was good for me because it was one less hassle.

Also, I wasn’t sure what happened afterwards to the children who I had given guns to.

At that time, I was so tired that I returned home immediately, but now that I thought about it, I realized that I had forgotten to retrieve my weapons.

Honestly, it was a bit of a waste, but I was too lazy to go back and find them, so I decided to chalk it up as a charity to the newbies.

There were still quite a few weapons in my inventory anyway, so it didn’t really matter.

Since then, I had stayed inside the house to focus on preparing to become a hero.

A few months later.

“Noah, hurry up and come down. It’s starting soon.”

Elizabeth, wearing sleeping trousers, peeked out of a shadow on the floor.

Perhaps because she had been steadily tutored by Choi Bokhui, a rather witch-like air was flowing from her.

“Okay.”

I took the shadow tunnel she had made for me and moved to the living room.

Originally, there were antique decorations, but before I knew it, there was a hologram TV placed here.

It was an item that Elizabeth, a big fan of television dramas, had suddenly brought home one day.

At first, Choi Bokhui was angry and opposed it, but I knew that she secretly watches cartoons every night.

“Oho! I remember I told you not to use magic inside the house.”

A fan of sternly scolded Elizabeth.

“I’m sorry. Teacher, it’s starting soon…”

“Huu…When have you ever listened to me?”

Choi Bokhui sighed briefly before turning on the TV with a remote control.

Then, along with a large crowd gathered in front of Jonggak in Pyongyang, the appearance of a reporter was reflected on the hologram.

“It sounds wonderful…I wanted to go there today.”

“There’s not much going on there. Time is relative and imperfect anyway. You’re a witch and you don’t even know that?”

“That’s true for someone who has lived as long as teacher. Wait? Teacher, aren’t you older than that bell?”

“Wh-what? What’s this way of talking to your teacher who’s as high as the heavens?!”

From the side, I could hear Elizabeth and Choi Bokhui bickering.

Elizabeth still seemed to be upset that Choi Bokhui had stopped her from going a few days ago because she found it troublesome.

I turned up the volume while leaving them alone.

[Okay! At this moment, the countdown has started! Everyone is waiting for the upcoming year of the monkey with their wishes!]

[Now, 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!]

Dong–

A heavy bell rang through the speakers.

“Happy New Year! Noah, congratulations on being a year older! Hehe, now just 7 more years…”

(TN: Every January 1st Koreans add 1 year of age instead of doing it on their birthdays.)

“I hope you stay strong and healthy this year…No. That isn’t it. Please don’t cause any more trouble…”

The two pour out words of blessing as if they had waited. At that moment,

Ding–!

A new message came to my mind.

[Challenge – Hero’s Journey]

Condition: Obtain a Hero License.

Time: 1 year.

Reward: Varies depending on Hero Rank.

Good timing.

At this moment, I was 13 years old.

In other words, I could now become a hero.

Finally, new content will open.

Everything passed by like a flash after the start of the second round.

A short but long time of patience. Somehow, I felt emotional.

As soon as I thought as such, suddenly, a roar burst out of the speakers. 

Boom—!

The hologram screen turned bright red. At first, I thought it was broken, but that wasn’t the case.

Thousands of citizens gathered in front of Jonggak in Pyongyang were crushed as a group as if they were buried by a bulldozer.

“Wh-what’s this…”

Elizabeth asked in a trembling voice. But even if she asked, I didn’t know the answer.

Maybe it was another villain. Normal daily life that happened everywhere in the world.

Honestly, I wasn’t really interested.

More than that, I felt mentally tired, perhaps because the habit of sleeping early had become a part of my daily life these days.

“I’ll go up first and sleep.”

As soon as I was about to go up the stairs, someone’s voice from the speakers grabbed my ankles.

[It’s my pleasure to meet you all. Everyone.]

A stilted voice as if it was said by an actor. The weak magic contained in it strangely stimulated my senses.

Where else had I felt this?

[I wasn’t going to greet you all like this, but this is also part of fate.]

I turned my head slowly.

Then there, I saw a man with a monocle and a clean mustache.

And…The man looked at the camera and spoke.

[My name is Azazel, your savior who came down to this land at the command of the great Evil God. From your point of view, I can be called the ‘devil’ that you normally refer to.] 

[Well, I think this is enough for today’s greeting, so I’ll pay another visit soon.]

At the same time, the TV broadcast was cut off, and a lost signal screen replaced it.

A moment of silence. Soon, the two people who were watching the TV rushed to make a fuss.

“N-Noah, did you just hear that? There are really devils in this world…”

“What’s going on? Evil God…”

But their voices didn’t reach my ears. More than that, I was caught up in one question.

Why had a devil already appeared?

It was a fact that in the first round they would appear 20 years later.

Even when playing games, the story sometimes changed depending on the choices, so it wasn’t completely incomprehensible.

But the important thing was, why did he appear at this point of time?

Maybe…I guess it was related to what I had killed so far.

It had only been a few months since the second round started.

I didn’t know if there was a connection between us, or if it was really just a coincidence…

Things just got a little more complicated. But what I had to do was simple.

Ding–

[Challenge – Light that Annihilates the Devil]

Condition: Subdue Azazel, captain of the special forces of the demon army.

Time: Unlimited. 

Reward: 1x Unknown.

If they came to me on their own accord, honestly, I was just thankful.

Maybe I could get revenge on the demons at a faster rate than I had thought.

“Good.”

At the surprise update 20 years ahead of schedule, I smiled deeply.