episode_0001

Villain

“…”

*Click! Click! Click!*

“Darn it.”

I finally threw the lighter that wouldn’t light into a corner.

“I can’t even have a cigarette before I go.”

And then, I threw away the bitten cigarette as well.

As the cigarette I threw hit the ground, a red liquid began to seep out.

*Ringtone*

“?”

As I sat on the floor looking out the window, my pocket started ringing.

An unknown number. Everyone who would call me is saved, and since my phone wasn’t prone to spam calls, I was puzzled.

“Hello?”

With nothing else to do, I answered the call.

[Congratulations! You’ve won our event.]

“?”

[Congratulations on winning the ‘Hero, Villain’ event!]

I definitely remember ‘Hero, Villain’ as a popular comic these days. But an event from that comic? I didn’t even apply for it in the first place.

[If you were born in this world, what ability or existence would you like to have?]

“…In a world from a comic book.”

While pondering about the event, I found myself starting to think about the question.

“…Nothing.”

To live this life twice? I refuse.

[Fascinating. That’s an unusual answer.]

Well, who would refuse a second chance at life?

“Do you have no aspirations? Nothing you want to become? No dreams?”

“I… forgot my dreams a long time ago.”

Baekhyun, wondering how they knew his name, muttered to himself.

“You’re a new type. But that makes you more intriguing.”

“But what is this?”

Certainly doesn’t seem like an ordinary event.

“Then, let me ask you one last time. Will you participate in the event?”

“…It’s the last anyway, so why not.”

“Okay! Now, please look at the screen!!”

At the words “look at the screen,” I took the phone away from my ear and looked at it. Instead of the expected call screen, a roulette wheel appeared.

“What is this?”

“Now, let’s spin it.”

*Rattling sound*

Certainly not a call, but whether it’s hacking or something else, the roulette wheel spun.

“…”

The roulette spins, and the characters on the roulette look like they’re from a cartoon.

It’s divided into shining, golden, silver, and copper parts. Is it like a ranking?

“…Ah”

[Oh my]

(swish)

The roulette gradually slowed down and started to slow down in the copper part.

“Uh…”

(clink)

Eventually, it stopped at the copper part.

[Villain / Arthur Madness]

Arthur Madness? Villain?

[Congratulations!]

Congratulations? What’s there to celebrate about landing on copper?

[Then, Baekhyun, I wish you good luck.]

(pop!)

“…What the heck.”

As the draw ended, the phone screen went off.

“…Good grief.”

After an odd experience, I just put down my phone and looked out the window again. It didn’t matter anyway.

(bang!!)

And before long, the door burst open, and the riot police with shields stormed in.

“!!”

“!!”

The riot police that entered the room looked around at me and the room, looking bewildered.

That’s understandable. There are over ten bodies in this room right now. And more than anything, the blood-stained suit reflected in the window and the blood on my hands and face were the most horrifying.

“Hyuna.”

Amidst the riot police, a familiar face appeared.

“Oh, it’s been a while, sir.”

I smiled and greeted the familiar face.

“Hyuna, it’s not too late yet.”

“…”

“Defect.”

At his words, I looked at the gun in my hand. A type of gun that cannot be obtained in Korea. However, all the bullets inside were already lodged in the body lying next to me. But because the hammer was cocked, the police couldn’t tell if the gun was actually loaded or not.

“…….Well, bad guys don’t need a happy ending, do they?”

(whoosh!)

I raised my arm and aimed the empty gun at the riot police and pulled the trigger.

“!!”

(click! bang! bang! bang! bang!)

The moment I pulled the trigger, my gun made an empty sound as the hammer recoiled and naturally did not fire, but bullets flew towards me from the riot police and the police.

(bang! bang! bang!)

In an instant, dozens of bullets flew at me, and I closed my eyes without feeling any pain.

And then I woke up in a new world. It was a world from a cartoon that I had participated in before I died.

“Okay, what card did you pick?”

I asked a woman holding a card on a stage.

“Heart 4.”

The woman replied with an expectant expression.

“Show it to me.”

The woman revealed the card with a sign she had been hiding to the people watching the stage.

“I think this magic is fake! I can’t believe it! If anyone thinks the guy standing there is a fraud, please raise your hand.”

(Swish)

Some people raised their hands.

“Yes, please come forward as you are.”

