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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Crocodile Man's Rampage
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"Stardust!!!!! If you don't come out!!!!! I'll destroy everything!!!!!"
In the heart of the city, where a festival had been taking place.
What was happening there now was no longer a festival, but a funeral.
"Aaaaaah!"
Screams of people echoed from all directions.
Citizens, already caught in the sudden assault, lay fallen everywhere.
CRASH. BANG.
Buildings, stalls, streetlights.
A monster approached, smashing everything indiscriminately.
This creature, its entire body covered in green scales, was called Crocodile Man.
He was a villain who first appeared around the mid-point of the original story's arc.
If I recall correctly, he was some kind of fusion, a result of an accident when this scientist guy was experimenting with crocodiles.
The important thing wasn't that, but that he shouldn't be appearing here.
It wasn't his time to appear yet, and he wasn't even on my priority target list. Where did he suddenly pop out from?
"Stardust!!!!! Why aren't you coming out!!!!! Are you too busy making out with Egoistic to show yourself!!!!!!"
...Huh, is *that* why he suddenly appeared?
The sight of him suddenly getting enraged mid-sentence and smashing everything around him was a spectacle.
"Urgh, urghh."
Quite a few people lay fallen, groaning.
Most people had already fled quickly, but there were also many who had been caught in the chaos and lay groaning.
This guy usually lives as a normal man, but he can turn into a crocodile monster whenever he wants, which makes him even more vicious.
Ah, if only he didn't transform, it'd be a simple teleport-ambush-one-shot kill. I should've just dealt with him instead of slacking off.
Anyway, the damage was done.
He just popped out of nowhere and was causing a scene, demanding Stardust show up...
Crocodile Man. For most people, this was probably the first time they were seeing him. Until now, he must have been living in hiding.
He was later designated an A-class villain by the Association. Honestly, I think he could easily be S-class. The Association usually gives villains much more generous ratings than heroes, so I don't know why he only got A-class.
Anyway, this guy was a real pain in the original story.
Basically, his skin was covered in thick scales, making most physical attacks almost useless against him.
A monster capable of shrugging off bullets, bombs, and more.
Stardust, whose primary power was brute strength, found him a truly difficult opponent. No matter how much Stardust hit him, he'd practically endure it all.
The biggest problem, though, was his obsession with Stardust. He was the first in the series who didn't just cause random havoc, but specifically called out Stardust by name. Actually, I took a lot of inspiration from him when I wanted to summon Stardust in the original story. I mean, if you call, our justice-driven Stardust usually comes running.
Anyway, this was a crisis.
Some green-haired, tanned punk who looked like he could deadlift 500 was trying to snatch Stardust's attention away from me.
No way! Did he think I'd let some green-tanned punk steal *my* Stardust?
And timing-wise, he had initiated this terror at a very awkward moment for Stardust to step in. If Stardust, who happened to be here now, went to the Association to get an identity-masking device, it would take too long. Before that, everyone would be dead. What about all those people groaning, fallen, and bleeding?
Yeah, it's 100%. There's a 100% chance Stardust would step in without an identity-masking device, revealing his face raw.
Absolutely not.
As you'd know from the final arc of the original story, 'Revealed,' the world after his identity was exposed was hell for Shin Haru. All sorts of malicious comments, terror attacks, and assassinations rained down on Shin Haru like a waterfall. The criticism just multiplied.
Right, I've been doing all this to make Stardust happy, and I can't just stand by and watch it all collapse like this.
So, I had no choice but to step in.
But then, what if I get called an anti-hero again for this?
So, I need to make an excuse—no, an explanation. And to do that?
I have to go live.
Sigh, honestly, at this point, I don't even know if I'm a villain or a YouTuber.
***
"Stardust!!!! Are you still not coming out!!!!"
Crocodile Man roared, having brought everything around him to ruin.
He clenched his fists, seemingly enraged.
His fists were almost the size of a human head.
"Fine, then there's no other way. I'll kill everyone here!!!!!"
With clenched fists, he strode towards where people lay buried under the collapsed debris.
The fallen people twisted their bodies, trying desperately to escape as Crocodile Man walked towards them, but they were already too battered to move.
Finally, as Crocodile Man's shadow, with his clenched fist, fell upon them, the people were consumed by terror.
"Pl-please, save..."
"Don't blame me, blame Stardust!!!!"
Just as he raised his hand into the air to bring his fist down, and people closed their eyes, sensing their impending death.
