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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Price of a Villain's Heroism
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"Aaaaargh!!!"
The crocodile-man collapsed with a scream of agony.
He had inhaled the poisonous gas and stumbled as if drunk.
Then, with a thud—
He finally fell.
"..."
Seeing him remain still after that.
Hmm, is he dead?
It was an anticlimactic exit, unlike his dramatic entrance.
The attack was just too effective against him.
"...Yes! Everyone, another one has gone to hell. Thank you. Thank you."
*
[Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick! Mangostick!]
[Modern Villain Trait: If other villains terrorize, they take care of them instead.]
[The Hero Association needs to designate Mangostick as a hero right now. I've said it 3216 times.]
[Haha, I can already see tonight's 9 PM news headlines lolol.]
[Now YouTube will be flooded with 'Korea Pride TV' videos lolol.]
*
The chat window, once again, began overflowing with praise for me. Of course, I only stepped in because I was worried Stardust would get exposed by this incident and end up in some grimdark series, but the viewers, unaware of that, were busy praising me.
That said, I couldn't exactly tell them the truth, 'I stepped in for Stardust.' If I did, I'd immediately be featured on 'Entertainment Tonight' tonight, embroiled in dating rumors: Season 2.
In that case, there was only one option: insistence.
Anyway, that guy provoked me first, which pissed me off enough to kill him.
"Ahem... Everyone. It's not like I took this guy down for the public good. I merely dealt with him because he publicly insulted me. Do you think I'd step in for *your* sake? Just like when my followers gathered last time, and this time too, both instances involved crossing a line I'd set, so I stomped them out. There's no other reason. Understand?"
I lowered my voice and spoke seriously.
*
[Yeah, yeah, sure you did lolol.]
[Thank you for loving Villain Egostic so far. From now on, please welcome Hero Mangostick. Thank you.]
[Tsundere wwwww]
*
Of course, these aren't the kind of viewers who would understand even if I said that. Fine, keep thinking that way.
I merely smiled enigmatically at the chat window. You guys, will you truly be able to do that next month?
"Hmm... First, it would be good if someone came and cleaned up this poisonous gas quickly. I'm not sure how to clean it myself, though."
Amidst the still-billowing poisonous gas, Crocodile-man lay unconscious. Is he dead? Well, he's probably dead, I guess.
I rummaged through my bundle, found a gas mask, and put it on. This is why it's good to be prepared. I'm weak; if I breathe that gas, I'll die.
I haphazardly crammed the firearms I'd brought back into the bundle I was carrying. Honestly, it would look cooler to use telekinesis to put them away, but my body's at its limit now. I've become a body that can no longer use telekinesis.
How much have I suffered today? I dropped off Seoeun and Subin, then teleported round-trip from home to here. That's really not easy. My stamina is on the verge of depletion. Plus, I kept teleporting during the fight with that crocodile-man.
As a result, my body submitted an admission report. A report stating that if I used my abilities one more time, I'd collapse on the spot. If I use telekinesis just a little more, I might just drop, then wake up in the East Paranormal Ability Detention Center, also known as East Carcer. Actually, even if I ended up there, Seoeun could just noisily rescue me... but it's not time to go in yet.
So the conclusion is, I'm putting the guns into the bundle one by one with my own hands, like 'The Gleaners'. Ugh, I'm exhausted.
*
[Lololol, he was practically flying around earlier, so why is he picking those up one by one with his hands?]
[Fr fr lol. Not sure what he's doing.]
*
Quiet, you lot.
There are deep, hidden reasons you wouldn't understand...
Just as I was about to put away almost all the guns.
I saw something flying from the sky in the distance.
It was Stardust, flying in with her blonde hair streaming behind her.
She seemed to have flown in great haste, as sweat was pouring off her like rain.
"Hah... hah..."
As soon as she arrived, she looked around, first spotting the unconscious Crocodile-man on the rooftop, then me, wearing a gas mask. Did she only realize the situation was over after she got here? Her expression turned bewildered as she looked at the fallen crocodile-man again.
"...You defeated him?"
"Yes, that's right. I defeated him."
I answered readily without denying it. There was no particular reason to deny it.
When I readily nodded, her expression furrowed slightly. It was as if she couldn't quite understand.
"...Why?"
"Well, I was just relaxing comfortably when suddenly the broadcast showed some weirdo causing a ruckus, right? They were even calling out Stardust, so I was like, 'Oh, our dear Star is really popular these days~' and munching on popcorn, when what do you know? He mentioned *me*! Something about me and you 'sucking and licking' each other or whatever. My mood soured a bit, you know? What did I even do?"
