episode_0001

As planned.

That was my thought as I watched the flames, ice, and fragments flying before my eyes.

“Kuhaha! Take this!”

“Kueuk… Strong…!”

The two people are talking as if reading from a shoddy script, but their fight truly looked fierce.

But in reality, far from being fierce, neither of them were getting even a scratch on their bodies.

As I smiled, the others, seeing this, began to buzz among themselves.

“That chilling smile…!”

“Just what kind of devilish imagination…!”

In contrast, the gazes of those familiar to me, looking at me, are full of admiration.

“As expected of PD…!”

“All of this for us, and for the world…!”

I wasn’t thinking anything.

I take my eyes off the buzzing people.

Gazing at the scene, I began to leisurely reminisce.

About why all of this was successful.

*

I dreamed.

I dreamed of reading ‘Hero World’.

It was just that kind of comic.

It’s also a work that got a lot of flak for its beautiful characters, interesting early story, and terrible story and annihilation ending.

In fact, I myself enjoyed reading the work quite a bit, but dropped it as the atmosphere became serious.

I wonder why I suddenly thought of that work.

-Bang!

-Thump!

I open my eyes at the sound of something breaking.

The first thing I see upon opening my eyes is a completely half-destroyed bank, and bundles of money scattered on the floor.

Bundles of money?

Not only that, but shockwaves and blades flying before my eyes.

Wow, this is something. The dream is quite realistic.

“Hee… Hee…!”

“Hoo…! Hoo…!”

At the same time, I turn my head to look beside me at the sound of panting.

A woman in a black dress and a woman in white tights were glaring at each other as if to kill.

The woman in the black dress had a cold impression, with her clothes and ebony hair,

Conversely, the woman in white tights had a friendly impression with her snow-white hair.

Of course, both of them were panting so much that such impressions were meaningless.

But those two, they look familiar.

I try to retrace my vague memories, but I just feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before. The frustration of not being able to remember clearly was driving me crazy.

“…Hoo… This is the end…”

The woman in white tights says, taking a deep breath, and my gaze quickly sweeps over the two of them.

Anyone could see that the woman in the black dress seemed to have more injuries, and in reality, her injuries were much more severe.

Even I, who knows nothing about fighting, could tell who was more advantageous.

I have no idea what is happening right now.

“No, what is this.”

As I mutter, the woman in white tights looks at me with a bewildered expression, and the woman in the black dress also stares at me with wide eyes.

And both of them take a deep breath.

Yeah. That can happen.

I’m not surprised.

It’s not the first time I’ve heard that this face is scary.

The people around me say I’m a handsome jerk.

Not ugly, but definitely not someone who looks like they would do good things.

So, I understand why they’re looking at me like that.

And before I could react to anything,

“Don’t move!”

The woman in the black dress appeared behind me and put her hand on my neck.

The woman in white tights’ face turned pale as she looked at her.

“Wh-Why… a civilian…? No… is he even a civilian?”

She mutters with a perplexed face.

Still, it’s a bit much to say I don’t look like a civilian.

Of course, it’s a misunderstanding I often receive.

Unlike me, who was staring with a puzzled expression, the woman in the black dress smiled evilly as if drawn in a picture, glared at the woman in white tights, and then opened her mouth.

“Okay, I admit it. It seems I was a little careless this time.”

Is she looking for a way to escape? She says that, but her eyes are wandering around.

She even keeps glancing at the bundles of money scattered on the ground.

Is she worried about the money?

What is this?

I slowly pick up a bundle of money.

The currency was similar to the green ten-thousand-won bills I always saw, yet different.

It was like money from another world.

“If you follow me, this guy dies!”

Before I could say anything, the woman in the black dress grabbed the back of my neck and leaped into the air, and I immediately felt an incredible gravity and height. Speechless, I hurriedly grabbed the hand holding my neck tightly.

“Oh…”

This is really realistic. I could believe I’m flying in the sky right now.

Is this a lucid dream, or something? If so, it’s a bit amazing.

“Stop right there!”

As I flew into the sky, the woman in white tights tried to jump up, but,

“Yes? No, but there’s a person…!”

She puts her hand to her ear and mutters as if talking to someone.

