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ADVENTURE

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Villain Hides His True Color

Chapter 14

Chapter 30 Chapter 29 Chapter 28 Chapter 27 Chapter 26 Chapter 25 Chapter 24 Chapter 23 Chapter 22 Chapter 21 Chapter 20 Chapter 19 Chapter 18 Chapter 17 Chapter 16 Chapter 15 Chapter 14 Chapter 13 Chapter 12 Chapter 11 Chapter 10 Chapter 9 Chapter 8 Chapter 7 Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Chapter 1

Chapter 14

Before the name 'Mad Demon' became known to the world,

When I was a pale beginner who was only C-class…

It was just a brief moment, but there was a time when I felt this game was going to end.

"Enough! You lunatic!"

I was besieged by the heroes from the Hero Association.

Under normal circumstances, I would have been able to escape immediately as soon as I judged that I was at a disadvantage.

Unfortunately, even that option wasn't given to me today.

"An A-class superhuman has already sealed off the area! So stop the meaningless struggle and obediently surrender!"

"…"

The bastards from the association had brought as much as an A-class hero to catch me this time.

In addition, my skills were at odds with the superhumans who made up their team, and each one of them was at least the same C-class as me or higher.

On the other hand, my physical strength, mana, everything was already exhausted. To be honest, it could be said to be a desperate situation.

However, instead, I threw a fireball at them.

Boom–!

"Keuk…Is that your answer? Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit in the end. You'll regret your choice."

"What regret. The fact that we're already here. Don't get cold feet now and let's end it."

"…As expected, you can't reason with crazy people."

I was determined to bring at least one more person down with me even though I expected to die.

With me in front of them, they had narrowed the siege carefully as if hunting a wounded beast.

The pressure was suffocating.

In order to resist their pressure, I squeezed out my remaining power and held up my knife.

As soon as we were preparing for our final clash,

Suddenly, a strange noise sounded from somewhere.

Shhhh—

A soft frictional sound as if a thick fabric was being dragged across the ground. At the same time, a huge shadow converged from all sides.

The midsummer sun that was burning brightly gradually disappeared as if it was covered by a veil, and the blue sky became colored by the darkness.

In the end, it had turned into a complete dark world with no light.

"Y-you punk! What the hell kind of trick are you trying to pull?"

Shocked by the bizarre phenomenon, the association bastards shouted at me in the dark.

"If you continue to resist, we're going to kill you right here!"

"I didn't do it."

It was very unfair to me.

Because it was also my first time seeing such a phenomenon.

I had kindly explained to them so we could resolve this misunderstanding, but unfortunately, they didn't seem to want to listen.

"Y-you! Shameless bastard! As expected, it's best to kill you. Everyone, attack immediately! We can't give him time for his tricks!"

The bastards fired indiscriminate attacks at the direction I was in. All kinds of abilities flashed and flew in the dark.

If my vision was fine, I would have at least pretended to avoid it.

But in a situation where I couldn't even see my body, there was no way to avoid their attacks.

Is it finally going to end…?

My gut feeling told me that I was going to die. The moment I was about to give up all hope,

Shhhh—

The unidentified noise was heard once again.

Then, all the attacks that were flying toward me were sucked into the darkness.

"?!"

What the hell is going on?

I couldn't grasp the situation, so I had no choice but to stand there motionlessly.

Meanwhile, in the dark, the screams from the heroes began to leak out.

"Kueaak!"

"Be careful! There's something hidden in here!"

"S-show yourself…keuk!"

After some time passed. The scream that had continued for a while was cut off, and the darkness that had surrounded everything gradually dissipated.

Under the gushing sunlight stood a mysterious woman wearing a large cone hat.

Thick, dark hair like chestnuts, red eyes that resemble rubies. It was an elf who somehow gave off a somber air.

She walked towards me with slow and elegant steps.

For a while she looked at my face, and then soon after, with a sharp nasal voice, she spoke.

"Heung~ So this is how you look. You're more handsome than I thought."

She acted as if she had known me for a long time. But there was no information about her in my memory.

I somehow felt that she was a suspicious woman.

Lifting her large cone hat, the woman greeted me.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Elizabeth. What's your name?"

Instead of answering, I threw my knife at her neck.

Shiik–

The sharp blade pierced her white neck. It was the perfect outcome.

But strangely, she shattered like a mirage without substance and once again slowly took shape next to me.

"Baby…It's our first time meeting, but even this is too much. I could have gotten a little hurt."

As if she didn't like my behavior, her eyebrows furrowed.

I threw another knife at her face, who looked to be sulking.

Shiik–

If once doesn't work, then twice. And if that's not enough, then three times.

I cut her down over and over again. But each time, her body would return to its original state.

"Hmm…this isn't working."

"This isn't working, what do you mean this isn't working?!"

Looking at me with a dumbfounded look, she let out a short sigh.

"Haa… I know very well that you're stronger than others. Someday, even the likes of me, will be a trivial matter to you. However, you best take better care of yourself before then."

Was she telling me to hunt at my own level? Reflecting on her advice, I belatedly asked her.

"Why did you help me?"

"You're quick to ask…I saved you today because you're someone who will save me someday."

"Save?"

What she said felt very strange.

Save? Wasn't that a word that only appeared in RPG games? In fact, it was my first time hearing it.

When I gave her a suspicious look, she smiled strangely and spoke words that were incomprehensible.

"You don't have to know now. Someday, you'll naturally find out when the time comes. And…If that happens, please think of today. See you next time."

She vanished like smoke after having said that.

That was my first meeting with the 'Black Witch' Elizabeth.

* * *

"T-turn your eyes that way! You can't look here!"

I looked at Elizabeth who had quickly hid behind the curtains to put on her pajamas.

A pathetic display of blushing just by showing the naked body. She in the second round was certainly different from the 'witch' that I knew.

However, it's clear that the woman in front of me was 'that Elizabeth.'

If so…What she said then, did it have something to do with the current situation?

I didn't have the skill 'One Coin' at the time. In short, even I didn't know that I was going to start a second round.

But could she have predicted the current situation?

It's not completely baseless…

Witches can naturally travel around the 'Astral' world. In a place where there is no concept of time or space, it may be possible for her to predict what is happening now.

If I assume that's the case…

What did she want from me?

Did she really want me to save her past self?

As if on queue, Elizabeth walked out from behind the curtains while blushing after having changed into her pajamas.

I asked her directly.

"A few days ago, did nuna ask me for help?"

"W-what? That, are you the beast that appeared in my dream?"

"Beast?"

I don't know what she's talking about, but with this, one thing has become clear.

As I thought, this woman was the voice I heard at that time.

I don't know the principle behind it, but she had asked me for help with the voice of a plant.

And at the time a new challenge was created for me.

It felt as if a scattered puzzle was coming together.

I opened my status window and read the explanation again.

[Challenge – Flower of Shadow (Chain Quest).]

Condition: Save 'Elizabeth.'

Period: 3 months.

Reward: 1x Random Box (Medium).

The words displayed in the Challenge. Save Elizabeth.

This…was it a coincidence?

[Because you're someone who will save me someday.]

The voice she left a long time ago lingers in my head.

I'm not sure if she knew, but the current situation seems to be flowing as she had intended.

For some reason, I felt as if I was playing into the witch's palm, so it wasn't very fun.

Should I just give up and go home?

I thought seriously for a while, but it was too wasteful to give up the task as it is.

Ultimately, it would only be me who will suffer a loss in the end.

Recalling the efforts I have invested so far, I suppressed the irritation that was slowly rising.

Huu…Since I've come this far, it would be best to finish up.

Anyway, what I had to do remained the same.

Whether this is what the witch had wanted, or whether everything is coincidental.

I just need to save the woman in front of me and get the reward.

As I was regaining my composure, Elizabeth clung to me with a tearful look.

"P-please help me."

"Huu…How can I help you?"

"M-my uncle, please stop him. Everyone will die if nothing is done."

Is she talking about the elf who left the room a moment ago?

I only saw his back, but I found that his body isn't trained, and I didn't sense much mana from him either.

If I just go by my sense of danger, the Yifret I had faced a while ago was much stronger.

The feeling he gave off was someone who is engrossed in books.

But it's not enough to just judge someone by their appearance…I think it'll be best to find out more information on him.

So I asked Elizabeth to tell me about her uncle.

And in a little bit.

As soon as I learned about her uncle, I had no choice but to revise my evaluation of him from a moment ago.

"So…Your uncle's name is Rastus, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right. B-by the way, do you happen to know my uncle?"

"Ah, ha…"

I was so speechless that a vain laugh leaked out.

Because…if I remember correctly, he was an S-class villain who was given the grand nickname 'Elf King' in the previous round.

Does the system want me to deal with an S-class villain now?

No matter how much I wanted the reward, this was an impossible task. It's not something that can be done with just greed.

I'll probably die without even realizing it if I attack an S-class now.

The first part of the Challenge was a task that gave me a long period of 3 months. Maybe it meant for me to grow up during that time before doing this.

Ha…The quest sequence is twisted.

There were often moments like this while playing games.

When you clear a chain quest one by one, at some point you'll wake up in a dangerous hunting ground without realizing it.

And in this case, even if it's regrettable, the answer was to just obediently give up.

