Ch.9Chapter 1. To Become Stronger (1)

One thing that helps in this world is the ‘system’.

‘Without the system, I might have died long ago.’

The author must have had some conscience when throwing me here, as they provided me with something called a system.

Does the system actually exist in the original work?

Yes, it does.

It’s the protagonist’s ability.

In other words, the system is a feature given only to the protagonist—a protagonist privilege.

I don’t have it.

In my normal human state, I can’t see the system.

However.

“Transform.”

The moment I put on the mask and transform into the Goblin, the world I see through the mask completely changes.

[System, on.]

I’ve set it up so I can only use the system in very limited situations.

[A window that only appears during transformation. How maddening.]

Currently.

I’m transformed as the Goblin, observing myself in the mirror.

# # #

[Goblin]

Occupation: Villain

Affiliation: The Syndicate “Yimemangryang”

Rank: Villain S, ?? ??? EX

Skills: Physical Enhancement, Goblin Club

Status

Strength: D (13 / 200)

Endurance: E (34 / 100)

Agility: A (121 / 500)

Mana: C (23 / 300)

Luck: F (0 / 0)

# # #

[How maddening.]

Terrible stats.

One of them is even so pathetic it shows the author’s malice.

Other A-class ability users all have stats like BBABC, but compared to them, mine are utterly miserable.

‘At first, I seriously cried wondering if I was really a villain.’

Even these stats are the result of six months of training.

I raised my strength from F to D through strength training.

Agility was high from the beginning at B, and after training like hell, I raised it to A.

The reason for high agility is probably to add plausibility to shouting “Tch, that’s all for today!” while running away.

Thanks to that, I’m very good at escaping, and I haven’t been caught so far.

My mana naturally increased while living in South Korea.

If I had gone to another country, somewhere far like Europe, I’d probably still be at E level.

Endurance?

‘I have absolutely no desire to increase endurance.’

Endurance improves when you get hit.

It’s also expressed as toughness, but unfortunately, I hate pain.

I may look like a close-combat character with a club, but in reality, I’m closer to an assassin dealer than a close-combat character.

[Face… the Goblin…]

Goblins are strong?

At least I’m not.

The one who’s truly strong is the protagonist.

If I recall his stats roughly…

Strength: S (892 / 1000)

Endurance: EX (7496 / 9999)

Agility: A (18 / 500)

Mana: EX (9999 / 9999)

Luck: S (777 / 1000)

I think that’s what they were.

I don’t remember the exact numbers, but they were stats that seemed maliciously balanced.

These were probably his “Volume 1” stats.

By the time he was dropping meteors, he probably had all EX, 9999-level stats.

‘Even Mary Sue min-maxing has limits, this is just too much.’

And then he goes around saying “I’m sooo weak,” so how could he possibly be charming as a protagonist?

-You clearly seem strong, why don’t you step up and fight?

-No. I’m a weak person. My ability is ordinary too.

-Tch, don’t lie! Just seeing you dodge my attacks proves you’re strong!

He claims his goal is to quietly graduate from the academy, but he always performs heroically whenever villains appear, naturally rising to become the academy’s hero.

Perhaps it was the Goblin’s constant provocation that forced him to reveal his abilities.

Then what if I don’t provoke him?

If the Goblin doesn’t draw aggro, will he continue living as a weakling?

-You all made me like this! If you hadn’t messed with me, I wouldn’t have gone this far!

The reason he dropped a meteor wasn’t because of the author’s sudden rush to end the series, but because he wanted to live a normal, quiet life, yet everyone around him kept provoking him until he snapped.

‘What a pathetic guy.’

Would he graduate normally without awakening as the Demon King and then leave to find his own life?

‘Other guys would provoke him.’

The Syndicate isn’t the only one targeting Sejong Academy.

Yimemangryang has a tight grip on South Korea, making it easy for them to exert influence on Sejong Academy, but besides the Syndicate, there are all kinds of villains.

Like the Illuminati.

Or the KKK.

Or the Triads.