“Hahaha.”

“Hahaha!”

“It’s a joke, come on out. Applause~”

(Clapping! Clapping!)

“Alright, someone has come forward to make me a beggar. Um, what’s your name?”

“Juyeon.”

“Juyeon, have you ever conspired with me about anything beforehand?”

“No.”

“If you had conspired beforehand, what would you bet?”

“My night.”

“In fact, I conspired.”

“Hahahaha!!”

“Well, it’s a shame you didn’t conspire beforehand. Juyeon, how many pockets are there on your clothes?”

“Um… four.”

“Yes, two front pockets and two back pockets. Can you tell me any pocket?”

“…Left front pocket.”

“Is that the best one?”

“No. Back right…”

“Hmm?”

“…Right front pocket!”

“Good. Juyeon, then put your hand in that pocket.”

“…Huh?”

“You must have felt something. Please carefully take it out.”

(Swish)

Juyeon cautiously took out a card from the pocket after feeling something in response to my words.

“Do you like any of the cards?”

“…King of Spades.”

“Emma, could you hold the card again?”

?”

The woman who had been on the stage since earlier held the card again.

“!!”

“Wow!”

The card had suddenly changed to the King of Spades.

“Now, if the signed Heart 4 card has turned into the King of Spades, where do you think the original signed card is?”

“Ohhh!!”

“Juyeon, slowly reveal the cards.”

(Slowly…)

And the card Juyeon revealed was the Heart 4 card with the sign of the woman named Emma from earlier.

“Wow!!!”

“I guess I should get some applause, right?”

“Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thank you. Thank you. Now it’s time for the final magic trick that everyone has been waiting for! It’s the hypnosis magic that you all have been longing for! Let me pick a volunteer.”

(Swish, swish, swish)

Several people raised their hands.

“Those who raised their hands, let’s play rock-paper-scissors. Rock, paper, scissors!”

The people who raised their hands played rock-paper-scissors, and one person was chosen to come up on stage.

“What’s your name?”

“Yuilhan.”

“Are you by any chance a detective?”

“Yes?”

“No, you’re not. Anyway, Mr. Ilhan, is there anything you can’t do?”

“Something I can’t do?”

“Well… juggling? Balancing? Things like that.”

“I can’t do both.”

“Great. Mr. Ilhan?”

(Swipe)

“Listen carefully to the ticking of the clock.”

I took out a pocket watch and showed it to the man.

(Tick, tock)

“…”

“The sound of the clock and your heartbeat are perfectly synchronized now.”

“…”

“Look into my eyes.”

The man looked at my face upon my words.

“Not above or below, but focus on the center of my eyes.”

“…”

“Now, your tension is easing, and your body and mind are becoming light. As if floating in space, as if floating on the sea, as if lying in a cradle.”

“…”

“Are you ready to attempt something impossible that you couldn’t do before?”

“….Yes.”

“Good.”

(Thud)

As the man responded, I closed the pocket watch and put it in my pocket.

“Now, please step onto the chair.”

I brought a chair and placed it in front of the man. Then the man stepped onto the chair.

“No, not there, on the backrest.”

“What?”

“How can you climb up there?”

Just as the audience expressed doubt, the man effortlessly climbed onto the backrest of the chair.

(Shake!)

“Whoa!”

As he climbed, the chair shook, but the man effortlessly balanced himself on the backrest.

“Wow!”

“Now, I suppose it’s time for juggling, right?”

(Swipe)

I took out three knives from the magic bag and showed them to the audience.

(Swish! Swish! Swish!)

Then I confirmed that they were real knives with blades by sticking them into an apple on the table.

“Now, please juggle with these.”

“Huh?!”

People who seemed to be the man’s acquaintances were taken aback.

(Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!)

However, despite such reactions, the man calmly took the knives I handed him and started juggling.

“Wow!”

“Shall I stand on one foot now?”

(Swish)

The man lifted one foot at my words and stood on the armrest of the chair, juggling with a knife.

“Wow!!”

“Alright. Come down now.”

(Swish, thud)

After finishing the juggling, the man jumped down from the chair.

“Now, count to three and snap your fingers to release the hypnosis. One, two, three.”

(Tap)

“……. ”

The man, who had been standing straight, looked around in confusion when he heard the finger snap.

“How do you feel?”

“…Good?”