Pushing away Elizabeth who was covered in tears, I spoke.

"Nuna, I'm suddenly busy today, so next time…"

As soon as I was about to say no, a new message window popped up in front of me.

Ding–

[Challenge – Sapling of the World Tree (Chain Quest).]

Condition: Infiltrate the laboratory of the botanist 'Rastus' and steal the sapling of the World Tree.

Period: 1 week.

Reward: 1x Skill Selection (High).

"Heuk…A-are you really going to leave without helping me…?"

While Elizabeth was clinging to my leg with a runny nose, I stared blankly at the new Challenge that had emerged.

Then…

"…Come to think of it, I don't think I'm busy. I'll help you, nuna."

"Heuk! Uwu! T-thank you!"

As if her sorrow had exploded, Elizabeth rushed to hug me.

I had a thought as I shoved her snot-covered face away.

The original Rastus that I knew was a one-man army who could manipulate the forest after having absorbed the power of the World Tree.

I can't believe the World Tree is still alive…

In other words, it means that it's still before Rastus has gained proper strength.

This will change the story again.

When attacking a tricky boss, it was the norm to kill it before the next phase began.

Frankly, isn't this worth trying…?

After finishing the calculation in my head, I approached Elizabeth with a light smile.

"Do you know where your uncle's laboratory is?"

"Hic! Mhm. I go there every day, so I know it well."

"That's great. Can you take me there now?"

"Uh, okay! Hold on."

Something has been bothering me since a while ago, so I had to let her know.

"Nuna, the buttons on your pajamas are uneven."

"Wah?!"

With Elizabeth leading the way, we headed to Rastus' laboratory.

In any case, it's easier than I had thought. Perhaps I'll be able to raid a future S-class boss.

* * *

Rastus, who had come out of Elizabeth's room, suddenly felt as if the world was spinning.

'I have to quickly move to the next part of the plan…'

To straighten himself, he forced himself up against a wall.

He was feeling dizzy because he hadn't had a proper sleep the last few days. But he knew he couldn't collapse here.

'The next 3 months…'

There wasn't much time left until the plan.

If he could endure just that much, his greatest wish will finally come true.

"Keuk!"

Red blood flowed down his lips. He took a white handkerchief out of his pocket and casually wiped the blood.

This was the result of his excessive use of mana recently. He swallowed his blood-mixed saliva and gritted his teeth.

'Damn humans…'

Rastus was originally an ordinary scholar who studied plants. An introvert who was simply more curious than others when it comes to flowers.

And he had a sister who could be said to be the opposite of him.

A beautiful woman who was always lively and smiling confidently.

He loved his sister. To the point of cursing his own fate for being related to her by blood.

However, he never crossed the line beyond brother and sister.

Knowing well that it was something that would make his sister sad, so he just watched her from the side.

As if observing a beautiful flower, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction each day just from watching her every move.

He couldn't have her, but he thought it was enough to live next to her like this.

But…this small happiness began to shake for reasons that were completely unexpected.

"N-nuna! W-what are you saying?! What do you mean you're going to live on Earth all of a sudden?"

"I'm sorry, Rastus. But I don't want to live in this stuffy place anymore."

His sister declared that she would migrate to Earth.

Even when numerous other elves had abandoned the forest and left, their tribe continued to protect the forest thus far…

As a free-spirited woman, she didn't seem to like that fact.

For the first time, Rastus yelled at her.

He tried to persuade her by using all the knowledge that he knew.

But her will was too firm, and instead, he decided to follow her.

"All right! That's good, Rastus! Let's go to Earth together and have fun."

"…"

Rastus was nervous. They, who had only lived in the forest all their life, were going to live in a city.

He thought the transition would never be smooth.

And soon his anxiety became a reality.

About a few years after moving to Earth. One day, his sister began to complain of abnormal health symptoms.

Unable to bear seeing her like that, he finally decided that he was going to take her back to the forest.

"T-this won't do. Like I thought, the air in the city doesn't suit you, nuna! If you don't go, I'll have to force you to go."

"Let go of me! Rastus. Even if you're my dongsaeng, you don't have the right to interfere with my life when it comes to this."

"Nuna!"

As a result, their warm relationship drifted apart.

Meanwhile, his sister married someone and gave birth, while he had no choice but to watch from afar.

And in the end…

His sister died after suffering from a prolonged illness.

From then on, he began to dream of revenge. Towards the huge gray city that took away his sister.

'It's time to end it once and for all…'

All that was left was to erase the dirty city and build a large forest for the elves in its place.

'And…from there, Elizabeth and I will open a new world for the elves.'

He recalled the niece who looks just like his sister.

Elizabeth was the most perfect work he had ever created. Although numerous failures were born in the process, it was all just a stepping stone for his greater vision.

Because of this, he was able to create an ideal drug that no longer had any side effects.

'Now…After one more experiment, I'll be able to transplant the World Tree into my body.'

The day when he absorbs the genes of plants into his body will be the day he makes a child inside Elizabeth's stomach.

Then…

All children born between him and her will be able to hear the voices of plants.

Unlike the 'fake' elves who have abandoned the forest and chose to live in the city, they'll be 'real' elves who can communicate with mother nature like in ancient times.

'Elves…will rise again.'

If it was his sister, she would have been a great mother in the new world.

He thought so as he walked toward his laboratory.

But at that moment.

The smell of something burning pricked his nose. And as he looked out of the window, he saw a huge fire burning the garden.

"?!"

He rushed outside in a hurry.

'What the hell did the gardener do? Why is the garden suddenly burning? W-was it an intruder?'

He had to hurry if that was the case.

If the intruder was after his research data, all the plans he had built up over the decades will all be for nothing.

His spine chilled when he thought of that fact. Leaving the burning garden behind, he ran straight to his laboratory.

'I have to protect the research data.'

In any case, he had to protect the data he had accumulated so far. For the success of his revenge, and for all elves.

The moment he arrived near the laboratory.

Boom–!

Along with a huge roar that resonated through the mountain, a towering cloud of dust rose.

"T-the hell…"

The laboratory was collapsing. And along with it were his greatest wishes.

He had no choice but to stare blankly at the scene.

== Translator's Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section.

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Villain Hides His True Color

Chapter 15

Elizabeth and I were heading to Rastus' laboratory.

I had felt it when I was crawling through the ventilators a while ago, but as expected, the mansion was uselessly spacious and complex.

There were many rooms in the hallways where you can't even begin to guess their purposes. The mansion's structure intertwined and blended like a maze, making it very confusing and easy for a person to lose their sense of direction.

It was the right choice to have this woman guide me.

I might have had to waste a long time here otherwise.

Soon, I heard Elizabeth's discrete voice.

— W-we'll reach the backyard once we pass through there.

She spoke to me through a plant's voice as if it was natural.

To summarize what she had told me earlier, Rastus has been remodeling her body for a long time.

Because of that, dozens of plant genes were now dormant in her body, and among them was one called 'Flower of Shadow,' which is the reason why I am here now.

To put it simply, it was a mission to come here and find her.

The fact that the Challenge updated once I entered her room was evidence enough.

To be honest, I felt like I was being cheated.

Well, originally, tasks in the exploration category were often twisted like riddles, so this situation felt quite familiar.

As soon as I was organizing my thoughts, I heard her voice again.

— B-but this, d-do we have to move around like this?

Hmm?

I was currently underneath her clothes in my liquid form wrapped around her.

Although she had said there were no other employees beside the gardener, I wasn't going to risk myself running into Rastus.

I shaped a small mouth and whispered.

"Bear with it a little longer."

— B-but…it feels so weird.

Our skin, which was against each other, was already a little warm, but it felt as if it had gotten warmer.

As expected, this woman still has a long way to go. I can't believe she's saying something so pointless even in this situation.

Anyway, she walked with her body twisted like a worm. We finally arrived in the backyard shortly after.

— I-it's here.

She pointed to a corner in the backyard.

Looking outside through her clothes, I noticed a large glass greenhouse. It was a lot bigger than most greenhouses.

Since the Challenge said it was a laboratory, I thought it would have been a more traditional laboratory.

— Then, I'll go in…

I felt the hot and humid air around my whole body as I clinged to Elizabeth.

Everywhere was filled with all kinds of plants, and fortunately or unfortunately, only the usual voice of wanting to reproduce was heard from them.

Elizabeth looked through the interior of the greenhouse and spoke.

— I-I don't think my uncle is here. It's okay to come out now.

I slipped off her body and slowly looked around.

Then…

What caught my eye was a huge, mysterious distillation device.

I can see mysterious green particles gradually crystallizing inside the transparent flask.

"What's this…?"

"This is what I meant earlier. And…after my uncle is done with the last preparation, he plans to terrorize the city with this powder."

"Really…"

Listening to her, I recalled an article I had read a long time ago.

Nampo's biological terror incident.

A rare terrorist attack that raised Rastus, an ordinary botanist, to an S-class villain overnight.

He had spread a large number of biological warfare weapons he had developed over Nampo City, which is located near Neo Pyongyang City, and as a result, in the mouth of the Taedong river, where a large number of trade ports were located, a primeval forest was created.

