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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Villain's Debt
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The Behemoth.
In the original story, it was the black substance that Dr. Kim Seon-woo came to retrieve.
Composed of multiple layers of small black tentacles, it attaches to the user's body, enhancing the part it adheres to.
Of course, the Behemoth's utility isn't limited to this.
As it moves freely according to the user's will, its applications are numerous.
It can be bunched up like a fist and fired like a rocket punch, and since it doesn't necessarily have to attach to the body, its uses are limitless.
In the original, Kim Seon-woo used this to fight Stardust.
In other words, even an ordinary person can fight a superhuman with just this.
So, doesn't that mean I, too, could have a one-on-one battle with Stardust if I had this?
"…Aren't you going to put that down?"
"Why would I put this down?"
I chuckled and spoke to her, who was glaring at me with a hardened expression.
Before I knew it, the Behemoth had completely enveloped my right hand.
My right hand was now made of tentacles—
I tried clenching my hand into a fist.
"Nice."
Good. My right hand feels overflowing with power.
Especially since these tentacles seem to be directly connected to my brain, they have the advantage of moving exactly as I wish.
…Yes, with this much, fighting Stardust shouldn't be too difficult, right?
She was still staring at me with a rigid expression.
It looked like she wanted to rush over and rip it off me, but no chance.
Knowing that I could just teleport away, she stayed still, unable to charge.
Teleportation really is great.
"Stardust, let me give you a piece of advice. Do you know what it is? It's 'don't trust villains!' Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't know that. Hahahaha!"
As I said that with a sly grin, her face twisted even more.
Right. Originally, I was just going to do this much, say "Later!", and bolt.
That was the plan, but.
Hmm. It'd be a bit much to just leave like this, wouldn't it?
Since I've gained a new ability anyway.
And to give Stardust a bit of a wake-up call.
I wiggled my blackened right hand at Stardust and said,
"If you really want it… come and take it."
When I even said that with a laugh, she could no longer hold back.
"…I'll only beat you within an inch of your life."
Thump—
She instantly shot from her spot, flying towards me.
"Clench your teeth."
At the same time she said that, she began to extend her fist towards me.
Me?
I had already 'loaded' my fist long ago.
But a true man doesn't engage in an uncool fistfight, directly body-to-body with a woman.
The moment she came right up to my nose and swung her fist.
I simply moved back a hand-span from my original spot and loaded my fist.
And then, I fired it at her.
Ego Style Secret Art—
Rocket Punch.
CRASH.
The black, fist-shaped tentacle fired from my hand flew straight towards Stardust,
and collided head-on with the fist Stardust swung.
BOOM—.
The fists met with a deafening roar.
Stardust seemed slightly flustered by the fist that withstood her power.
Yes. This is the power of the Behemoth, I tell you.
…Of course, I wasn't physically fighting by wrapping it around my right arm; instead, I concentrated all the tentacles into a single, small fist, which is why it could withstand her power. Plus, Stardust probably wasn't thinking of instantly killing me here, so she'd be holding back her strength to some extent.
But does that even matter?
What matters is that I'm fighting her on equal footing, somehow.
"Hey!! Fight fair!!"
"When have you ever seen a villain fight fair?"
She yelled at me, who kept dodging around and only firing tentacle-fists from a distance, but I simply ignored her.
…And didn't Stardust's concept just break? She should've said, "You scoundrel! Fight honorably!"
Hmm. She must be a bit pissed off. Why is she pissed off?
As the fight continued, I saw her face, filled with rage and betrayal.
…Betrayal? Why on earth does she feel betrayed? It's 'common sense' for villains to betray. I can't understand it. No matter how I think about it, she must not have experienced enough of life's bitter lessons.
And so, I continued the fight.
Constantly teleporting away and sneakily throwing jabs with tentacles.
No matter how big the room was, with us zipping around and trading blows, the walls were getting destroyed and it was a mess.
…It's getting a bit boring with this one-pattern attack.
I've teleported too much and I'm getting tired. This is hard.
Have I ever fought by moving my body this much? No. Though, to be honest, it feels less like I'm fighting and more like the Behemoth is fighting on my behalf…
Still, with this much? Hasn't she been 'educated' enough?
Seeing her still flying towards me, full of rage and perfectly energetic, I loaded my fist once more.
As she likewise extended her fist towards me, I extended mine, and.
BANG—.
This time, instead of a similar long-range attack, I directly wrapped the Behemoth around my right arm and received her punch.
My arm felt a bit tingly, but I could block this much.
This would be my last attack, after all.
Now, I just need to run my mouth a bit and escape. Seo-eun must be worried.
And so, with our bodies touching, with our fists still locked, I offered my final farewell.
"Today's lesson. You get it, right? Don't trust villains…"
Yes.
Don't trust villains.
Just as I was about to give her one last piece of advice, telling her not to get backstabbed like this again in the future.
It happened, suddenly.
Right in front of me, Stardust was staring at me as if to kill me.
And behind her, it was empty.
Yes. It had been empty.
Until something suddenly burst forth from behind her.
It had a massive white face.
It was giant, about 2 meters tall, and its mouth was grotesquely torn.
Its arms were white and sharp, like enormous scythes.
It appeared truly suddenly, bursting forth from thin air in an instant.
At a moment no one expected, appearing in the blink of an eye, it—
From the moment it appeared, it was already swinging its scythe-like arm towards Stardust's back.
