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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Public Chase
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[Egoistic's Real-time Update) Spotted on the Street lololol]
(Photo)
What is this lololol
=[Comments]=
[Oh, what's this? lololol]
[Live event ON lolololol]
[Isn't this dangerous? Seriously, I don't know.]
[Ah lol, are they shooting a movie lolol]
[Bro, you'll die if you keep filming that, omg. Run!]
ㄴ[Chad move: Filming a crime scene]
*
*
[OMG OMG OMG Guys, Mangostick just appeared on the street!]
(Video)
[Oh, what? Another terror attack? Scary...]
[No! This time it seems like they're just chasing someone!]
[Gah, watching the video, someone's bleeding and flashing around, isn't that murder? T_T]
[No, that clearly looks like he's chasing a villain, doesn't it?]
[Dark Hero Mangostick! Dark Hero Mangostick! Take me, I'm yours!!!]
ㄴ[What's with the Mangostick Faction lolololol]
*
***
[Real-time Trend #1]
#Egoistic
***
"Haa... haa..."
The Teleporter, Kim Hak-cheol, moved his body, panting heavily.
Normally, teleportation was effortless for him, but his current state was far from normal.
Holding his hand over the wound to stem the blood gushing from his abdomen, he kept going. Kept going.
He only teleported forward, just forward.
His vision was already blurring. His body felt heavy. He felt like he was going to die.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of rage.
What did I do wrong to deserve this?
All he had done was rob a few banks.
Of course, he'd killed a few people in the process, but that was entirely their fault. Why did they have to interfere with him when he was just doing his thing?
He continued to teleport forward. But perhaps because his body ached and his head spun, moving wasn't easy.
Normally, teleportation required a clear mental image of the desired location or coordinates. However, Kim Hak-cheol, having been shot for the first time in his life, was no longer capable of rational thought.
He simply went, and kept going, to the farthest point he could see before him. In truth, even that was becoming difficult as his vision blurred.
"Kyaa!"
"Wh-what?!"
"Aargh!"
He was currently in the heart of the city.
In this bustling area, it was hardly surprising that people were startled when a man, bleeding profusely, appeared and disappeared among the crowds, flashing from east to west.
But still, he had to keep moving forward, forward.
Because from behind, from behind, that bastard was chasing him.
"Yes, yes, hello! It's me, Egoistic!"
"Yes, yes. I'm a bit busy with work right now, you see. Oh my!"
"Whoa there. Don't be alarmed. I won't hurt you!"
"I'm merely cleaning up trash for all you citizens, so please, go about your lives without worry!"
That voice, echoing from behind.
That detestable bastard, Egoistic.
Kim Hak-cheol, as a Teleporter, naturally knew who he was.
In fact, there wasn't a soul in South Korea who didn't know Egoistic; if you didn't, you'd be called a spy.
Just last week, everyone, from TV to the internet, even people he met, were talking about Egoistic all day long.
Kim Hak-cheol knew what Egoistic had done.
That he had assassinated two villains.
But he hadn't been particularly wary of Egoistic.
Have you ever seen anyone so afraid of a lightning strike that they refuse to go outside?
He figured... Egoistic must have had some personal connection with the villains he'd killed so far.
Common sense dictated that he wouldn't just kill them for no reason.
So, Kim Hak-cheol had a firm conviction.
A conviction that Egoistic wouldn't try to kill him.
A conviction that Egoistic didn't know his identity.
And a conviction that even if Egoistic *did* try to kill him, he could use his abilities to escape.
And that conviction was currently betraying Kim Hak-cheol in real-time.
Who in the world would expect a gun-wielding lunatic to suddenly burst into their home and shoot them while they were resting?
And the consequence of that failed expectation was now coming back to haunt him, brutally.
"Alright, come on out! We're catching a piece of trash today!"
"A-rank villain, Teleporter! It's time for you to go to hell!"
"Trash goes in the bin, and trash villains go to the Lord's side!"
Egoistic, spouting nonsense like a madman.
That bastard, shouting his words like a maniac, as if he wanted everyone to hear him.
That bastard, more than anything else, terrified Kim Hak-cheol.
More precisely, his voice, which never seemed to fade.
His voice, which continued to ring out, undiminished, even as he kept teleporting.