“No, still…! You can’t judge people by their appearance…!”

And while she was talking to someone, the woman in the black dress and I flew through the air at an incredible speed, and soon the woman in white tights completely disappeared from my sight.

“…”

“…”

Kicking off buildings, the woman in black flew endlessly through the sky, and she landed in front of a building that looked shabby to anyone.

-Thump!

The floor cracked, and she stared intently at me.

“…”

“…”

Silence continued for a moment, then she scoffed as if she was dumbfounded.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“Uh… um… why would I be?”

It’s not a nightmare. If I’m having this realistic lucid dream, isn’t that something to be grateful for?

“Why?”

She looks at me with a dumbfounded expression after hearing my question.

“Don’t you know who I am?”

“How would I know?”

“…”

The woman looks at me with a dumbfounded expression, yet also a strangely hurt expression.

“…No. If you don’t know, I’ll just have to let you know now.”

She reaches out and pokes my forehead.

“I’m Eclipse. The villain who’s been showing up the most recently.”

“…Eclipse?”

It’s a name I’ve heard a lot and a face I’ve seen before.

“Yeah. That Eclipse.”

But how did she interpret my expression? She puffs out her chest and answers in a confident voice.

“Why, do you remember now? But don’t worry. I don’t do meaningless killings-”

“Ah.”

The dream comes to mind.

The dream of reading Hero World, and its contents.

Memories flood my mind for a moment.

Hero World.

Beautiful characters, terrible story development. In the end, it was a terrible work in which almost all characters except the main character met their deaths.

Let’s just check one thing.

“…What year is it right now?”

“Is this guy really crazy?”

The woman looks at me as if I’m crazy at my question.

She tilts her head, and the hem of her dress flutters.

“Ah, hurry up. I’m in a hurry.”

When I furrow my brow, she turns her gaze elsewhere.

Yeah. My mom also hated it when I furrowed my brow. She said it made me look bad-tempered.

“No, this guy… geez. …Heroic Power 2060.”

“…!”

I hurriedly start touching my body.

A sensation that is strangely realistic.

And my hair, scattered and disheveled by the wind.

“…Hey, aren’t you getting too scared?”

Eclipse waves her hand in front of me.

Eclipse.

A figure on the villain side, and the first villain to be killed by a hero.

“…”

She looked much younger than she did in the book, but Eclipse waves her hand in front of me again.

“You’re spaced out. Look at this guy.”

“…”

“Ahem. Hey.”

“…”

Eclipse, a person with abilities, the sensation just now, and the keyword Hero World that runs through my mind.

As I realize that fact, a voice rings in my head.

It says in my head in a dry voice.

At the same time, one work came to mind.

Hero World.

Then this person is…

“…Eclipse.”

I mutter in a small voice.

Eclipse.

A character in , and a character who played an important role in the work.

She was a villain, but her personality was kind, and the story started to go wrong when the heroes killed her when she was about to turn over a new leaf.

I recall the ending.

A ruined city, the corpses of countless people, and the few people left. And the main character and those around him, gathering those people and strengthening their resolve.

What are the chances that I’ll be there?

What are the chances that I will be among the survivors, or that I will share my fate with those countless corpses?

It’s probably the latter.

Because the survival probability of 0.3% I just mentioned says so.

“…You can stare at my forehead all you want, but nothing’s coming out.”

Eclipse covers her head, muttering to herself.

“Ahem. I know you’re surprised, but I don’t intend to kill people indiscriminately. But I’ll take the price for your life-”

“…”

“…It’s not like I’m asking for much. Just… about 50,000 won…”

“…”

“…Okay. I have my pride too. 30,000 won…”

“…”

“…10,000 won…?”

I leave Eclipse, who is muttering something next to me, alone for a moment and sink into thought.

Okay. If the place I appeared in is another world, and if this place is destined to be devastated by the fight between heroes and villains, then I have to stop it.

There’s no other reason.

Because I have to live.

But how?

“Status window.”

“…What is he saying?”

“Status.”

“…?”

“Gate open!”

Eclipse looks at me, shouting at the air, like I’m crazy.

That’s not what’s important right now.

My life is what’s important.

But sadly, no window appeared before my eyes.

