Real Quest
Hae-Won blinked in disbelief at the screen before him.
[SYSTEM QUEST: Slay All Humans in the Region]
Progress: 0 / 500,000
Notice: Eliminate targets without showing any emotion. If any emotion is displayed, the quest will restart.**
The harshness of the command struck him like a physical blow. "What… why would I kill innocent people?!" His voice came out in a hoarse whisper as he tried to make sense of it. He'd faced tough challenges, but this felt wrong, twisted even by the VillainVerse's brutal standards.
Almost instantly, the screen filled with viewer comments as the spectators reacted to his hesitation.
**[LIVE VIEWER COMMENTS]**
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**[VillainOverlord]:** "Bro's hesitating like it's a charity event. Does he not know what game he's in?"
**[DevilSpawn23]:** "C'mon, Hae-Won! This is what being a villain is all about. Get with the program!"
**[HaterPrime]:** "He's a joke. Can't even do a basic slaughter quest. Total amateur."
**[GrimReaper98]:** "Villains don't hesitate. Weak-minded fool!"
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Hae-Won's fists clenched as he scrolled through the comments, feeling the weight of their judgment. His face flushed, caught between their derision and his own mounting dread. The quest wasn't just about defeating monsters or overcoming trials—it was a massacre order. A demand for the mindless slaughter of innocents. He had already put up with this twisted world's challenges, but now it was crossing a line he couldn't ignore.
A message flashed from the system.
**[SYSTEM: Quest Initiation Begins in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1]**
He gritted his teeth, trying to steady himself. Suddenly, he was transported into the heart of a bustling village, full of people going about their daily lives. Children ran past him, laughing and playing, while merchants sold goods to townsfolk. The calm scene before him was a mockery of the system's cruel command.
The timer ticked down, signaling the start of the massacre. Hae-Won's hand hovered near his weapon, but he felt frozen, as though an invisible weight kept him rooted in place. Every instinct screamed at him to stop, to refuse, but he also knew the system wouldn't let him move forward if he didn't complete the task.
He drew his weapon and tried to approach a lone villager, a stern-faced man carrying a basket of vegetables. But just as he raised his weapon, doubt filled him. He glanced at the man's worn hands and tired eyes—a farmer just struggling to get by. His resolve wavered.
The moment he hesitated, the system chimed.
**[SYSTEM: Emotion Detected – Quest Restarting.]**
With a sickening lurch, Hae-Won was teleported back to the starting point. The village reset as though nothing had happened, the people resuming their routines, completely unaware.
He tried again, heart heavy as he forced himself to approach a different villager. But every face he saw only heightened his guilt—the elderly woman knitting on her porch, the young couple talking in hushed voices, the little girl playing with her dog. Each attempt ended the same way: hesitation, guilt, and a system reset.
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The viewer comments intensified with each failure.
**[DemonicSmile]:** "This is painful to watch. Just do it already! Villains don't get sentimental."
**[HeartlessQueen]:** "Pathetic. Can't even kill a few villagers? He doesn't belong in the VillainVerse."
**[ColdBlade]:** "I've seen heroes more ruthless than this guy. Total disappointment."
**[DarkKnight77]:** "If he won't commit to the role, he should just quit. Weakness doesn't belong here."
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Hae-Won felt his frustration growing with each failure, but the task felt no less horrific. He couldn't become a mindless killer just because the system ordered him to. How could anyone be expected to turn off their emotions like this?
As he struggled with his inner turmoil, he remembered a recent conversation with Mi-Na. She had reminded him that the VillainVerse was relentless, and that he had to harden himself to survive. But she had also encouraged him to find his own way, not just follow blindly.
With renewed determination, he devised a plan. *Maybe if I can't kill them outright… I can find a way to bypass this test.* He began to survey the surroundings carefully, looking for loopholes or vulnerabilities in the system's programming. Perhaps if he tricked the system somehow, he could make it count without the senseless slaughter.
He approached the village center and raised his weapon again, forcing himself to adopt a mask of indifference. He could hear the gasps of onlookers, the viewers who were glued to his every move, waiting for him to finally complete the quest.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering himself, imagining that he was in an empty room, not surrounded by innocent lives. But even as he swung, his heart couldn't comply. The system instantly detected the crack in his resolve.
**[SYSTEM: Emotion Detected – Quest Restarting.]**
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The reset brought him back once more. His frustration had reached a boiling point, and the exhaustion gnawed at his spirit. Every attempt drained him further, eroding his hope.
The village reset again, unscathed and unknowing, leaving Hae-Won with a hollow pit in his chest. No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't bring himself to become what the system demanded. He had faced monsters, endured hardships, but this was a line he wouldn't cross—not like this.
Finally, he sank to his knees, weapon falling to his side as he whispered, "There has to be another way…"
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The viewer comments continued to pour in, a mix of anger, ridicule, and disbelief.
**[VillainEmperor]:** "He'll never amount to anything in the VillainVerse. Weak-willed and soft-hearted? A true villain doesn't hesitate."
**[ShadowMistress]:** "Forget it. He's a lost cause. Can't even follow basic commands."
**[LostChild91]:** "Maybe he's different from the rest. Maybe he's not meant to be like the other masters."
As Hae-Won read that last comment, he felt a glimmer of something—an idea, a path. If he couldn't kill without emotion, maybe he could find a way to reject the quest entirely.
**[SYSTEM MESSAGE: Warning. Quest Requirements Not Fulfilled.]**
He ignored the system prompt, eyes set on his own goal. Perhaps he would suffer for it, perhaps he would be punished, but he would face those consequences. He was determined to forge his own way forward, even if it meant defying the VillainVerse itself.