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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Unexpected Turn
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Seoul.
The sprawling metropolis, bathed in brilliant sunshine, seemed no different from any other day.
Yesterday, today, tomorrow. An ordinary city, expected to always be much the same.
Although terrorists and monsters occasionally appeared, aside from such events, it was always a consistent city.
One couldn't predict if it would remain this way in ten years, but it felt peaceful enough to last until next week.
And so, no one had anticipated it.
That the end of their daily lives would arrive so suddenly.
On the ordinary ground.
Amidst the tall buildings, a person gazing at the scenery from a rooftop.
That person was the first to notice the anomaly.
It was the same view as always.
Tall buildings, a dimly visible mountain range against a dark background, and something massive beside it.
Something that someone idly staring might not have noticed at all.
But something a keen observer would have quickly grasped.
"Oh, shit."
"What is that?"
On one side of downtown Seoul.
Far off, beside the mountain range.
Something colossal stood, looking down at the city.
A grey body, like a cylinder with a semicircular head. Two long, steel legs extending downwards. And long, trailing steel arms.
Something that looked entirely like a mechanical weapon, something unbelievable to be standing before this city.
And as people rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were seeing things.
It began to approach the downtown area, crushing the ground beneath it.
*Thud—.*
*Thud—.*
With every step, the earth resonated, and with every other step, the ground shook as it advanced.
Like something out of a movie, it approached, destroying everything in its path.
"Aaaaaaaah!!!"
Only then did people notice the anomaly.
Everyone in its path stopped what they were doing and began to evacuate.
The peaceful city instantly turned into utter chaos.
*CRAAASH—.*
Soon, it reached the heart of the city without any hindrance.
Towering amidst the buildings, it exuded an immense sense of oppression.
Where the colossal weapon's legs had landed, the asphalt pavement was completely shattered.
In front of it, countless people screamed and fled.
The blaring of car horns, the screams of people.
Indeed, everyone in the city had awakened, trying to escape from it as quickly as possible.
Thus, even by simply standing there, doing nothing else, it had brought the downtown area to a standstill.
Standing still, looking down at the chaotic pandemonium it had caused.
Finally, a voice began to emanate from it.
"[Dogs of the government and the Association.]"
A voice reverberating throughout the city, truly at an immense decibel level.
Like metal scraping, filled with static, making it even more chilling.
That voice echoed from the colossal weapon.
"[Remnants of the old humanity, who stand in the way of us, advancing to new humanity.]"
"[Incompetent and inferior dependents, unable to accept evolution and innovation.]"
"[Your narrow-minded and selfish way of thinking has, in the end, brought down Han-eun, who was to open a new horizon for the Republic of Korea.]"
"[Those who have destroyed something, prepare yourselves to be destroyed.]"
Having said that much, it seemed as if someone paused to catch their breath.
Soon, with a voice much clearer and louder than before, it declared, as if delivering an announcement.
"[Today, Seoul, including the government and the Association,]"
"[ends here.]"
"[Everyone in this city.]"
"[No one will escape alive.]"
And at the same time as those final words.
The colossal entity began to move.
*KABOOM.*
Simultaneously, it swung its arm, utterly demolishing the buildings in front of it.
A skyscraper, which had proudly seemed as though it would stand for decades, was senselessly broken in half.
Starting with that, the weapon began to indiscriminately destroy the city.
Countless buildings, erected over decades during the era of industrialization.
Began to senselessly collapse at its hands.
*CRUUUMBLE.*
Like an unstoppable catastrophe, a mythical being, it relentlessly pulverized every building in its sight and surroundings.
Within mere tens of minutes of its appearance, having already half-destroyed the city, it finally caught up to the fleeing people.
"Ugh, ugh...."
"P-please, save me...."
"Waaah. Mommyyyy."
"Ah, ah."
Soon, even those who had been desperately fleeing.
Unconsciously collapsed under the shadow that enveloped them.
Ah.
No matter how much they ran.
There was no escape now.
This was the end.
Before those terrified people.
At a point where just one more step could wipe out hundreds, thousands at once.
It spoke again, for the last time.
"[Farewell.]"
"[Blaming the incompetent Association.]"
"[Go to hell, humans.]"
With that, it ripped off a nearby building with its arm, as if pulling out a radish.
Then, with its outer wall torn off and dangling, it aimed its arm towards where the people were gathered.
The moment people, resigned, closed their eyes.
Suddenly, the colossal weapon began to twitch.
"....?"
When the people, who had closed their eyes in resignation, awaiting their impending death, felt something strange and opened their eyes again.