Kim Hak-cheol continued to move, groaning.
"Ugh..."
He could feel his vision starting to spin.
It was a miracle he'd made it this far with a gunshot wound.
If he hadn't possessed teleportation abilities, and if his body, sensing death, hadn't squeezed out its last ounce of strength...
He would probably have been dead already.
"But alas, it seems your life ends here!"
Listening to the nonsense echoing from behind, Kim Hak-cheol finally collapsed.
The strength in his body had finally given out, making teleportation impossible.
A shadow fell over him as he gasped for breath, his head bowed.
When he lifted his head to see the shadow, there was...
A villain, wearing a half-mask, smiling with a sneer.
"Teleporter! You know what you're guilty of."
"Haa... haa... P-please, save me. Save me..."
"Ah! You want to be saved?"
Hearing those words, he glanced around.
They were surrounded by a throng of people.
To the encircling citizens, Egoistic asked in a theatrical, booming voice:
"Everyone! This piece of trash here stole billions from others and murdered four innocent people! This scumbag massacred blameless individuals who were someone's husband, someone's father, someone's friend, someone's son! Should we let this man live?"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him dead!"
The enraged citizens' shouts of "Kill him!" echoed all around.
Among them, some wondered if Egoistic himself hadn't tried to drown hundreds of innocent sons and daughters, but no one dared to say it aloud in front of a villain holding a gun. Life, after all, was precious.
Amidst the shouts of "Kill him dead!", Egoistic looked down at Kim Hak-cheol, shrugged, and grinned.
"They want you dead."
"P-please. Just, just once. Just once, save me..."
"Oh? Just once? Right. Since it's 'just once'... should I spare you?"
Kim Hak-cheol's expression brightened momentarily at Egoistic's positive response.
But before Kim Hak-cheol could even open his mouth, Egoistic's hand was already extended.
"Sorry, Hak-cheol, but that's not happening!"
The moment Egoistic's words, laced with laughter, ended, a 'bang' sound echoed from somewhere.
And that was A-rank villain Teleporter, Kim Hak-cheol's last memory.
***
"Phew..."
With one more gunshot, the Teleporter finally died.
When he finally died, the surrounding crowd began to cheer and applaud.
"Thank you. Thank you."
As I bowed exaggeratedly to greet them, the people applauded even louder.
But... uh...
Hey, guys. I'm technically a villain, you know?
But seriously... what are you all doing gathered around me?
This world, apart from the existence of superpowered individuals like heroes and villains, is surprisingly similar to my original world.
But moments like these always remind me that I've come to a different world.
When? When people applaud and cheer as someone gets shot and dies right before their eyes.
No, shouldn't people be scared, screaming, when someone gets shot dead right in front of them?
Yet, seeing people smiling and applauding in front of bleeding, dying corpses, as if nothing were amiss, gives me a strange feeling.
It's like people excitedly watching a public execution in the Middle Ages. Or maybe, it's really no different at all?
Perhaps in this world, people have grown accustomed to death due to the constant clashes between heroes and villains, or is there some other reason?
No, wait. Putting all that aside for a moment, I *am* a villain, you know? I'm not a hero, so what are you all doing?
I flashed a grin at the still-applauding crowd, then turned back and said,
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone! But you see, I'm a villain too. What are you going to do if I suddenly start shooting all of you here?"
At my words, the people finally flinched and stopped.
Right, so they *can* still make rational decisions, it seems.
Only now?
Anyway, I didn't actually intend to scare them, so I added,
"It's a joke, everyone! I don't just suddenly harm innocent citizens! When I plan something, I always announce it in advance and call the heroes, so don't worry! Today, I merely came to clean up a villain who was a bit 'worse' than me, so you can all rest assured!"
Only then did I see the people relax.
Seriously, if you're going to be that scared, why come so close in the first place...?
[Bro, if you're done, come out now. Before the heroes arrive.]
Seo-eun's voice, coming from my ear.
Right, it's about time to leave.
Ah, but I'm exhausted from all that teleporting, and now I have to go a long distance again. This is killing me.
Just as I sighed and prepared to get up, a loud voice boomed from above.
"Egoistic!"
Startled by the sound, I looked up, and there was...
"Stardust?"
No, what are *you* doing here?