Ch.8Chapter 1. Living as a Villain (3)

When you live as a villain, you can’t buy a house.

No matter how nicely you decorate your home, once your trail is discovered, your house is likely to be destroyed.

That’s why villains typically either build impregnable fortresses where no one dares approach, or prepare mobile dwellings.

Or they stay in hotels long-term, backed by enormous amounts of money.

It might seem like a waste of money, but from a temporary residence perspective, it’s better to just pay monthly rent.

Especially in this world’s Busan.

‘With prices five times higher than reality, who would want to buy a house here when they’re not going to live here forever?’

The cost of living is excessively high.

There are several factors for this, but the biggest reason is definitely “mana.”

For ability users, cities along the East Sea are the places where mana can be absorbed most quickly and efficiently.

Not just Koreans, but ability users from overseas are also securing residences in Busan regardless of cost to accumulate mana, making rent expensive everywhere in Busan.

‘Still, this is manageable because it’s Busan. If you go further north, it’s absolutely insane.’

The trap is that the further north you go, the closer you get to “Sejong Island,” the more expensive it becomes.

Pohang, which has a direct connection to Sejong Island, has an even higher cost of living than Busan.

One might understand Busan being expensive as the capital, but Pohang being more expensive than Busan?

There’s only one reason.

Simply, because of “distance” and “environment.”

Pohang is the closest city to Sejong Island, and Sejong Island is about 150km northeast of Pohang.

‘If you go up to Uljin or Gangneung, a villa there costs 3 million won per night, so Busan is the most economical.’

Mana has transformed this world into this state.

Despite these insane prices, there’s still demand, so sellers are doing everything they can to extract as much money as possible.

Of course, whether the cost of living is murderous or not doesn’t matter much to me.

As the cost of living has increased, so has my compensation.

Heroes receive salaries like civil servants in the real world, but as a freelance villain, I receive at least 50 million won monthly in compensation as long as The Syndicate doesn’t collapse.

The Syndicate must not fall.

Because my livelihood depends on it.

For that to happen, I need to eliminate the number one factor that could destroy The Syndicate—the “protagonist.”

“So in the end, I too am destined to kill the protagonist in order to survive.”

Whether in light novels or fantasy novels, when you’re possessed as an extra in the original work, there are mainly two ways to deal with the protagonist.

One is to become a supporter who assists the protagonist from behind.

The other is to stab the protagonist in the back and eliminate them.

As a villain, the easiest method is obviously to kill the protagonist.

“I’m sorry, protagonist.”

I mourned for the protagonist who would soon be arriving in Busan from overseas to enter the academy.

“You have to die so I can live. Besides, you’re a pervert.”

I apologize to the Korean light novel protagonist, but he sexually harassed all sorts of heroines under the pretext of “service scenes.”

Like entering a room while a roommate is changing clothes because males and females are assigned to the same dormitory room.

Or squeezing into a cabinet together while searching for something and rubbing bodies against each other.

Or seeing a swimsuit come off during summer camp.

Or exchanging body heat with a heroine while trapped in a cave during a Goblin villain’s attack.

The protagonist experiences countless events of sexual appeal.

I cannot forgive this protagonist.

Simply because he’s the protagonist of a Korean light novel?

Because he builds a harem with the heroines?

Or because he’ll interfere with my plans to take care of the heroines and S-class prospects at the academy?

Because, like a typical light novel protagonist, he has a secret birth, connected to a powerful figure, and his ability has the potential to become world-class, godlike in strength?

None of these.

I’ve already been harmed by him.

Not me before the possession, but me after being possessed.

And if he’s allowed to live, the world will head toward destruction.

“The meteor ending…”

This world.

The moment the protagonist gains godlike power, it perishes.

-Everyone, die with me and this world!

The protagonist gained godlike abilities and obtained everything, but the author, unable to continue the series long-term, dropped a meteor from the sky.

And Earth was destroyed.

Unfortunately, the protagonist has the power to cause a meteor floating in space to collide with Earth.

After setting up all kinds of harems and when only happiness should remain, the reason for dropping the meteor is simple.

-Thank you for reading until the end!

It’s because that bastard author rushed the ending.

What a dog.