Even for me, who was living in Pyongyang, for me to hear of it, it was a very big event at the time.

On top of that, dealing with him, who could freely control plants, was like fighting an entire huge forest…

I heard that they eventually solved it by using nuclear weapons a few years later.

These particles, which are falling little by little in front of my eyes, is probably the weapon he had used for his terrorist act at the time.

"W-What are you going to do now?"

She looked at me with a restless look.

Instead of answering her question, I took out the bombs I had in my inventory.

"That…what are those?"

"It's a very useful solution to most problems."

I generously installed the bombs here and there around the flask. As a bonus, I also attached some to the electronic devices next to it.

Well, it's not completed anyway, so there won't be a problem if the particles are released now.

After completing the necessary work, I asked her.

"Do you know where the sapling of the World Tree is?"

"World Tree…?"

"If you don't know what it is, is there any plant here that's the most important?"

"Hmm…"

She looked to be thinking for a moment, and soon after, she let out a small exclamation.

"There's a plant that my uncle always keeps separately. Is that what you're talking about? Hold on."

She led my hand into the depths of the greenhouse.

Then, I saw a bright device that resembles an incubator with a slender tree planted inside.

"This is it."

At first glance, it was a tree that looked valuable. I opened the incubator and grabbed the sapling.

Next, the voice of a feisty woman came into my ears.

— Who are you?

"…"

— How dare you touch this tree's body? Impudent.

It was a rather rude plant. I roughly pulled it out of the dirt.

— Kueaak! Y-you punk! What the hell are you doing?!!

Some of the soil that was clung to the roots fell to the ground.

The sapling was chattering next to me, but I didn't want to listen to it anymore, so I stuffed it into my inventory as is.

At that moment, the message I was waiting for appeared before my eyes.

Ding–!

[Condition for the Challenge – Sapling of the World Tree (Chain Quest) has been met.]

[Infiltrate the laboratory of the botanist 'Rastus' and steal the sapling of the World Tree (Completed).

[Challenge updated.]

[Challenge – Sapling of the World Tree (Chain Quest).]

Condition: Transfer and plant the sapling in the 'land to the east.'

Period: 20 years.

Reward: 1x Skill Selection (High).

'Hmm…20 years.'

It was a longer task than I had thought. In addition, I couldn't guess the place called 'land to the east' mentioned here.

It seems that it isn't a problem that can be solved right now.

If I were to think of it like a game, I guess it'll be like an item to start a quest.

I'm done with everything I have to do here.

All I have to do now is get out of here before Rastus arrives and detonate the bombs.

I led Elizabeth out of the greenhouse and immediately detonated the bombs.

Boom–!

With a roaring sound that almost burst my eardrums, fragments of glass exploded in all directions.

And after a while, even the steel frames that were supporting the greenhouse tilted and fell to the ground, spewing dust everywhere.

I spoke to Elizabeth who stood still as if mesmerized.

"There won't be any terrorist attacks by nuna's uncle now."

"U-uh…Okay. T-thank you…"

Was it because the problem that had troubled her for a long time was solved with just a bomb?

She had a puzzled look, as if she still couldn't believe it.

Well, it's none of my business how she feels right now…

Anyway, why hasn't the Challenge updated?

Despite me completing her request for help, the status of the Challenge remains the same.

[Challenge – Flower of Shadow (Chain Quest).]

Condition: Save 'Elizabeth.'

Period: 3 months.

Reward: 1x Random Box (Medium).

Save Elizabeth.

Save how? In RPG games, usually, everything is resolved once you listen to the person's request.

Was this not enough to save her?

After thinking for a while, I drew up an answer in my own way.

Like I thought, killing Rastus seems to be the only solution. If that doesn't work, I'll try to kill a few more people.

As soon as I was organizing my thoughts, I heard someone scream behind me.

"H-how dare you!!!!!!!"

A voice as if he had lost his child.

Turning my head, there stood Rastus vomiting blood and screaming.

"Elizabeth!!! W-why did you!!!"

"U-uncle…"

Elizabeth next to me trembled and took a step back. Rastus began to stagger towards her.

And I, who has been watching him closely, called out to Elizabeth.

"Nuna."

"Y-yes?"

She didn't look to be in the right state of mind no matter how I looked at it. Her whole body was shaking like a tree and sweat was flowing down her forehead like rain.

I asked her as is.

"Can I kill your uncle?"

"U-uh…O-okay…W-wait, what did you just say?"

I pulled a gun straight out of my inventory before she could finish.

Well, I think I've gotten permission, so I'll be very disappointed if I don't get a reward later.

"W-wait!"

Elizabeth reached out in a hurry to stop me. But the speed of me pulling the trigger was faster.

Bang–!

"N-no!!"

The bullet that flew away went exactly through Rastus' body.

* * *

"Keuk!"

Rastus fell to the ground because of the terrible pain that struck his stomach.

'What the hell happened?'

He was just approaching Elizabeth, so why is he lying on the ground now?

Blood slowly flowed out of his stomach. His white gown became stained with blood.

When he looked up, he saw a young boy aiming a gun at him.

He made eye contact with the boy. The child was smiling.

At that moment, a loud warning signal rang behind his back.

'D-dangerous!'

He immediately took out a seed and cast a spell.

*Rapid Growth

The seed that fell to the ground germinated in an instant and grew into a barrier of hard ebony.

In the next instant,

Bang–!

Continuous bullet struck the barrier and was blocked by it. As it happened, he could feel a deep killing intent from the boy that showed he definitely wanted to kill him.

'Dangerous…'

Where the hell did this boy who had suddenly appeared in his garden come from?

He had thoroughly prepared for all external invaders.

A large amount of money was spent to install magic traps throughout the fences, and there were even trees that didn't sleep being used as watchmen in the garden.

'So why…'

Perhaps the gardener who has been loyal to him is already dead. And perhaps it was the boy who had burned his garden.

And now…He had destroyed his wishes that he had been preparing for decades.

Kik–

He gritted his teeth. What kind of resentment does the boy have for him to do such acts of terrorism against him?

'I must catch him alive to find out…'

At that moment. On the other side of the barrier, the boy was seen carrying a large fuel tank on his shoulder.

'?!'

A dreadful image that can only be seen in war movies.

Recognizing what it was, Rastus rolled across the ground and threw himself to the side.

"Keuk!!!"

It felt as if every spark in his brain went off when his wounded stomach grazed the ground.

But there was no time to hesitate. Again, he sprinkled seeds on the ground and cast a spell.

*Rapid growth

Thick vines grew in a blink of an eye on the ground. Rastus grabbed one of the stalks and soared up.

Woosh–!

Hot flame swept under his feet. He would have become a black lump of coal if he had hesitated for a few seconds.

Cold sweats rolled down his spine. The weapon the boy used was at odds with his abilities.

'It's dangerous if this continues…I need to find a way…'

As soon as he was thinking hard with the little amount of time he had,

Creak–

The stalk of the vine that he was supporting on dried up and turned yellow as it began to helplessly fall sideways.

Soon, he crashed to the ground. Colliding with the ground, blood burst from his mouth.

"Keuk!"

Through the blurry view, he could see the boy aiming the flamethrower at him again.

'I-I have to move…'

He didn't live up till now just to die. He still had work to do.

Mentally enduring the pain, he sprinkled more seeds on the ground.

*Rapid growth

Thick red vines quickly rose up.

'Cinderwood.'

It was a tree that grew up eating fire from a volcano in the otherworld.

He didn't stop there after having grown the cinderwood. Squeezing out all of his remaining mana, he cast another spell.

*Summon Ent

"Keuk!"

Blood burst out of his mouth again as a large amount of mana was exhausted. At that moment, his eyes turned dark and he couldn't see anything.

Fortunately, however, the spell was successful, and the cinderwood tree stuck on the ground took root and began to stretch.

The cinderwood ent defended Rastus, blocking the flames that erupted again.

Luckily, the flame couldn't penetrate the cinderwood tree.

"Wow, the tree isn't burning?"

The boy put down the heavy fuel tank and tilted his head.

At that moment. Realizing that his attacks were useless, the boy began to rush directly at Rastus.

"B-block him!!"

At Rastus' desperate cry, the ent pulled out a vine and attacked the boy.

And against that fierce attack, the boy was tied up helplessly.

"Finally…I got you."

The boy simply lowered his head once his whole body was tied up. Rastus struggled to get up as he approached the boy.

And then…

Thud–

Something fell down near the boy's body. A sphere made of metal.

"Hmm?"

'What's that?'

The moment he was worried about the strange object,

He saw the boy's face. He was still smiling.

Thus…

Rastus came to realize the identity of the object that fell on the ground.

"Ah, no…"

Boom–!!

The ent that had wrapped up the boy exploded. Fragments scattered in all directions and some even stuck to Rastus' body.

"Keuk!!"

Like a hedgehog made of splinters, Rastus flew far away before collapsing.

There were ringing sounds in his ears, and he couldn't feel the sensation below his waist.

In such a state, he stared blankly at the clear sky.

'Why…'

Having checked on Elizabeth this morning, he never imagined that this would happen.

Just the same day as yesterday. A peaceful daily routine that repeats every day.

'But this…why is he here…'

He couldn't believe what was happening around him.