Isn’t it okay to give me at least one status window? Isn’t this something that can’t even be called a perk?

“…”

Then what about the survival rate?

I look at Eclipse again, and soon the voice rings in my head again.

Just make me a hero, right?

“Hey. You’re not a hero by any chance…”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

The survival rate drops to 0% as soon as I mention the word hero.

That must mean that even if I told her to become a hero, it would backfire.

Then, shouldn’t I just get close to her from now on so that she takes care of me somehow?

If it’s Eclipse’s ability that I know, she’ll be able to save me, no matter what happens to the world.

That’s right. I’m going to mooch off her.

“…Geez, of all the people to pick up, why did it have to be this crazy kid-”

“Hey.”

“…Hey? Is this guy crazy?”

Eclipse stares intently at me.

A thought suddenly came to mind.

“Follow me. I’ll give you money.”

I take out the bundle of money I picked up earlier and wave it.

Eclipse’s gaze follows the bundle of money as it waves.

But without paying attention to that, I take a step,

“…”

Eclipse stares at me intently, then follows me.

“What crazy guy did I get caught up with…”

While constantly grumbling.

*

The place we stopped was a large sundae soup restaurant.

There were no customers, and it was questionable whether business could even be done properly in such a ruined place.

But that’s not what was important.

What’s important is that there’s someone making food in a place where there aren’t any people.

Without even hesitating, I open the door of the soup restaurant and go inside.

“Welcome…”

The owner, an elderly woman, tried to greet me brightly when she heard the door open, but her face hardened once she saw my face, and then she closed her mouth when she saw Eclipse in the black dress behind me.

“Auntie. Two special sundae soups and a side of pork head, please.”

“…”

“Quickly.”

“…Ah, yes…”

I took out money and gave it to the auntie, who was looking at me with a suspicious expression, and only then did she go into the kitchen.

And then, Eclipse timidly approaches me.

“…What are you planning now?”

She looks at me with a very nervous expression, and I don’t say anything and just wait for the sundae soup to come out.

And, before long, the sundae soup came out.

“Eat.”

“…”

Eclipse suspiciously looks at me, but still spoons the sundae soup after adding plenty of perilla seed powder.

She doesn’t say anything, so she must have been hungry or it must have been delicious.

“…”

I also stirred the sundae soup with a spoon and quietly opened my mouth.

“Hey.”

“…Why.”

Eclipse looks at me after swallowing the sundae soup she had been holding in her mouth.

“Villain life is important.”

“…”

“But, this isn’t what a villain is.”

“…What?”

“If you’re pushed out in terms of popularity, you should at least have a lot of money. If you’re pushed out in terms of popularity and you don’t have money, why would you be a villain? Everyone would be a hero.”

“…”

Eclipse repeatedly opened and closed her mouth after hearing my words.

She wants to refute something, but only anger rises.

But that’s just a step to get to the main point.

“I’ll make it for you.”

“What?”

“I’ll make you rich. Then I’ll let you live a proper villain life.”

This world is doomed.

A world where most of humanity is predicted to be annihilated by their fight.

Can I really survive in this world?

No. At least not with my trash ability to grasp my survival rate.

So what should I do?

That’s where something immediately came to mind.

Raise Eclipse.

Raise her, who is still weak, properly, to the point where she can save me.

I examine Eclipse’s face.

A face that is definitely more youthful than in the original work.

It is, in some ways, lucky that I met Eclipse now.

It’s lucky from the start that I’m interacting so casually with someone related to the original work.

If I miss this opportunity now, I might just be waiting with my mouth open for an opportunity that may never come.

Meanwhile, the time I have to survive will be reduced.

If so, I’ve decided.

“Are you a rookie?”

“…I’m a super rookie, okay?”

Eclipse answers, stirring her sundae soup at my question.

Okay. That’s good then.

“…So.”

And, taking this rookie super rookie.

“Are you interested?”

I find a way to survive.

A voice echoes in my head.

A great improvement.

It’s up by 0.2%.

“…In what?”

Eclipse stares intently at me.

“First, we find people.”

“Then what?”

“Then?”

I grin.

“We scam them.”

“…?”

Eclipse looked at me with an expression that she didn’t understand.