“Wow”

(Clapping!)

“Thank you. Thank you!”

“Mr. Arthur, you’re amazing as always today.”

As I came down from the stage, the owner of the club, Anderson, approached me and handed me an envelope.

“Haha, thank you.”

I politely accepted the envelope and said, “But Mr. Arthur, your hypnosis is amazing every time I see it. How can you do something you’ve never done before?”

“Well, Mr. Anderson, can you juggle?”

“No, I can’t.”

“But you understand the principle, right?”

“Yes, throw one and move another in between and catch it.”

“I induce hypnosis to make them perform that action. People who juggle aren’t non-human, are they? They’re just like any other human.”

In reality, it’s about putting a theory into the mind and perfectly executing the command with the body. Think of it as programming a machine. If it’s not physically impossible, then it’s possible.

Standing on one foot on the armrest of the chair is similar. The sense of balance is human instinct. Hypnosis has made it even more exceptional and ultimately eliminated all doubts and fears about climbing onto the armrest.

“I heard rumors that you also perform at that women’s club…”

“Haha, that’s unlikely.”

“Yeah, there’s no way. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“Yes, yes.”

For a moment, his gaze was one that could determine what I would do.

(Thud! Thud! Thud!)

Just as I was about to leave the club, an explosion was heard.

“…Another villain?”

Despite the explosion, people were either indulging in music or drinking without a care, and Anderson didn’t seem concerned either.

Why, you ask?

This is a world in a cartoon, and it’s a world where people with abilities play.

And I, Arthur Riddle, who should have been a third-rate villain by now, am living as a street magician.

(Uuung)

“?”

When the phone in my pocket rang, I picked it up.

[Alice]

The caller was my younger sister, Alice.

(Beep)

“Oh, what’s up?”

[……]

“?”

[……]

Even though I answered the phone, I only heard Alice’s breathing, not her voice.

“Alice?”

[…Brother]

Her voice was shaking badly.

“What’s wrong?”

[Help me]

“Why? What’s wrong?”

[I, I…]

“Where are you? I’m coming.”

In a hurry, I rushed out of the club at Alice’s trembling voice.

(Boom!)

I quickly drove to the address Alice had called me to. When I arrived, it was a dark alley.

“…Alice?”

I called for Alice as I entered the alley.

“Brother!”

A blonde girl, Alice, ran out of the dark alley and hugged me, her body trembling with fear.

“Just stay here for now, okay?”

At my words, Alice nodded with a face that seemed like she could burst into tears at any moment.

Then I went further into the darker alley.

(Creak creak)

The alley light flickered as if it were malfunctioning.

(Creak! Aaah!)

The flickering light suddenly shone brightly, and I could see a man lying on the ground, blood flowing from a stab wound.

“…”

My brain froze when I first saw that sight.

“Brother”

While I was staring blankly at the fallen man, Alice came up behind me and called my name.

“…”

“Uh uh uh uh”

The man, bleeding, groaned. Perhaps because the knife hadn’t been pulled out, the blood wasn’t flowing much.

“Brother”

“…”

Alice stabbed the man.

“…”

“This man, he… he…”

As I looked at the fallen man and thought, Alice grabbed my sleeve and spoke as if she was about to burst into tears.

“I didn’t mean to do that-”

“It’s okay, calm down.”

I tried to calm down that Alice as much as possible. It seems like he was about to do something and then panicked after being stabbed by a man.

“Ugh.”

I approached the man who was groaning first.

“…”

Approaching the man, I checked the tattoo on his neck, which should not have been there for him. It was a burning colosseum-shaped tattoo symbolizing a certain organization.

“Ugh.”

I thought.

The organization this man belongs to

And the characteristics of that organization

Finally, the action this man was about to take against Alice

(Swish)

Arthur, whose thoughts had ended, pulled out the kitchen knife stuck in the man’s abdomen.

“Ugh!”

(Slash!!)

And immediately plunged it into the man’s throat.

“Thud!!”

(Slash! Slash! Slash!)

After repeatedly pulling out and stabbing the knife, the man’s body collapsed as if drained of strength.

And a tremendous amount of blood began to flow on the floor, and Arthur’s suit was also splattered with a lot of blood.

“…I need to clean up for now.”

That’s how I ended up walking the path of a villain. To be precise, I accepted my fate.