The garden was gone. And a broken wish.

'The future…There's really not much time left.'

A shadow hung over his face.

"Hm…you woke up earlier than I thought."

The boy, who had shattered with the ent a while ago, was looking down at him, still alive.

Rastus forcibly squeezed out his voice and spoke.

"W-why…"

"I have to save her to get a reward."

The boy said and pointed a gun at him.

Rastus could see the black gun covering the sky and the boy slowly pulling the trigger.

He sensed his end. But at that moment.

"N-no!! You can't shoot!"

Elizabeth suddenly came running. Then she stopped the boy by grabbing the gun that was pointed at Rastus.

"What's wrong? You said I can kill him."

"N-no! H-he's still my uncle…W-we don't have to kill him."

"Killing him now is the surest thing."

"B-but that's…"

Rastus heard the sound of two people bickering. But more than that, what the boy said bothered him more.

'Kill…me?'

He came to understand the whole situation.

The reason why the boy was able to get here was all thanks to Elizabeth's help. It all made sense when he thought about it.

'E-Elizabeth, why…'

They had even made a promise to live together in the new world.

Like his sister, she was going to leave him behind.

And her choice was wrong. Like his sister who had fallen for human ideology, Elizabeth will also face an unfortunate end someday.

Keuk–!

'Not yet…I can't die…'

There is something he must do. He couldn't die in vain like this here.

'I didn't know…I would use this one day…'

He squeezed out his last remaining energy and pulled out an ampoule he had hidden. It contained a brightly shining purple liquid.

The day his beloved sister died, a strange being passed on the secrets of the ancient elves to him.

The being also handed him this drug that day.

[This is on the house. But if possible, I recommend using it only at the last minute. Because you can't turn back after using it.]

The warning the being left behind lingered in his mind. It must be a dangerous kind of drug, he thought.

But it didn't matter anymore. Even if he has to give everything, and even if the road becomes a thorny path that he walks alone.

'I'll achieve my goal at all costs.'

Rastus absorbed the ampoule. His body began to swell in the blink of an eye.

"Keuk!"

His bones twisted and his flesh burst out.

At the same time, the branches of the cinderwood tree that were scattered around him began to stick to his body one by one, and he grew in size like a snowball.

"Keuaaah!"

Then at some point, he had turned into a huge ent.

— This…

Rastus slowly looked down at his own body. A stronger body than steel with overflowing power.

He felt a sense of omnipotence that he had never felt before. His own body, which was weak in the past, no longer comes to mind.

If it's this body, then it's possible, he thought. No, rather, he'll be able to complete the great goal he had wanted faster.

— Keukeu…good.

"U-uncle!!"

Elizabeth who stood in front of him was approaching.

'The wretched traitor.'

"W-why is your body…"

He thought…If he leaves it like this, she'll be corrupted again and go the wrong way.

So he couldn't leave it like that. Rather, if she can be inside him, then they'll be together forever and she'll never make the wrong choice.

— Elizabeth…

Rastus slowly raised his arm. His arms, thicker than a dense tree, loomed over her.

In front of the overwhelming scene, Elizabeth became frozen and couldn't move.

— Be my nourishment.

Tens of tons of mass was about to hit her.

Her hair fluttered under the typhoon-like wind pressure, and she closed her eyes tightly as the sight of a huge tree covered the sky.

But at that moment.

"Fuck!"

As the little boy next to her swore, he pushed her out of the way.

The boy was able to save her, but because of this, he was hit by the edge of the tree.

Boom–!

Flying dozens of meters, the boy's body bounced up and down the ground as if he were a pebble skipping across the pond. Then like a corpse, there was no movement.

— Keukeu…Come to think of it, he was there.

The mastermind behind all of this. The human who had ruined his great work, and someone who he can never forgive.

— I'll mince your body well and use it as manure.

Rastus approached the boy step by step.

* * *

I can't move. Every bone in my body seems to be broken.

"Keuk!"

I vomited pieces of my intestines. There was so much blood that it was hard to even breathe.

Boom, boom–

The vibration was transmitted through my back. I can feel that Rastus is approaching.

I'm going to die soon if I don't do anything.

The bastard was really prepared.

I was too greedy. I can't believe I risked my life for a medium-grade box.

It would have been a wise choice to abandon my lingering hope.

Well, it's not that I didn't have any faith. As it has been so far, I thought it would have been okay if I changed to liquid.

But…Unfortunately, Rastus had a high-density of mana hidden under his shell. He's just as wicked as he looks.

Like I thought, it was right to kill him immediately.

To speak of the cause in the first place, the source of trouble was I hesitated because of Elizabeth.

If it weren't for the ambiguous condition of 'save,' I would have just ignored it and shot Rastus. I really didn't expect to get caught up in this.

Boom–! Boom–!

He's getting closer and closer. My body moves up and down with each step he takes.

This…I'm going to die in this beginner zone.

It's been a long time since I felt this way. The word 'game over' crossed my mind.

It felt similar to when I was a C-class villain and was surrounded by the heroes from the Hero Association.

If there's just one difference from the past, it's that Elizabeth saved me, who was on the verge of dying, at that time, and this time, however, I was going to die while trying to save her.

Things always seem to get twisted when I get involved with the witch.

Boom–! Boom–!

A shadow gradually looms over my head. It's like a big hill walking in front of my eyes.

— Keukeu…you still have a breath left.

Rastus looked down and laughed at me. I wanted to laugh with him when I saw the ugly bastard, but I couldn't breathe well.

I can see him raising his arm to kill me.

How far is he going to raise his arm? It seems to rise higher than a crane.

— I'll make sure there's not even a trace left!

And soon he dropped his arm at a high speed toward me. A small typhoon was created around it, and the terrible sound of the wind echoed.

Like that, as his arm was about to completely block my view,

The world began to slow down.

What's this?

However, I had to hold my doubt for the time being.

At that moment, I heard a very pleasant sound in my ears.

Ding–!

[Condition for the skill has been met.]

[ is active for the next 5 minutes.]

[Randomly borrowed a latent skill.]

[Gained .]

[New skill temporarily registered.]

[Randomly borrowed a latent stat.]

[Gained 7 points in Body.]

[New stat temporarily applied.]

Body: 7

Dexterity: 1.35

Mana: 1.08

Spirit: 1.12

Numerous messages covered my eyes, and I immediately recovered from all my injuries.

Beyond the message boxes, I could see Rastus' huge arm coming down.

Time was still slowed even though the awakening was over.

Has the world always been this slow?

No. It's not that the world is slow, it's that I'm faster.

The sudden rise in my physical ability had forced my senses to become twisted.

I slowly stood up in the world that had stopped.

Rastus' arm was still coming down. His expression was colored with shock a step later when he saw me.

I put my hand on his arm. Then, along with the flow of the arm's trajectory,

*Jiu-jitsu Throw

The giant bastard was thrown to the ground.

Boom–!

A huge impact that caused the buildings to move up and down.

At the same time, soil scattered in all directions as time began to flow again.

With the ground broken and a huge sinkhole forming, the place where Rastus was stuck became like a meteorite.

I took a deep breath when I saw it.

"Haa…Now he looks more natural."

An overwhelming presence that is incomparable to before.

Yet, this was just a C-grade skill and 7 points in Body. I can't believe my body feels so free.

I punched the air as a test. And…

Woosh–Boom!

With a deafening roar, a sonic boom that cut through the air was formed.

"Good."

A feeling from the past that I had forgotten for a while had returned.

Fun. This is fun. I want to play more.

It felt as if I had received a toy that was forcibly taken away. Perhaps that's why a chuckle kept leaking out of my mouth without me realizing it.

No way, it won't end like this, right?

I tried hard to suppress my discomfort and looked at the sinkhole where Rastus was stuck. At that moment,

— Agh!!!

Rastus let loose a scream as he bravely revived.

And when I saw that, after failing to conceal my joy, a low laughter leaked from my mouth.

"Haha…It's great that ajeossi is strong."

I hope I can enjoy this feeling a little more, or at the very least, I hope Rastus can hold out for 5 minutes.

== Translator's Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section.

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Villain Hides His True Color

Chapter 16

Rastus' huge body rose from the ground.

Crack, crack–

Broken branches fell off his body.

Even on second look, he was still as huge as ever.

Maybe around 50m?

Compared to the radio towers found throughout the city, Rastus appears to be much bigger.

— Keuh…I'm going to kill you, human!

He was surprisingly fine after what I thought was a considerable hit just now.

What kind of ability did he use?

His current strength was quite unbelievable even if it was his trump card.

A purple haze was rising like smoke around his body.

While looking at it, I recalled the mysterious dark energy I felt from the demons in the past.

Is it related to them?

…I don't think so.

Looking back on the previous round, there was still about 20 years left before the demon army will show up.

There was no reason for the sudden change of such a large scale update.

Well, who cares.

More than that right now, it was more important to appreciate his strength and enjoy this moment to the fullest.

— Graaaawr!!

The ground shook as Rastus charged at me. A clumsy posture like a bookworm who is fighting for the first time.

But given his size, it wasn't something I could take lightly. The nearby mansion shook with each step he took.

I faced such a guy head-on. And he, who is like a living disaster, was stopped by me in an instant.

