episode_0025

10 billion.

In the previous quest, he was a stock billionaire worth tens of billions, so the amount was not new to him.

However, recalling the time when he was so poor in this world that he couldn’t even afford a motel, it was a new experience.

Now he could take Minji to a 5-star hotel.

A hotel with a pool and chandeliers.

“We’ll deposit this gold bar into the card generously, including the bonus. In return—”

Violet shook the bundle of paper.

“Can you agree to this?”

The paper was filled with something, but it was filled with words that I couldn’t understand.

“That’s…”

“Like the weaknesses of heroes and villains. I have weaknesses too. You already know that.”

Violet’s weakness.

If I knew, it was probably because she straddled both heroes and villains.

Honestly, I wasn’t particularly interested in the weaknesses of heroes and villains.

“I’ll give it to you.”

It was something I didn’t need anyway.

And I couldn’t refuse Violet’s offer here.

She was a person I had to make an ally to take the hero test.

“Okay, then I’ll let it slide quietly during the hero test.”

She smiled slyly and promised.

I was a little nervous, but I had to trust her.

Basic preparations were now complete.

All that was left was to defeat Kangseok, dominate the hero test, and be recognized as a strong man by Cho Gaeun.

Right now, in Cho Gaeun’s mind, Kangseok and I were probably being perceived as men side by side.

If I beat Kangseok, I would probably be recognized as the only strong man who satisfies Cho Gaeun’s wall of men.

After leaving the bar, I visited the fortune teller I had visited once before.

This time, to investigate Kangseok.

“Hmm…”

The man who was contemplating for a moment raised five fingers to me.

“Fifty.”

It was definitely a more expensive price than before, but it was not a big problem for me now.

After all, I was at the point where I could sleep in a hotel instead of a hollow and empty house.

I handed over my card, and he pulled out the card reader and completed the payment with a familiar gesture.

Villains were supposed to deal only in cash before coming to this world, but that wasn’t the case.

Of course, the records were well altered.

The payment was completed under the name of a sentimental bar instead of the fortune teller.

After the payment was completed, the man once again took out a file from a corner of the bookshelf.

This was a bit unexpected.

Although he had been active as a scorpion for a long time, Kangseok was known as a promising hero recently.

And the file was surprisingly thick.

When I received and opened the file, I understood the reason.

In conclusion, Minji was right.

Kangseok was a villain.

And for quite a long time.

Thinking about it, the thickness of the file was at a thin level.

There wasn’t much written about his activities considering he had been active for a long time.

It was understandable.

Originally, he was a villain without abilities.

Usually, people are born with abilities, but there are rare cases where they awaken their abilities late.

Kangseok was one of those cases.

As soon as his ability awakened, he left the villains.

It didn’t seem like a strong sense of justice to become a hero.

There was probably another reason.

And I read one sentence.

[Note: Frequently participates in battles with heroes belonging to the Guardians.]

I didn’t know, but ordinary villains often gather in teams and work together.

If a request related to the Guardians, where Cho Gaeun and Minji belonged, was posted on a bulletin board, villains would almost always participate in solving it together.

It was a strange thing.

If you are a hero agency, they call you a guardian.

Abilities and appearance.

They were an agency of heroes with outstanding abilities and looks, but due to their sharp personalities, they had as many anti-fans as fans.

They were not the kind of heroes that villains would actively seek out, as they were skilled enough to avoid them.

Especially if the villain had no abilities.

Yet, Kang Seok always sought out requests related to guardians.

Even after gaining abilities, he would give up being a villain and declare that he would become a hero, going to find Choi Gaeun.

Whether it was due to fan loyalty or dark intentions.

Somehow, it felt like I could sense something.

And I looked at Kang Seok’s abilities.

“This is…”

I chuckled as I read the text and saw Kang Seok’s abilities.

“It’s unbeatable.”

It was a bit early, but I was confident of victory.

Time passed, and the hero exam day approached.

***

Kang Seok got up and checked his appearance in the mirror.

The lean body he had cultivated since his villain days trembled.

He was in top condition.

“Guardian…”

He murmured the name of a hero agency.

They were heroes who had caught his eye since long ago.