I cursed him in the reviews, and true to his conscienceless nature, he forcibly possessed me into this world.

Someone once said.

The protagonist is like the author’s ego, a manifestation of their spirit.

In other words, in this world, the protagonist is the author.

Therefore.

By killing the protagonist, I get vicarious satisfaction from killing the author who possessed me in this world.

That’s the only way I’ll feel better.

* * *

To enter the academy, I need a disguised identity.

Fortunately, I have a public name: “Do Ji-hwan.”

It’s an ordinary name, but it’s not my real name—it’s an alias created in this world.

Either the author didn’t think of a real name for the Goblin, or my name was “Do Chang-nam.”

Come on, even for a villain antagonist.

Even if I became the final boss by accepting all evil origins without coherence or reason in a rushed ending.

It was a name that urgently needed changing, and after being possessed, I decided to change it and live with a new name.

Something about “Do Ji-hwan” felt strange, like it reminded me of something else, but since it was given to me directly by the chairman, I decided to live with it.

Do Ji-hwan.

23 years old.

Neither the actual name nor age has any relevance, but this is my public identity now.

With this identity, I have two missions:

One is to follow The Syndicate’s orders and seduce the heroines to our side.

The other, known only to me, is to kill the protagonist.

To accomplish these missions, I first need to enter Sejong Island using this disguised identity.

‘There’s no way to enter Sejong Island as an ordinary person.’

Sejong Island is a first-class military restricted area.

Even students studying at the academy cannot enter without a “student ID.”

The only entrances are long bridges connecting from Pohang, Gangneung, and Ulleungdo.

-How do we build this bridge?!

-We have ability users!

-They’re kindergarteners!

-Call the kindergarten teachers and figure something out!

This bridge was built around 2005 with the help of ability users; before that, one could only travel by boat.

ID is mandatory.

Purpose of visit is constantly checked.

They say Sejong Island’s entry screening is even stricter than US immigration.

That’s why I needed a solid public identity.

A disguised identity that wouldn’t raise suspicion no matter how people investigated Do Ji-hwan.

So I chose:

“I’d like to be a librarian, please.”

“…A librarian?”

“Yes. A librarian.”

I presented my concept to “Pacemaker,” a villain affiliated with The Syndicate who specializes in creating disguised identities.

“Personally, I like books, and I think people won’t pay much attention to a librarian.”

“Are you trying to get a job as faculty at the academy?”

“Yes. I’m planning to get hired through connections.”

“…That could be dangerous.”

Pacemaker tilted his head while manipulating my ID.

“No matter how impressive you are, Manager Do, if you’re discovered, the chairman’s line will be immediately exposed to the enemy.”

“That just shows how much the chairman trusts me. There’s a reason I need to enter Sejong Academy that justifies the risk to our spies already planted there.”

“If it’s the chairman’s decision, I’ll follow it… but Manager Do, won’t it be extremely dangerous? That place is crawling with S-class heroes.”

“I’m aware.”

I know it all too well.

“There are even rumors that Snow White, whom we just encountered, will be entering Sejong Academy as an instructor.”

“You know this and you’re still going in?”

“Yes. It’s the chairman’s orders.”

“…Here you go.”

I was impressed by the newly created electronic chip and librarian certificate.

“The computer system issues will all be handled by the end of today. Now you’re a 23-year-old ‘civilian’ who completed librarian training… not an ability user.”

“I understand.”

I must thoroughly pretend to be a civilian.

“There’s no need for the Goblin there anyway. There’s absolutely no reason to transform into the Goblin.”

“…I feel like you’ll cause trouble as soon as you get there.”

“Even if I cause trouble, it won’t be my fault, but the fault of the villain scum who forced me to transform into the Goblin.”

I am completely innocent.

I’m just punishing trash who mess with civilians.

“By the way, why did you choose to be a librarian among all possible professions? Is this also the chairman’s order? If that’s the purpose, there are many other jobs.”

“Being a librarian is just my personal hobby.”

Even though I’ve fallen into this world.

“…I really like books. They say the academy has those kinds of novels, right? Novels you can’t read anywhere else.”

According to rumors.

“If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t even bother entering the academy.”

I’ve heard that the academy library has discontinued novels available in book form “all the way to their conclusion.”