Boom–!

One of his huge legs was blocked by my body. A long line on the ground was dug out as every muscle in my body contracted.

Keu…good.

It was very refreshing to be able to use my strength after a long time.

— H-how the hell.

I could hear Rastus' shocked voice. But this was far from what I was aiming for.

The gravity that acts on the body is always anchored on the human body's center of gravity.

And the law of kinematics is equal to all, even for this huge bastard.

Rastus' center of gravity was located high above me.

Which means,

It's just as easy to break his balance.

*Wrestling Lower Tackle

Frankly speaking, our size difference was like that of a hamster and a human. But that hamster was now lifting the foot of the human.

Creak–

His huge body slowly tilted backwards. Then while floundering his arms in the air, he fell onto his mansion.

Boom–!

Another cloud of dust rose. One side of the mansion was completely destroyed beyond recognition.

I smiled while looking at such a sight.

Passable.

Supreme Martial Arts, which I used to enjoy in the past, was a skill that dealt with all kinds of modern martial arts.

It incorporated the whole science of modern martial arts.

With the exception of skills that use mana, there were no better martial arts than 'Supreme Martial Arts.'

In other words, as long as my physical strength can support it, there is no skill more powerful than this.

— Keuaak! How dare you, human!!

Rastus let out a horrible shriek.

Countless tree trunks began to erupt from his body.

His appearance looked similar to when hundreds of cluster bombs are fired.

Bullet hell games are fun too.

*Acrobatic.

I flipped between the gaps of the spear-like branches that were inserted into the ground. His attacks couldn't even leave a scratch on me.

— You little rat!!

Climbing along the slope of his body, at the end, I was met with a face that was the size of a house.

His eyes shook nonstop when it made contact with mine. I reached out toward his huge eyeballs.

— W-what are you trying to do?!

"Punching bags don't need eyes."

*Kyokushin Karate Horn Reach

Pak–!

Both eyes were cleanly pulled out along with their optic nerves.

Although he looks like a tree through and through, strangely enough, his eyes were like those of humans.

— Kueaak!!

Rastus grabbed his empty eye sockets as he screamed in pain.

Because of his floundering, other parts of the mansion that were intact began to turn into ruins.

In the meantime, I opened my status window to check the remaining time. 3 minutes and 10 seconds. Nearly half of it has already been spent in this short time.

"There's not much time left until I have to give it back, so I'll have to make the most of it."

I charged at Rastus.

Kick, poke, twist, throw, press, break…

All sorts of modern martial arts poured out in the brief moment.

— I-it hurts!! Stop! P-please stop!

Rastus screamed like a child. He cried and begged me to spare him.

But I didn't stop. It was a rare moment for me to enjoy myself after a long time, so why should I?

I stripped the bark that covered his body like armor little by little.

Then, underneath it, thick flesh that pulsated like human blood vessels came into my view.

It looks similar to what I had seen in the garden.

The gardener called it a failure, right? Rastus seemed to have turned into one of his failed creations.

It's a shame, but I think it's time to wrap it up.

As soon as I thought so,

Suddenly, under Rastus' pores, something thin and long stuck out like tiny threads.

At first, I even thought it was his hair, but on closer look, it looks similar to the roots of a sapling.

Then, those roots dug into the ground without any time for me to grasp the situation and began to suck in the nutrients around them.

As if it had become a desert, the fertile land and trees in the mountain began to quickly dry up.

On the other hand, Rastus' body began to grow exponentially.

50m, 60m, 70m…

When it finally reached about 200m in size, Rastus slowly raised his gigantic body.

Boom–

He simply raised his body, but the entire mountain shook loudly as if there was a landslide.

— Just a human…how dare you oppose mother nature.

A flat echo like a boat horn rang in my ears.

However, when I raised my head, I couldn't even see the face of the bastard who was talking. All I could see was a foot that was as high as the surrounding trees.

In just a few seconds, Rastus had become a giant from myths.

The very same giant spoke to me in a relaxed voice.

— Thanks to you, I was able to become one with nature. So I'll allow you a comfortable death as my last mercy.

His huge palm began to slowly descend as it covered the sky.

Was this how Wukong felt when he was trapped in the palm of Buddha? Anywhere I looked, all I could see was Rastus' hand.

The whole world seemed to have shifted to night.

Even though it wasn't very fast, clouds of dust swirled from all sides due to the overwhelming air pressure from his palm.

A violent sound of a gust dug into my ears.

And then…facing the palm, I smiled.

"It's the finale so this much is expected."

My stance widened by the span of my shoulders and the tip of my toes bent 45 degrees.

After taking a deep breath, I lowered my body with a short exhale.

*Wushu Fajin

Boom–!

A heavy wave spread out and shook the whole mountain.

Then the land, which had been barely holding out, split like a spider web.

From the tip of my feet, the kinetic energy contracted and amplified every muscle in my body.

And what lies at the end of the force was a single point.

Finally, the giant's palm made contact with mine.

At that moment.

Boom–!

A huge shock wave strong enough to burst a person' eardrums exploded.

The dirt on the ground spread out like a ripple and the surrounding trees swayed as their pollens scattered.

Soon.

Crack–

The sound of a tree splitting was heard and the giant's body began to crack like dry firewood.

— Graaah!!

Rastus screamed in pain. However, the crack that had started didn't stop and began to spread faster and faster.

His huge body had lacked the durability to withstand it.

Eventually, he crashed to the ground along with numerous debris.

Just in time, a message window popped up in front of my eyes.

[The effect has expired.]

[All skills and stats borrowed will be returned.]

[ has been sealed for the time being.]

Body: 2.15

Dexterity: 1.35

Mana: 1.08

Spirit: 1.12

*2 Fragments of Growth

As soon as I saw the message, I felt a deep sense of quagmire.

Like when I first started the second round, my whole body felt heavy just from standing. How did I ever survive with such a normal body?

Huu…I felt terrible after my senses returned to normal.

I was already missing the feeling from a moment ago.

Perhaps that's why I felt disappointed even though I had fun. It was like having fun with a game only for it to be turned off after one round.

But there will come another chance. I'll just have to be satisfied with this for today.

I smacked my lips and headed in the direction where Rastus fell.

The bastard, who had returned to his original size, was wriggling on a pile of debris piled high like a hill.

— Keuk, keuh…

He was barely alive. He'll soon die even if I just left him alone.

I can't believe I dealt with the Elf King like this.

If it was the first round, I would have still been rolling around the streets of Pyongyang with only a pistol…

It was naturally possible because he hasn't gained the power of the World Tree at this point, but it could still be said to be a major development compared to the past.

But…What should I do with this guy now?

I checked my status window once again.

[Challenge – Flower of Shadow (Chain Quest).]

Condition: Save 'Elizabeth.'

Period: 3 months.

Reward: 1x Random Box (Medium).

The question that constantly bothered me while doing this challenge.

How the hell do I clear the condition of saving Elizabeth?

Saving means getting someone out of danger.

Wasn't it enough to kill Rastus, the source of her problem?

In most RPG games I've played, the word save worked in the same sense as defeating the villain.

But…is that not enough this time?

Just like a while ago. Not only did she not thank me, but she even stopped me.

So the problem can only be solved if Rastus dies, but Rastus can't die?

It was contradictory.

I felt a headache because I never thought I would have to think very hard about this Challenge.

…Should I just kill everyone and loot the cash?

The moment I felt annoyed, Elizabeth, who sat like she was out of her mind, caught my eyes.

I looked at her briefly and soon realized the answer to this problem. I see…

This wasn't my problem in the first place.

As I dragged the dying Rastus, I began to approach Elizabeth.

* * *

Elizabeth stared at the ground with a blank look.

Scenes she saw a moment ago were constantly replaying in her head.

Her uncle who had suddenly turned into a huge monster, and the little boy who had played with him like a toy.

It was hard to believe even when she saw it with her own eyes.

As she raised her head, she could see the collapsed mansion and what was left of the surroundings.

At such an unrealistic scenery, she could only blink her eyes.

'Maybe…I'm still dreaming?'

However, the cold air from the ground that touched her butt told her that all of this was definitely reality.

She shook her head.

'It doesn't matter if it's a dream or not…'

For her, dreams are realities that'll happen.

At that moment, she could see the boy walking toward her.

And behind the boy was her uncle being dragged like a piece of trash.

"?!"

Her uncle's appearance was gruesome. Sharp branches were embedded all over his body, and his broken legs were fluttering like a carpet as it was dragged across the ground.

The boy threw her uncle over.

"U-uncle…"

— Keuh…

Judging by his feeble breathing, it seems that he was on his last breath.

"H-how did this…"

Even though he was someone who had just tried to kill her, she began to worry about his condition when she saw his terrible figure.

She wanted to approach him, so she unknowingly lifted herself up.

At that moment, the boy spoke.

"Nuna, what should we do?"

"H-huh? W-what do you mean?"

She answered while avoiding the boy's gaze. And her voice cracked because she was tense.

"We still can't kill him?"

"…"

The boy's words dug into her chest like a dagger.

In fact, she knew well that everything would only end with her uncle's death. And that he was already too far gone to turn back.

Nevertheless, however, her heart ached when the boy tried to kill her uncle. So she stopped the boy without realizing it.