Having said that much, I shrugged and continued.
"And according to my personal dictionary, anyone who plays games by mentioning me needs a bit of 'education.' I gave him a little play-session, partly to make an example."
When I said that, her expression relaxed as if that reason made sense. It seemed she was convinced that someone as crazy as me would certainly do something like that.
Right. This is enough. Now that I've done this much, I can go home. I can go home, but...
Hmm.
Should I say this or not?
I pondered for a moment.
And my decision was swift.
Yes, I'll say it.
Because someday, something like this might happen when I can't step in.
I temporarily muted the camera that was recording us.
Now, no one but her would be able to hear what I said.
Turning my back to the camera, I spoke in a low voice, audible only to her.
"...And since it's muted, I'll say this. Don't ever think about just showing your face and stepping in like today again. The moment you do, your life will become incredibly difficult."
Her expression was colored with bewilderment at my words.
She stared at me with a surprised face. Regardless, I simply unmuted the camera again.
"Alright! That's all for my broadcast today. Having to step in so suddenly without a plan today, I'm quite exhausted. Something big is coming next month, so look forward to that. See you next time. Bye~."
I smiled at the camera, greeted them, and waved. At this point, aren't I practically a professional broadcaster?
"Wait!..."
Completely ignoring her words from behind me, I teleported all the way home. Of course, I ended the broadcast first.
*
[Eva (meaning Egostic Bye~)]
[Eva? It's Eva...]
[O-bang-al]
[Today's broadcast was packed.]
[Wait, I think it just got muted??]
[Gasp... Their secret communication...]
===[Broadcast Ended]===
*
*Thud.*
I, who had arrived deep underground somewhere in Seoul.
What I did as soon as I teleported home was...
"Cough."
...to vomit blood.
I collapsed to my knees, falling down. Ah, damn it. I'm gonna die.
"Cough, cough."
One hand on the floor, the other clutching my chest, I continued to vomit blood.
Ah, am I really going to die like this?
Did I overdo it...?
My head spun, and the world began to darken.
Before I completely collapsed, I heard a voice calling me from afar, 'Oppa!...'
And just like that, I lost consciousness.
***
[[Official] Korean Paranormal Ability Association Confirms Ice Cream Festival Terrorist's Name as 'Crocodile-man.' Suspect's Life Not in Danger... Currently in Custody]
[Hundreds Injured in This Terror Attack... Property Damage Also Astronomical. Fortunately, No Fatalities]
[Hero Association's Inadequate Response Controversy Spreads... A Choking Scene, Not a Single Hero Came to Help Them]
[[Lee Jae-beom's Editorial] A Society Where Villains Are Better Than Heroes, Can It Truly Be Called Healthy?]
[Poison Gas Unleashed in the Heart of the City... Association: 'Dealt With,' It Wasn't That Strong of a Toxin]
[[Kim Gyeong-jin's Issue Plus] Who Is Egostic? Speculating on His Identity]
[Villain Egostic Predicts 'Something Big Next Month'... Hinting at Another Terror Attack?]
[Egostic Fan Cafe Membership Soars... 'All-Time High']
[15 TMI Facts You Didn't Know About Egostic]
[The World Stunned by K-Villain Egostic! Why Couldn't the Head of the Japanese Association Close His Mouth After Seeing an A-Class Villain Defeated Single-Handedly? Currently #1 on Japan's Real-Time Trends! 'South Korea, with a villain like Egostic, is a global superpower in itself.' In-depth Analysis of Japanese Netizen Reactions!]
[Good evening. This is the 9 O'Clock News. Today, an A-Class villain appeared and caused a terror attack at a festival in Seoul. However, another villain reportedly appeared and stopped it. Reporter Choi Da-hye will bring you the details.]
Once again, the 'Egostic Phenomenon' shook South Korea.
The story of a villain suddenly stepping in to stop a terror attack that even heroes failed to immediately contain was more than enough to become the talk of the peninsula.
As countless people buzzed about Egostic.
Shin Haru, too, was thinking about Egostic.
'...And since it's muted, I'll say this. Don't ever think about just showing your face and stepping in like today again. The moment you do, your life will become incredibly difficult.'
She kept replaying his words in her mind.
How did he know I was thinking that?
Was it a situation where I had no choice but to reveal my face and step in?
...What was he thinking, giving me that kind of advice?
Shin Haru's thoughts deepened.
Yes, that day. Something felt strange that day...