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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Shocking Revelation
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Superhero stories can't be without countless villains.
These individuals, with diverse powers and unique charms, showcase their individual appeal and confront the protagonist. Especially villains with attractive powers or personalities are popular with readers.
But now that I've fallen into this hero manga, that's not what's important about villains.
What's important is their personality. Whether they were good but corrupted by some incident, or if they were originally bad guys. That's all that matters. If they were originally good villains, I just need to prevent the catalyst for their fall. However, since most of them are originally bad, it's best to train Stardust to defeat them and send them to a containment facility.
And most importantly, the truly malicious ones.
Those whose powers are too strong, or who slaughter dozens or hundreds of people.
I inevitably need to step in and eliminate such individuals beforehand. Before greater sacrifices are made, before Stardust grieves over not being able to save them. Well in advance.
However, among them, some villains I already know everything about, from their identity to where they live, through the original work, while there are others whose identities I don't know at all. Especially those who suddenly appeared after the Moonlight Gate event—their identities weren't well described in the story.
In other words, I have to find those guys with the minimum amount of information within this world.
Actually, considering how large the population of South Korea is, it would normally be an impossible task... but nothing is impossible when Lee Seol-ah, who controls the real power and personal information in South Korea, and Seo Eun, a genius hacker, combine their strengths.
And so.
One morning, Seo Eun found the identity of one more person.
"Oppa, I found one more person from the list you gave me. I think it's this man."
"Really? Let me see."
It was a day like any other, and I was working on the sofa.
Seo Eun approached the living room with her laptop and showed me the man's photo.
A man with a heavily furrowed brow and a completely shaved head.
And next to it, his personal details, his career, and something found at his home.
Seeing all of it, I was simply certain.
"This is him."
The villain who appeared in the original work, also known as The Scream Maker.
A villain who attacked by carrying a tank of poisonous gas like a jetpack and releasing it through a connected hose.
He probably appeared, just like other villains, during the chaos after the Moonlight Gate event, as depicted in the original story.
"...."
The Moonlight Gate incident, where monsters overflowed across the world.
To think optimistically, heroes and villains might have joined forces to fight against the otherworldly monsters, but that didn't happen. Most villains merely ran wilder, taking advantage of the chaos.
And this guy, The Scream Maker, was no different.
In an already chaotic world, he was a madman who invented a gas that made people scream to death upon inhalation and spread it around the world.
His first terror attack was simply outrageous; he just sprayed that gas in places where people gathered. Before Stardust had a chance to do anything.
Furthermore, his special death gas even penetrated commercial gas masks, a situation with more than just one or two problems. In fact, even this level of villainy was relatively weak compared to the villains in the latter half of the original story, but the problem was how many people died in his first attack.
In other words, it would be better for everyone if I just eliminated him beforehand.
"...I should get ready and go eliminate him."
"Oppa, will you stream then too?"
"Huh? Hmm... yeah. I should turn it on this time too. I plan to stream more often now."
...Recently, I've only streamed when I was with Stardust. That's why all sorts of slanderous rumors are spreading. I need to let people know that I care about other things besides Stardust.
Of course, this is also for Stardust's sake, but anyway.
"Oh. Your fans will like that, Oppa."
Meanwhile, Seo Eun smiled, saying that when I mentioned streaming.
I chuckled, then assessed his living situation.
...As expected, assassination will be difficult. Should I go for a frontal assault? Let's see...
After receiving the information from Seo Eun, I immediately stopped what I was doing and began planning how to capture the future S-rank villain, The Scream Maker. Tasks should be handled immediately before they pile up. Of course, Seo Eun helped me too.
"Seo Eun, oh, and Dain, you're here too. What were you up to?"
"Ah, Soo-bin. We just found the identity of another villain, and we were figuring out how to catch him."
"Oh. Can I help too?"
"That would be great."
Soo-bin, who had come out to make tea, also came to help us.
"Hey, what are you all doing gathered here? Catching a villain? Then I'm in too!"
Choi Se-hee also started to join in.
Before long, the living room was quite bustling again.
"...Ughhh."
...Of course, Seo Ja-young, groaning as if dying while lying on the living room floor, was also present.
I just left her alone, as not getting in the way was her way of helping...
And so, the great villain-catching operation began in the living room.
Thanks to Seo Eun, who quickly printed out the blueprint of his house, various discussions took place.
"Phew... Let's take a break now."