As a result, she almost died, and the boy, on the other hand, threw himself to protect her.

Therefore, it was natural for her to hate her uncle.

'I'm really the worst.'

If she had been in the boy's shoes, maybe she would have already been fed up.

She couldn't lift her head because she felt remorseful.

"Well, the decision is up to you, nuna. I won't force you at all."

"Mmm…"

And even in this situation, she hated herself for not being able to answer.

As she remained silent for a while, the boy opened his mouth again.

"Nuna."

Elizabeth slowly looked up at the voice calling her. The boy was still smiling as brightly as when she first met him.

Then, he threw something in front of her. It was a glossy, pitch black pistol.

"Are you giving this to me…?"

As she looked at it with curiosity, the boy smiled brightly and spoke.

"Life is meant to be enjoyed. And whether to enjoy it or not, nuna needs to decide."

"…"

The boy said and went somewhere without looking back. The words left by the boy kept replaying in her head.

'I…have to decide?'

Maybe the boy's words were right.

She already knew. Her uncle will continue to go down the wrong path in the future.

'The first time uncle brought in a child to be used as an experiment, if I had stopped him then…'

If she had been a little more courageous back then…

Maybe everyone would be living happily and well now.

'Was this the only outcome?'

Even though she could see the future through her dreams, she thought she didn't have the power to change it anyway. The more she struggled the more pain it caused instead.

So at some point, she gave up on making her own decisions.

Just like how a shadow cannot resist being drawn to the sun, she had accepted the fact that fate was absolute.

Even when children died because of the experiments…Even when her body was modified with the knowledge that her uncle had obtained…

She had turned a blind eye to it all, hoping that someone would change her fate.

'Maybe that boy saw through me…'

The mysterious child who had suddenly appeared in her room.

He burned and destroyed everything, just like the beast from her dream. It was enough to be called cruel.

Perhaps the boy who had appeared before her isn't an angel but the devil.

But…

He did her a favor. He gave his own life.

As a result, even her fate, which likely never would have changed, has changed.

The powders that her uncle was going to make her spread over the city have now disappeared without a trace. She was no longer a tool to be used by her uncle.

'Why did I…'

The boy was able to do it, so why did she give up without even trying?

She felt so grateful and pathetic that she couldn't stop crying. For a long time, she cried.

Then, when tears no longer flowed down, she grabbed the pistol with a determined look.

'This…was a problem that I should have solved from the beginning.'

The boy had shown her that fact.

If the boy had killed her uncle instead, she might have had to live in the shadows for the rest of her life.

In fact, even now she wasn't confident. But…

'If I can't change the sun, then I'll at least decide what kind of shadow I'll be.'

Elizabeth stood up. And then she slowly approached her uncle.

* * *

"Hmm…What will the result be?"

I thought while looking at the burnt garden that had already turned black.

To be honest, I still don't know what to do to save someone.

Well, if it wasn't for this challenge, it wasn't a problem that I had to think about, and in the first place, I wasn't interested in such a thing.

But as a veteran gamer, I can say one thing for certain.

You shouldn't play games in other people's stead.

It's like getting stuck on a cramped bus ride. In the end, everyone is bound to get off.

So whether you're good at games or not, it's only meaningful when you play it yourself.

In that sense, it may have been impossible for me to save her from the beginning.

This Challenge was in fact for Elizabeth, not me.

I'll have to filter out this kind of task from now on.

It'll only be me who will suffer a loss if something goes wrong, and I might not even get a reward at the end.

As soon as I thought that, a faint shot came from afar.

Bang–!

I guess she finally made her choice.

And as a result…

[Completed Challenge 'Flower of Shadow.']

[Gained 1x Random Box (Medium).]

Jackpot.

My gamble paid off.

I don't know what kind of problem she had, or why she made such a decision, but…

In any case, I got the reward, so it didn't matter.

I've never read the dialogues in games and have always spam-clicked past it when I played MMORPGs.

Ding–!

At that moment, a welcome notification came.

[Level has risen.]

[You've reached level 19.]

[Gained a Fragment of Growth.]

[Level 15 Skill Selection will not be given due to the Special Selection previously.]

[Gained achievement title 'Giant Hunter.']

[Giant Hunter]

Tendency: Feat

Description: I can't believe you won against a giant by yourself. I can't help but admire it.

"Ooh."

I defeated Rastus and rose five levels at once.

As expected, he's a villain who will become an S-class in the future, so the experience he gave didn't disappoint.

But one more level and I would have been level 20. That part felt a little disappointing.

The messages didn't end there.

[You've eliminated an existence that meets the standard of 'evil.']

[You've saved those who were in despair.]

[Warrior's Journey grade has increased.]

[A new effect has been added.]

It's already my second time seeing this message today.

The skill had just leveled up, so it was unbelievable that it would level up so soon…

Was the opponent that strong? Or is it supposed to be an easy skill to level up?

I didn't know the answer and could only open my status window to check the new effect.

Classification: General

Grade: D (Grade E -> D)

Description: A warrior grows through hardships.

Grade Effect:

Grade F: Favorability increases easily.

Grade E: Awaken at the moment of crisis.

Grade D: You become stronger when you are with your colleagues. * New *

Mark, destiny, and then….friendship.

It looks like the typical warrior clichés found in RPGs are appearing one after another.

Anyway…

I couldn't see whether it was a good or bad skill even after I read the description.

First of all, the effect seems to be intended for combat, but the skill description was a little more abstract than the last one.

Well, the grade is higher than the last one, so the effect should be better.

As soon as I was organizing my thoughts, I noticed Elizabeth walking towards me.

Come to think of it… How should I deal with this woman now?

Although her fate has changed due to this incident, there is no guarantee that she'll not grow into a villain.

If I fight against the demon army, something very annoying may happen if the witch is on their side.

Hmm…Should I just kill her and reduce the number of variables?

Thinking back, it was a shame that we never got to fight properly in the past before she suddenly disappeared.

I don't know how much fun it'll be to kill her this time.

Considering the times the witch bothered me in the first round, and then the trouble I went through with today's Challenge, I think it would be better to kill her.

While having such thoughts, Elizabeth, who had appeared in front of me at some point, bowed to me.

"In many ways, thank you."

In the meantime, I thought about how I should kill her.

I wanted to do something suitable when I thought of all the trouble I had gone through…

But nothing good came to mind.

"You saved my life…and you also gave me a reason to live. If you hadn't enlightened me, I might still have given up everything."

Hm…rather than a gun, I think it would be better to use a knife.

I reached behind my back and pulled out a military knife from my inventory. I don't know who was managing this knife before, but the blade was very well taken care of.

"You are my precious savior who taught me the meaning of life."

I approached Elizabeth step by step.

She was still looking at me, but fortunately, she didn't notice anything strange.

Our distance was getting closer and closer.

About 1m apart. Enough to even see the small facial movements.

She looked me in the eyes and spoke.

"So…the life that you saved, you can take it if you want."

Elizabeth said with a big smile.

And then, I stared at her face for a while.

For some reason, my excitement suddenly cooled. I didn't feel like it would be much fun to kill this woman anymore.

I secretly put my knife back into my inventory and reached out my hand.

"Don't say something weird, just return my gun."

"H-huh?"

Elizabeth gave a puzzled look. Then I snatched the gun from her and turned around.

Looking up at the sky, the sun was slowly setting. There won't be any pork cutlets left if I don't head back quickly.

"W-wait!"

I heard a voice from behind me, but I just ignored it.

Nevertheless, she persistently said what she wanted to say.

"Y-you said it a while ago, didn't you? It's up to me whether I want to enjoy my life or not…S-so I've decided. I'm going to pay you back for your grace."

"…"

"F-for a child as great as you, there still must be something else you need. Maybe you don't need anything from me…B-but I'll try every day to be a person who can be of help to you."

I turned around. I wondered what nonsense she was talking about, but her expression showed that she was very serious.

I've always known that the witch wasn't normal…but it seems there's been a problem since she was young.

It was such a ridiculous proposal that I laughed in vain. What kind of thinking process does one have to have to say something like that?

"Nuna, do you even know me?"

"No…I don't."

"Then, what do you think I'm going to do?"

"Whatever it is. I don't care."

"What if I become a villain worse than your uncle?"

"I'm sure that won't happen, but…If it does, I'll help you from the side. My decision to be of help to you is my own choice."

"…"

"So…Just let me be your shadow."

I looked her in the eyes. It's not the expression that existed a while ago.

Naturally, there was still a childish side to her, but nonetheless, maybe because she has killed a person since then, but she feels more useful now.

Hmm, never mind. I can't risk not knowing when she'll betray me.

At that moment, in front of my eyes a new message came to mind.

[The effect has activated.]

[Elizabeth's favorability has risen.]

[The level of favorability has reached a certain level.]

[You've met the requirement to recruit 'Elizabeth' as a companion.]

[Companions cannot betray you once they've joined your party.]

I was wondering what was wrong with her. Was it the effect of ? Then everything would make sense.

Recruiting teammates…

I thought while slowly observing her again.

Either way, it was too much to deal with the demons alone.