Something was twitching, still holding its arm up, frozen in place.
Then, suddenly, an unidentified scream began to emanate from the weapon.
"[What are you?! You! Ugh, aaaaaargh!! Resea—, cher. Ugh. Ugh.]"
....
Static.
The sound of something breaking, someone screaming, something being smashed.
Then, *Thwack.* *Thwack.* The sound of something being struck.
And then again, silence.
"....."
The downtown area suddenly fell silent.
When the weapon's speakers, which had been reverberating everywhere just moments before, stopped, the city became eerily quiet.
In that place, where only intermittent sounds of people sobbing could be heard, the colossal weapon remained frozen in the same posture as before, mid-swing.
Like a statue.
***
"Take that!"
"Aaaaaargh!"
I repeatedly struck the guy sitting in the cockpit with a wrench.
The guy crumpled weakly.
"What is that bastard?!"
"Kill him!!!"
As the nearby researchers lunged at me.
I shouted to Choi Se-hee, who was behind me.
"Electchu! Million Volts!!!"
"Here you go. Zap!"
As Choi Se-hee simply shot out electricity.
The Han-eun Group's thugs trembled violently and all collapsed.
And at the far end, Dr. Kim Seon-woo stood alone, backing away and leaning against the wall at the edge of the spacious cockpit.
"Dr. Kim Seon-woo, hello? Nice to meet you, I'm Egotistic."
I smiled faintly and greeted him.
Kim Seon-woo. The final boss of Phase 1, and also the enemy of Seo-eun and Ms. Soobin.
Seeing him in person for the first time.
He looked even more pathetic and contemptible than I had imagined.
"Y-you! Why are you doing this?! Aren't you a villain?"
"Me? Of course I'm a villain. I was just relaxing at home when this cool robot suddenly appeared. If I didn't steal it, would I even be a villain?"
"Do you know what you're doing right now?! You idiot, you're stopping the evolution of new humanity!"
"Haha. I don't know what massacring Seoul citizens has to do with evolution. And old man."
I said that much and laughed, then lowered my voice and spoke.
"Stop bullshitting and shut up, you senile madman."
"What?! You—!"
"Se-hee. Shoot."
"Yup."
As Se-hee, who was behind him, shot a burst of electricity at Kim Seon-woo, who was rushing forward with his eyes wide with rage, he instantly went limp.
After kicking the guy who had fallen to the ground, I had them all locked up in our Ego-Underground Base.
With that, the cockpit was empty. Only Choi Se-hee and I remained.
"Heeheehee... Hahahahahahaha!!!!"
And I found myself laughing like a madman.
"Hahahahahaha!!!!"
"Hey... what's wrong?"
Ignoring Choi Se-hee's worried gaze, I laughed like a maniac for a long time.
No, it's just funny.
That the final boss of Phase 1, the trigger that would plunge South Korea into anarchy, kill tens of thousands, and truly turn Stardust's life into a tragedy—
—that this had been suppressed so easily.
"Haha...."
Wiping away the tears that had come from laughing too hard, I looked around.
Clean white walls, a wall covered with dozens of display panels. And the cockpit offering a view of the outside.
From this place, overlooking thousands of trembling people, I quietly approached the control panel.
The Han-eun Group bastards had poured their everything into creating this, their ultimate masterpiece.
Capable of completely destroying an entire city without hindrance, able to withstand almost any impact—truly a symbol of advanced science.
This colossal weapon, truly stirring a man's heart.
"Alright, shall we try operating it?"
There's a lot to do. First, it's a given that I'll use this to fight Stardust. Let's give our Stardust some serious growth for old times' sake.
But before that, maybe I should reassure the citizens trembling down there.
"Ah, ah."
I turned on the microphone and spoke.
Let the show begin.
***
And so.
The colossal weapon, which had suddenly stopped before attacking the citizens. After some time had passed, it began to move again.
Then, a voice suddenly emanated from it once more.
"[Ah, ah.]"
A voice different from before, brighter and more cheerful, instantly bewildered the people.
And before they could even grasp what was happening, the voice continued to reverberate from the colossal weapon.
"[Greetings, everyone!]"
"[Allow me to introduce myself. I am Egotistic!]"
Yes.
Suddenly, truly suddenly. A name no one had expected was suddenly heard.
As people fell into confusion, his words continued to echo.
"[The Han-eun Group folks made something pretty cool, didn't they? Anyway....]"
With a hint of amusement in his voice, he continued.
"[So I took it.]"
"[It's mine now.]"
That was truly a statement no one had expected.