They possessed overwhelming power, and their appearance was so beautiful that they stood out from other heroes.

The sharp personality that people criticized as a flaw felt like an advantage to him.

So, ironically, he chose to become a villain.

He wanted to see them up close, to touch them, and even to relieve his dark intentions.

An ordinary person without abilities could not become a hero.

Passing the highly competitive hero exam was always reserved for the talented, so he couldn’t even dare to try.

In contrast, anyone could become a villain.

As long as they temporarily set aside their morality.

After becoming a villain, he only accepted requests related to the Guardian agency.

With fan loyalty and dark intentions, he fought against them.

He took hits, received insults, but his resolve did not waver.

It only grew stronger over time.

And the opportunity came.

He gained an ability. A quite powerful one at that.

Now he could stand shoulder to shoulder with them as a hero.

Fueled by emotions, he gave up being a villain and went straight to the Guardian agency.

Guardian’s lower-level cafe.

In reality, it was the only cafe where they could freely come and go, and Choi Gaeun and Minji were leisurely enjoying their coffee.

In a moment of excitement, as he approached with his tea.

He was met with Choi Gaeun’s kick.

If he hadn’t used his ability to create armor beforehand, it would have been an emergency situation.

The force that came from her small body was unbelievable.

“…You endured?”

That was the first thing Choi Gaeun said when she looked at him.

A psycho-like woman.

But, that was better.

When he recalled the moments when he would cower under her, he could forgive her current arrogance.

Endured was the wrong word.

He was still standing, still breathing, that was all.

“…Who are you?”

It was not a question to ask after attacking.

And the question was shocking.

‘Don’t you remember me?’

They had met several times, if not dozens of times until now.

Of course, he had been subdued in an instant each time, but he didn’t expect her not to recognize him.

Naturally, he expected her to recognize him and was about to say that he had given up being a villain, but there was no need.

None of the Guardian-affiliated heroes, including Choi Gaeun, remembered him.

“A promising hero? Is that so?”

There was no doubt in his mind.

But there seemed to be some interest in his eyes.

After enduring the attack, Choi Gaeun did not show a strong aversion to his proactive approach.

Unlike Minji and other heroes, she even seemed somewhat receptive.

In the Hero Test, the promise of a meal was enough to motivate her to achieve good grades.

For anyone else, it might not have meant much, but coming from Choi Gaeun, it held significant weight.

Things were going smoothly, at least until he appeared.

It was when passing by the Guardians.

As always, he planned to stop by the café to chat with Choi Gaeun and Minji, along with their fellow hero, but there was a line.

Choi Gaeun and Minji, along with their teammate, were familiar faces, so he knew them, but he noticed a man approaching them.

Seeing that, a wry smile crept onto his face.

Later, he learned that there had been occasional villains who would ambush her at the café, so Choi Gaeun was extremely cautious when someone unknown approached her while she was there.

It was obvious that the man would receive a kick like he did.

“…Huh?”

However, that didn’t happen.

Instead, Minji gave the man a faint smile.

“…”

It was a subtle change in expression that only a long-time fan could recognize.

So, the shock was even greater.

Minji smiled at the man?

And the shock didn’t stop there.

“What the…!”

The two shared a kiss.

Even with Choi Gaeun and their fellow hero watching, they didn’t care about anyone else as they locked lips.

It was a sticky, passionate kiss.

“…”

I waited.

I waited eagerly for Minji to push the man away and restrain him using her telekinesis.

But that didn’t happen.

Instead, she gently turned her head and deepened the kiss even more.

Rather than pushing him away, she placed a small, white hand on the man’s back and pulled him closer with a forceful grip.

It was a painful sight.

But I couldn’t look away.

The man’s appearance was the very image of what he had always wanted to become.

Now that he had gained powers, he believed that his chance had finally come—

As the two finished their long kiss and the man’s gaze turned towards Choi Gaeun, a chill ran down his spine.

There was something intense and sticky in that gaze.

At least, that’s how it appeared to him.

“If even Choi Gaeun can be stolen away…”

With trembling legs, he headed towards the training ground.

To become a little stronger.

And the moment when his efforts would shine was fast approaching.

“I won’t forgive this.”

Thinking of the man, he clenched his fist tightly.