"Yeah. Oh, I'm dying..."
"I think that's enough, Oppa."
"Everyone, please rest. I'll go peel some fruit."
The plan was roughly complete.
The rest of us, including myself, all sprawled out. Yes, this much should be enough.
"Oppa. My head hurts... Ugh."
As I leaned back on the sofa, Seo Eun climbed onto the seat next to me and whined.
I took Seo Eun's head and massaged it firmly.
"Does that feel good?"
"Mmm-hmm..."
Ego-style secret technique, scalp massage.
Perhaps satisfied after I did it once before, Seo Eun melted into a puddle of relaxation when I massaged her again like this.
Choi Se-hee had already gone off to bother Seo Ja-young, who was sprawled out.
And so, in the living room of the house, bathed in warm sunlight.
I sat on the sofa, massaging Seo Eun's neck and shoulders, and found myself lost in a fleeting moment of sentimentality.
...Whenever it's peaceful like this, the thought that always comes to mind is, how much more peaceful can it get? Just thinking about the world after the Moonlight Gate, whose outline is already visible, makes it seem hopeless.
Right.
Well... maybe it'll work out somehow. Let's think optimistically.
For now, just enjoy this moment.
"Ehehe... That's enough now. Oppa, next time I'll massage you! Get down from the sofa."
After stretching, I was forcibly moved off the sofa by Seo Eun, who wanted to massage me too. She's so thoughtful. All grown up.
Okay, maybe I'll just turn on the TV and watch something?
So I naturally turned on the news.
For a while, I should enjoy this peace.
Yes. Up until this point, I thought it would continue to be peaceful.
*Flicker*.
"...What is that?"
Suddenly, the news broadcast on the TV flickered and went dark.
[Static]
And then, against a black screen, men in white masks appeared.
Before they began to speak in a voice heavily distorted by static.
[We are -
Static-
Shaintia, an organization that pursues knowledge.]
[The reason we are broadcasting nationwide like this is simple.]
[We have uncovered the identity of the villain disturbing South Korea, Ego-stick.]
"....?"
***
The streets of Seoul.
A place bustling with people, adorned with giant billboards.
It was now filled with people who had stopped in their tracks, looking up at the billboards.
Because, where ordinary advertisements should have been playing.
As if hacked, a man in a strange white mask, against a black background.
Was speaking with a distorted voice.
[We are -
Static-
Shaintia, an organization that pursues knowledge.]
[The reason we are broadcasting nationwide like this is simple.]
[We have uncovered the identity of the villain disturbing South Korea, Ego-stick.]
And. The moment those words echoed through the entire street via nearby speakers.
Naturally, everyone's attention was drawn.
...They uncovered Ego-stick's identity?
Through TVs, cell phones, billboards.
A broadcast that had suddenly infiltrated everywhere.
With the entire nation's attention focused, the distorted voice continued.
[...Uncovering this information was extremely difficult. Ego-stick. He operated with great caution and secrecy, leaving no evidence whatsoever.]
[However. We finally found a lead on him through years of investigation, and at last, succeeded in uncovering his true identity. His status, his name, everything.]
[And we intend to reveal this information to everyone. Right. Now.]
"Oppa! Shouldn't you stop this?"
"Hey! Isn't this a disaster?"
And, at our house.
An utterly flustered Seo Eun turned on her laptop and frantically tried to do something, while Choi Se-hee and Seo Ja-young were aghast.
"..."
I simply stared at the TV with a hardened expression.
...They found out my identity?
'...No, I don't have an identity.'
No. Who am I, anyway? Someone who just dropped into this world from another. Of course, the person named Dain doesn't exist in the government's database. So I have no family.
In short, I'm a person who suddenly popped into existence in this world. That's why I still have to rely on Seo Eun's hacking for everything I do.
So, does that just mean they only know my name and face?
And, before my thoughts could even finish.
Already, on the broadcast, the man's mouth.
Finally, opened.
[Ego-stick, his identity is-]
At the same time, the screen changed.
On it, there was a photo of a man.
[Ego-stick.]
[His identity is none other than, this man, Kim Cheol-woo!]
"....!!!"
The man on the screen, speaking with a solemn voice, declared.
And through the screen, Ego-stick's face, name, address, and even the school he attended—all the information they claimed to have uncovered—were being revealed to the entire nation.
And in that suffocating situation.
I, Ego-stick, could only quietly murmur.
"...Who?"
Who is that?