In that instant, my thoughts briefly froze.
Stardust, still unaware of what was happening, was looking only at me, completely defenseless.
And before I could even think of doing anything, that white scythe was already flying towards her neck.
One monster we hadn't managed to deal with.
*
"RKCB-1107"
[Temporary Name] Teleporter
[Notes] Always maintain A-grade security as it can escape by teleporting. Exercise caution as it ambushes from behind.
*
Right. I think I had read something like that before.
But I hadn't worried much even after failing to find it. I hadn't even paid it any mind.
Because I had killed all the other monsters so easily until now.
And that carelessness of mine was now a massive dagger aimed at Stardust.
What should I do?
Too late to speak.
My tentacles were already locked with her fist. Psychokinesis is too weak for this.
Grab and teleport? My fist is currently locked with the Behemoth, so I can't grab her.
Then. No choice, is there?
I teleported straight away.
To the spot behind her, where the monster was swinging its scythe.
And in her place.
I was stabbed by it.
Thwack—.
"What the…! What is this!"
Her scream echoed from behind me.
I stood back-to-back with her, taking the stab for her, and with the same fist that had been aimed at her, I struck the creature.
CRUMBLE.
Too easily. Its head shattered, scattering into white dust.
Yes. It was an enemy that could be dealt with so easily, this easily.
It would have been better if I had dealt with it without getting a hole punched through my chest like this.
"W-what is this! H-hey, you, why…"
Her voice, stammering in extreme panic, reached me from above.
Of course she'd be dumbfounded. The villain she was just fighting suddenly teleported behind her and got stabbed instead.
My current state is, to put it mildly, not good.
Lying prone on the floor, with a fist-sized hole in my chest, bleeding profusely.
Crazy bastard. It pierced right through my body.
It hurts like hell.
Cough.
I coughed up blood right there.
Bleeding from my chest, spitting blood from my mouth. What a mess. Ha, haha…
"No… why… are you… fine… damn it… why… what is this…"
Stardust's voice came from above.
Now, I can barely hear anything because of the ringing in my ears.
Quickly, I need to go back. Home.
If I stay here. I'll really. Die.
Wait, still. Before I go… I should say something, right? Wouldn't it be weird if I didn't?
I squeezed out a single sentence with all my dying strength.
"Cough. This, this. Time. You. Owe me one."
After seeing her one last time, still utterly bewildered, staring at me with trembling eyes, as if at a loss.
I then, just like that, teleported. Home.
Hope I'm not, too late.
Hahaha.
***
Late at night.
A large mansion hidden deep in a mountain valley.
In its kitchen. Three people were gathered.
"Seriously. When is oppa going to come back?"
The white-haired girl, Han Seo-eun, was staring at her smartphone, her cheeks puffed out.
She was worried about Dain, whose communication had been cut off after some time had passed since he went underground.
"…Let's wait a little longer. And Ha-yul, aren't you going to school tomorrow? You should start heading to bed soon."
At Su-bin's worried words from beside her, Ha-yul shook her head with a bitter smile.
"No. I'll wait with you a little longer."
"Hmph. This oppa really just makes people worry all the time…"
Just as the three women's sighs grew deeper.
CRASH—
A sound of something falling over, coming from the living room.
"Oh! Oppa must be here finally!"
The moment Seo-eun heard the sound, she hurried out.
As the remaining two followed her, getting up and heading towards the living room.
From the living room, Seo-eun's scream, who had rushed ahead, echoed.
"KYAAAAAAAH!!!"
"Seo-eun! What's wrong!"
Startled by the sudden scream, the two rushed into the living room.
What they saw was.
A hole pierced through his upper body.
Bleeding profusely from it, all over his body.
The sight of Egostic, collapsed and leaning on Seo-eun.
"Oppa, oppa! Oh. What do we do. Oppa!!"
Seo-eun was in a state of panic beside him, crying.
The other two, seeing him collapsed and faintly breathing, spilling blood,
couldn't help but fall into a panic at the sudden, shocking sight.
"Th-this. What… Ah. Ahh. W-we need to, call, 911. Call…"
Lee Su-bin, in shock, pulled out her phone from her pocket, her hands trembling.
But perhaps her hands were shaking too violently. The phone slipped from her grasp as she lifted it, hitting the floor and shattering.
"Ah. No."
As Lee Su-bin, still unfocused, knelt and fumbled to pick up the phone on the floor.
Ha-yul, next to her, was already moving towards him.
"Seo-eun. Move."
"Huh? Oh. Okay…"
At Ha-yul's words, filled with some kind of resolve, the crying Seo-eun shuffled away from him.
Soon, Ha-yul, who had reached the collapsed man, knelt and placed both hands on Dain's body.
And then.
FLASH.
The living room they were in was suddenly filled with light.
***
Amidst my fading consciousness, a sudden sensation.
This feeling of warmth spreading through my entire body.
Ah.
Ha-yul, she stepped forward.
Good thing it wasn't too late.
I'm alive. Being alive is enough, I guess…
Haha. I really almost died, didn't I?
When you live as a man, you gotta tap dance on the line of death at least once, right? It all becomes good memories later. Like, "Haha, that was a close call!"
…But the problem is after I wake up.
Seo-eun, Su-bin, and Ha-yul must all be shocked.
And Stardust…
Ugh, whatever. I'll think about that after I wake up.
Having thought that far, I lost consciousness.
Fighting, future me…!