So I thought I would try to collect heroes who will become promising stars in the future whenever I have the chance…

And to be honest, in terms of talent, there is none like the witch.

Also, there was that.

— Companions cannot betray you once they've joined your party.

Her biggest flaw will have disappeared if this is the case.

And there would be nothing more reliable than if the insidious witch, whose thoughts are impossible to read, becomes an absolute ally.

"D-did I say something weird? That…W-what I meant by shadow…It's a figurative expression I just thought of…"

Elizabeth's face turned red as she rambled to herself.

When I saw that, I had a thought.

This will be a stepping stone towards the final content.

And so, today I got a witch who will grow into an SS-class in the future as a companion.

== Translator's Note ==

1. Some skills and items' names will be kept as KR/CN because there's no English equivalent.

2. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section.

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ADVENTURE

Home

Villain Hides His True Color

Chapter 17

A pink interior filled with cute dolls.

In the middle of the room and in front of a table sat a girl wearing a large cone hat.

Her name was Lady Fortune.

And unlike her youthful appearance which resembles a middle school student, she was actually an active A-class hero who went by the hero name 'Kid Witch.'

"Erm…"

Lady Fortune spat out a small grumble as her smooth forehead wrinkled. Her expression was like that of an adolescent girl who was worried about her career path.

Shortly after.

Jumping up from her seat, she began to pace around the room as she muttered to herself.

'Ominous…ominous…'

She was currently suffering from an unknown ominous feeling.

In her 150 years of life, the amount of times she has felt an ominous feeling can be counted on one hand. Having predicted countless misfortunes throughout her life, none had ever felt as bad as today.

'Like I thought…should I check this time?'

She was extremely reluctant to read her own fortune, but she couldn't hold back.

Eventually, she took out a tarot deck and placed it on the table.

"Mysterious wayfarer traveling the nebula. Show me the secret of the stars."

The cards on the table floated in the air and began to shuffle at a high speed.

Soon, one face down card stuck out.

She looked at the card for a while before grabbing it with a trembling hand.

'P-please!!'

Swish–

The card flipped over. Then she saw the picture on the card.

A skeleton knight riding a white horse. Under the ominous picture, an even more ominous word was written.

[DEATH]

She sucked in cold air after seeing the card.

"T-this…what's this?"

She was certain that she was predicting her fate, so why did this card come out? Did she make a mistake because it's been a while?

'T-that…Maybe it's because my condition isn't good today.'

She shook her head and shuffled the cards again. But the results were…

DEATH.

An endless banquet of death.

As if every constellation in the universe wanted her death, only the Death card appeared.

"Impossible!"

This can't happen, she thought. She had never thought that death would come for her out of the blue like this.

"W-what the hell…When and how am I going to die?"

Two cards were pulled out from the deck. What appeared before her eyes was…

[THE DEVIL]

It was another ominous card. Her expression gradually turned solemn.

Fortunately or unfortunately, she felt relieved that the other card hadn't turned over.

It meant her time of death wasn't absolute. The fate wasn't fixed.

With a desperate feeling, she looked at the deck of cards again.

"I-is there any way I can avoid this fate?"

The dowsing she was wearing around her neck shone brightly and pointed in a direction outside the window.

At the same time, a card slowly stuck out from the deck.

[THE FOOL]

Among the numerous major arcana cards, the 0 card represented the beginning and end. It also had the meaning of 'play' and 'fun.'

For a while, she silently alternated between looking at the card and out the window.

'I don't know what this card is supposed to mean…'

But she was certain of one thing, in order to change her fate, she had to go to the place where the dowsing was pointing.

'Probably…it seems I have to go out after a long time.'

She sat back down the table and began searching for maps using the two-fingers method.

* * *

I left Elizabeth back there and returned to the nursery by myself.

It would have been difficult to move with her since I was waiting for the sponsorship event right now.

She looked very disappointed at my decision, but when I gave her some assignments, she replied with an excited look.

What a simple woman.

Luckily when I came back to the nursery there were still pork cutlets left.

Normally, the children would compete to eat first, but perhaps because of what Bae Dalsu had said, they were all working hard in role-playing as good children.

Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy the pork cutlets leisurely before heading up to my room.

Since I've finished everything I had to do…I should check my progress now.

I opened my status window and checked my stats.

Body: 2.15

Dexterity: 1.35

Mana: 1.08

Spirit: 1.12

*7 Fragments of Growth

This…it was good.

If I had killed Elizabeth this time, I would have hit a clean level 20…

Well, if I consider the distant future, I'm sure she'll be much more valuable.

I evenly distributed my stats with the Fragments of Growth.

Body: 2.15 (-)

Dexterity: 1.35 -> 2.01 (+0.75)

Mana: 1.08 -> 1.67 (+0.59)

Spirit: 1.12 -> 2.08 (+0.96)

*0 Fragment of Growth

"Ooh…"

I had gained more points than I expected. In particular, only two fragments were added to Dexterity but it exceeded 2 points.

At this rate, all my stats might reach 2 points after I hit level 20.

It's been about two months since the second round began.

Considering that it's still a low-level hunting ground, my growth has been really rapid.

Around this time in the past, I would have still been on the streets without being able to eat properly, but now I can't believe I'm already nearing level 20…

…How strong am I now?

It was a long time ago that I had experienced this low-level hunting ground, so I have no idea what to base it off of.

I spread out the skills I've gained so far and objectively measured my strength.

First, the two skills that I'm using as my main power.

Classification: Ability

Grade: D

Description: Changes the body's state of matter.

*Elementary: Liquid

Classification: Magic

Grade: E

Description: Absorbs the energy of the object in contact.

*Elementary: Absorbs energy to restore stamina.

*The larger the area of contact with the object, the more energy is absorbed.

In the case of these two skills, their synergy was much better than I had thought, and when I use them together, as long as the target is vulnerable to magic, then regardless of their grade, I'll have the absolute advantage.

Next…

Classification: Special

Grade: A

Description: Awaken the dormant genes.

Dormant Genes:

(1) Human: 88.6%

(2) Elf: 5.1%. (Active)

(3) Beast: 2.5% (Inactive)

(4) Dwarf: 2% (Inactive)

(5) Unknown: 1.7% (Inactive)

(6) Unknown: 0.1% (Inactive)

*This skill cannot be strengthened or used in synthesis.

*Value will increase if you consume the same gene. (However, please be careful because the vitality of the absorbed object will permanently be reduced.)

Gene Awakening. An A-grade special skill.

"Hmm…"

However, except for the ability to hear the voice of plants this has been useless so far.

To be honest, I thought it didn't matter if I had this skill or not.

Well, it'll be useful someday.

Unfortunately, it meant that it was a good skill in the latter part, so I'll still need to pay attention to it.

And the last…

Classification: General

Grade: D (Grade E -> D)

Description: A warrior grows through hardships.

Grade Effect:

Grade F: Favorability increases easily.

Grade E: Awaken at the moment of crisis.

Grade D: You become stronger when you are with your colleagues.

*Punish evil to grow the skill.

*Save others to grow the skill.

*This skill cannot be strengthened by yourself.

In fact, when I first got this skill, I had noticed that my favorability was increasing, and I only thought it would be a non-fighting skill.

However, the effect I had experienced while fighting against Rastus this time showed such a great performance that I could now call it a kind of cheat key.

It was really fun…

Unfortunately, however, there was a cooldown time and it couldn't be used in its sealed state.

"Hmm…"

After roughly organizing everything, I think I know what I need right now.

I don't have enough easy-to-use skills.

And it just so happens that I had a very useful solution to this problem.

"At last…the time for gacha has come."

I fiddled with the status window and summoned the random box. A glowing silver box beautifully rose in front of my eyes.

To have gained a medium-grade box at this point…

Although it wasn't comparable to the high-grade box, it could be said that the medium-grade box was what I was most familiar with in my life.

It's easy to acquire and it's a box that sometimes gives out high quality items.

I don't think today could get any better if I can get one decent combat skill above D-grade.

Since I got good stats earlier, my luck should be good…so let's go!

After taking a deep breath, I opened the box without hesitation.

[Used 1x Random Box (Medium).]

The box spun in the air as it shot out beams of light, then soon after, the result appeared in front of my eyes.

[Gained 3x Strengthen Skill (Low).]

"Hmm…"

I felt uncertain about the item that had come out.

In fact, to be able to strengthen a skill isn't a bad thing.

Rather, it belonged to goods that were important enough to be said to be essential to grow strong.

However, all I can use this on now is and .

Huu…It's not bad, but it's a bummer.

It would have been perfect if I had obtained a combat skill…

Thinking so, the moment I sighed inside,

The opened box closed on its own and it started rotating again.

'?!'

Sometimes there were cases like this. When more than one opportunity is given in one box.

And…

Usually, in such cases, it was often the case that the second reward was the true reward.

M-maybe…

I watched the box with anticipation.

An intense blue light bursts out of the box. It meant that at the very least it's D-Grade.

Then finally, the box opened, and I couldn't hide my smile the moment I saw the result.

"This is it!"

As expected, this world is a game of luck.

* * *

A week quickly passed.

Because Bae Dalsu suddenly disappeared ahead of the event, the nursery teachers were restless for a while.

However, it had often happened where he couldn't be contacted, so soon after everyone carried on like normal.