They’ve turned all these plausible underworld organizations into villains.

Honestly, it seems quite possible they would act this way in such a world, but here’s where the national pride kicks in:

-Yimemangryang is stronger than any other villain organization, and all other evil organizations are wary of Yimemangryang.

That’s what they say.

In other words, Yimemangryang is the strongest in the underworld, so no one can easily set foot in South Korea, where Yimemangryang has established its territory.

At most, they might send in very small-scale agents.

“…Hah.”

Killing the protagonist would easily solve everything, but the protagonist is too strong.

But I can’t back down either.

[If the protagonist is too strong to kill, then I just need to become strong enough to kill him.]

Fortunately, I have power.

A very special ability.

It’s what made me an S-class villain despite my terrible stats—more due to accumulated evil deeds than mana levels—one ability.

[Goblin Club].

This baseball bat I’m gripping.

It has an original form, but I use it in a modern goblin style with nails hammered all over a baseball bat.

Thanks to this club, I’ve been able to survive until now.

[…Supernatural power, I should say.]

-Gold, appear, snap! Silver, appear, snap!

Whether to call it material creation or shape transformation.

If I had to name this power, I’d call it “supernatural power.”

The driving force behind creating special objects through supernatural power is “mana.”

If I had infinite mana, I could create anything I imagine.

As a reader, I…

Almost wrote a review calling this ability “ridiculous wish fulfillment.”

But fortunately, that didn’t happen, and the ability was replaced with the name “Goblin Club.”

[…Mana into reality.]

I point the club forward.

[…A goblin’s imagination becomes reality.]

Pa-ang!

Through a light incantation, I created the object I had in mind.

[Phew.]

After confirming it was perfectly made, I released my transformation.

I became naked, but no one knows.

I’ve drawn the curtains tightly in my apartment, and no one will attack by sensing my mana just because I transformed in my studio apartment.

In the first place.

“Ha, this is so pathetic.”

Who would think I’m the Goblin when I’m using the ability to turn thoughts into reality to create chicken and canned beer?

“…This really feels crazy.”

Creating chicken and beer with mana?

It’s clearly a waste.

But.

“A world where one chicken costs 38,000 won? I’d rather die than order chicken.”

Cursing the author who set chicken prices at nearly 40,000 won, today again I survive by eating food I created with mana.

“…And it doesn’t even taste good.”

It’s not a matter of money.

“Ah, I want to enter the academy soon.”

It’s a matter of pride.

“That person also wrote a manga where they awakened as an ability user and finished it without back pain.”

* * *

At that moment.

In a hotel suite in Busan, a white-haired woman was lying on the bed watching TV.

[…Since the news broke that “Snow White” will work as an academy instructor for a year, inquiries about special admissions have been pouring in from various countries. Congressman Gukbihong, how should we view this?]

[Hehe. It shows how much our country’s national power has increased. Isn’t that what it is? During the IMF crisis, everyone predicted our country would collapse. But through gold collection campaigns…]

[Ah, sorry, we’re showing footage now. This is the list of ability users who have applied for special admission. A princess from England, the granddaughter of a German car company president, and even the heir to a prominent American family. And an Arab princess is being sent too?]

[That’s right. The ironic thing is, usually when a female hero like Snow White becomes an instructor, male ability users from abroad show great interest. But now these women are also interested in Snow White. Well, no matter how much the world has changed, even among ability users, between the same gender…]

[They’re honored to meet a role model of the same gender. I understand. Now let’s talk with Congressman Jiokmin. You’re saying “Yimemangryang” is behind Snow White becoming an instructor?]

[Yes, that’s right. Since Yimemangryang keeps targeting Sejong Academy, they brought in Snow White…]

[Please use her official name.]

As soon as the commotion started, the woman turned off the TV.

Then she fiddled with a small ice sculpture placed beside her.

“…Are you also targeting the academy?”

The ice sculpture was a baseball player holding a bat.

But its face was hidden by a helmet.

Only…

Its physique resembled someone very closely.

“Why, what for?”