In this quiet place, a sound of music was heard.
"Hmm?"
Crocodile Man tilted his head.
Suddenly, cheerful rock music, completely out of place with the atmosphere, blared.
As the noisy electric guitar solo echoed from somewhere, Crocodile Man turned his head.
And what he saw was me, standing on the rooftop of a nearby building.
I stood on the rooftop railing, looking down at Crocodile Man.
To my right, a Bluetooth speaker, with its volume turned to maximum, was spewing out loud music.
Standing on the rooftop, I was dancing to the beat of the music. Not wildly, just swaying my body to the rhythm. Sometimes, I'd clap along to the beat too. A first appearance is supposed to be flashy, after all.
And to my left, a camera, held aloft by telekinesis, was broadcasting my appearance on YouTube.
Should I say hello?
Alright, time to get back into character.
"Greetings, everyone! It's good to see you again after our last encounter. I am Egoistic, the true villain of this era, and public enemy number one of South Korea. Pleasure to meet you!"
*
[Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick!]
[My porn arrived]
[Is he Mangostick? Is he Mangostick? Is he Mangostick?]
[Calling himself the true villain and public enemy lololol]
[Enemy of Yakko lololololol]
[Did he just mispronounce 'true hero of this era'?]
[Wasn't he a public hero? Seriously, dunno]
[lololololol the opening is hilarious why is he even dancing lololol]
[So where is this place right now???]
[Isn't this where that green monster was causing terror?]
[Looks like it?]
[Why is *he* here again lolololol]
*
A bundle, packed from the underground base, was still strapped to my back.
I rummaged through it for a bit and pulled out a wireless microphone. Let's see... If I pair it with that speaker? Done.
Before long, the music from the speaker stopped, and it connected to the microphone.
I tapped the microphone once.
Tap.
BOOM.
A heavy sound boomed from the speaker when I tapped the microphone.
Yeah, seems like it's properly connected.
"Ah, microphone test. Microphone test."
When I spoke into the microphone, an enormous volume of sound blasted from the speaker next to me. Damn, my ears are gonna go deaf.
It must be because Seo-eun specially modified this speaker; despite its small size, it puts out as much power as a fat concert hall speaker. Yeah, this should be heard clearly even below the building, right?
I put the microphone to my lips and addressed the crocodile bastard below. Should I use polite language as usual? No, he's too despicable; let's just go informal.
"Listen up, you crocodile bastard. You are surrounded. Surrender immediately."
Crocodile Man, who had been about to begin his civilian massacre down below, looked up at me, changed direction, and started walking towards me.
And he shouted a question at me. No, why is his voice so loud when he's not even using a speaker like me?
"Who the hell are you!!!!"
"I'm Egoistic, the one you slandered just a few minutes ago, you bastard."
"What did you say!!!!"
The crocodile snout squinted, looking up at me as if his eyesight was poor. After staring for a long time and finally confirming my face, he began to yell furiously.
"You!!!!!! Aren't you Egoistic!!!!!!"
"Yeah, I'm Egoistic."
"You bastard!!!! I'll kill you!!!!!!"
Then he suddenly started charging at me. His sudden outburst was quite baffling. What did I even do?
But then again, I'm on top of a building. How's he going to get up here? Is he taking the elevator?
Before I could even finish that thought, he dug his hands into the building's exterior wall and started climbing up. Is this guy completely insane?
"Uwaaaaaaah!!!!"
"What are you doing?"
He climbed the building, letting out a monstrous roar.
I just stood there and watched. He was climbing faster than an elevator, at least. The building wasn't that tall to begin with, so he'd be up in no time.
"Uwaaa!!!"
Finally, he crawled his way up.
As he landed on the rooftop, a THUD shook the building.
"You bastard!!!! I'll kill you!!!!!!"
"Come on, can't we just talk this out?"
The moment he got onto the rooftop, he charged at me, but I easily dodged him with a teleport. I just moved directly behind him. No need to go far. I simply placed the speaker on the ground and moved, taking only the microphone and my bundle.
He looked bewildered when I disappeared without taking his charge. Seriously, anyone who watches the news knows I have teleportation abilities, so what's he doing?
As he turned his head, searching for me, I kept teleporting behind him, staying completely out of his line of sight. He was utterly flustered. Was he always this much of an idiot?
Eventually, I couldn't help myself and gave him a smack on the back of his head. A light slap with my hand.
"What are you doing, you idiot?"
He seems a bit slow...