Then came the day of the sponsorship event.

I stuck the good job sticker on my chest and got on the nursery bus.

Other than me, most of the children were from the flower group. The few others were children with pretty looks that seemed to have been put in just to fill out the race quota.

At the chance to change their fate, none of them could hide their excited faces.

It was finally the day.

I was also looking forward to it.

With this, I'll be able to obtain a proper identity and background to become a hero.

In terms of games, it could be said that it was time to leave the beginner village.

Come to think of it…This will be my first time to officially gain an identity.

In the last round I didn't even register my birth and had lived without any ID card.

I'll be able to use banks and have medical insurance now.

Actually, I was used to carrying cash in my inventory, so I didn't really want to use the bank, but somehow I felt bad thinking that I was the only one who wasn't enjoying such benefits.

Because of that, I had to set fire to the banks and was chased for a long time…

Such memories were now all pleasant memories.

While reminiscing on past memories, the nursery teacher sitting in the front seat spoke.

"We're almost there, so if anyone is sleeping next to you, wake them up."

I looked out the window. There was a huge artificial lake, and past the thicket of trees were buildings in the distance that seemed to reach the sky.

Neo Pyongyang's third inner city, Lake Town.

Since there were primarily guests visiting Pyongyang, it was an area where hotels and tourist facilities were concentrated.

The bus stopped in front of a large hotel sandwiched between other tall buildings.

"Okay~ Since we've arrived, please line up in ascending order and follow me from now on. In particular, there are many other people here, so everyone should act in an orderly manner and not make too much noise. Got it?"

"Yes!"

We entered the hotel according to the guidance of the nursery teacher. What greeted me was the splendid interior decoration and the hotel's unique neat smell.

Today's event will be held in the Grand Hall located inside this hotel. It was a large auditorium mainly used for seminars by large companies and weddings.

The children who followed together looked at the splendid scenery with their mouths open.

However, what caught my eyes was the placard for the venue.

Out of all the sponsors on the list, one name proudly stood at the forefront.

Changcheon Group.

As soon as I read the name, I immediately understood why this event could be so grand.

Sure enough…is the Namgung clan behind this?

The types of migrants from the different dimensions were really diverse, but if you were to divide them into two categories, then it was the following.

Fantasy and Murim.

Naturally, even if they were in the same category, that didn't mean they came from the same dimension.

In general, those who belonged to the same category tended to show similar characteristics.

Murim was a dimension where those who revered martial arts flocked together. It was a world of 'qi' and 'swords' that is often mentioned in Chinese materials.

And…

The Namgung clan who are the host of today's event, could be said to be a group that held the greatest position in the murim.

After moving to the Earth, they grew rapidly using the assets and martial arts they had brought from murim.

Today, not only in Neo Pyongyang but also around the world, it was gaining recognition worldwide and was transforming into a giant company.

Was there a need for them to be interested in an event where only nursery children gathered?

Of course, it may be a charity event for their corporate image, but there was no need for them to go all out like this.

It looks like there's something going on at this event…If something happens, it may be difficult to find a good sponsor.

If this event was held by the Namgung clan, scouts from various other forces competing with them are likely to find it difficult to attend the event.

Though, even if I get adopted by normal parents with a normal citizenship, it didn't interfere with my plan much.

Still, in many ways, it was advantageous to take this opportunity to climb high in society.

The story is twisting in an unexpected place.

At that moment, I heard a short notification in my ears.

[Your companion 'Elizabeth' has requested to talk with you.]

Looking at one side of my vision, an icon resembling her face was shining brightly.

What's going on with her all of a sudden…?

Just like the party system found in games, I was able to have a conversation with her even when we were far apart after I had designated her as a companion.

After I showed Elizabeth this function, she contacted me whenever she had time and I began to listen to her trivial matters.

And because I couldn't overcome the annoyance, I had instructed her not to contact me unless it was necessary.

The fact that she's contacting me now…

She knows that I'm participating in the sponsorship event, so she must have found something about this place.

It seems I need to check this out.

I approached the teacher leading the nursery students and said with an urgent look.

"Teacher, can I go to the bathroom now?"

"What? The event will start soon…Hold it in!!"

"Ah, I can't. What if I pee then?"

"Haa…I see, then you have to go as soon as possible. Teacher has something to do here, so you can go by yourself, right?"

"Yes!"

Fortunately, the nursery teacher readily gave me permission, as if she didn't think I was very important. I went straight out of the hotel and entered a quiet alley nearby.

Before I accepted the conversation, I saw her icon muttering to itself with its ears drooped.

— It's really important this time…I guess he's not listening to me again…W-what should I do? He always ignores me…This is really important…

— What's going on?

— H-huh? Noah! W-were you listening? No, I didn't say anything just now…

I was in a hurry so I cut her off and asked.

— I don't have much time right now, so please cut to the chase.

— Yes! Noah. I read an article a while ago that said Namgung Taesu will come to the venue you're attending today!

— Namgung Taesu?

— Yeah! You know, the Changcheon Group president. He's famous for never attending such events, but articles are pouring out because he suddenly said he would attend.

Listening to her, I became convinced of my guess from a moment ago.

— Okay, nuna. Thank you for letting me know.

— Yes! Then, good luck with the event and let me know when it's over. I want to say hello to your future parents…

I ended the conversation before she started talking nonsense. I thought while looking at the hotel where the event was held.

What on earth is happening?

Although I wasn't sure if this would be a good or bad thing for me, I was certain of one thing about this strange situation.

It seems it's best to watch the situation for now.

As soon as I thought that, a large man entered the alley lighting a cigarette.

The man was dressed in a tailored suit and on his waist was a long sword.

He seems to be related to Changcheon Group and was sent by them for today's event.

Looking at me, the man hid the cigarette behind his back and asked.

"Kid, are you from a nursery school?"

"Yes, yes. I'm from House of Flowers."

"Hmm? But the event is going to start soon. Is it okay to stay here like this?"

"Uh, I wanted to pee, so I was looking for the bathroom, but I couldn't find it…"

"Haha, is that so? In fact, I couldn't find the smoking area because the hotel is so spacious. Then, if you're done with your business, hurry up and go in before the event starts."

The man smiled kindly and said. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have any doubts.

"Yes! Thank you."

After bowing to the man, I hurried to the hotel.

* * *

'Whew…kids these days.'

The man smoked his cigarette while looking at the child running far away.

His son was also of the same age, so for no particular reason the child's back caught his eyes.

'Even so, I hope he meets good parents today and lives a happy life.'

The man thought as such before flicking his cigarette and crushing it.

At that moment, a woman in colorful leopard leggings entered the alley dragging a carrier.

Fluffy ears that resembled a hyena and a tail that gently shook along with her hips.

She seemed to be a mixed race with the blood of beastmen. The man observed the woman for a while.

'What is she doing in this alley…?'

The man, who felt something amiss, spoke to the woman in a polite manner.

"Excuse me! There's nothing to see here, and it's blocked if you go further inside. If you're looking for the station, I think you came the wrong way!"

However, the woman continued to approach the man as if she hadn't heard him.

Sensing that she was suspicious, the man slowly lowered his hand to the handle of his sword and asked the woman.

"Can you stop for a moment…"

The moment the man spoke,

Swish–!

Something flashed in front of him. Slowly, his view began to rotate.

And soon…

Thud.

The man fell to the ground head first. He could see the cigarette butt he had just thrown away.

'I-it's an attack…'

Before he knew it, there was a sharp flexible sword in the woman's hand.

The man wanted to shout, but no voice came out. The woman slowly walked towards the fallen man. Then, she lifted her slender leg before slowly lowering it.

Looking at the sharp high heel descending, he had one final thought.

'The children are in danger…'

Pak–

The man's head was shattered, and red stains formed in the quiet alley.

The woman giggled as if she was satisfied with what she had seen, then she took out an instrument resembling a camera and looked at the ground.

"Hmm… Is it here?"

Soon after, she opened her carrier and took something out. It was a thick stake with many yellow amulets attached to it.

The woman put the stake on the ground and placed one hand on it before giving strength.

"Heup."

Crack–!

The stake penetrated the solid asphalt and went in without a trace. After seeing that, the woman spoke to a walkie-talkie that was plugged into one of her ears.

"I just took care of it."

The voice of a man full of irritation came from the earplug.

— Vera! You're the last one. What took you so long?!

"Hehe…I'm sorry, Andes. There was a bug here, so I was late because I had to deal with it."

While the two bickered, another heavy low-pitched voice intervened through the earplug.

— Stop. Everyone, focus. It's starting now.

At the man's word, Vera swallowed her saliva. And although no one was watching, she nodded and spoke.

"Okay, I'm ready!"

— Haha, good. I've been waiting for this moment! Let's do it now!

— Then, we'll start in five seconds.

Following the man's instruction, Vera counted five seconds inside her head and then began to inject mana into the stake that she had just placed.

At that moment.

Wuuung–

A wave emitting a low pitch sound that was hard to hear spread out.

And soon, a transparent intangible tent slowly began to cover the hotel.

"Huu…I need to move quickly."

Staring at the dead body on the ground, she kicked it one last time before heading to the hotel.

== Translator's Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section.