* * *

From that day onward, Kwon Sahyeok began calling me out more frequently, saying he had something to talk about.

When I showed up, he did address the matter, but… it was usually brief.

Kwon Sahyeok would ask a few trivial things about me, report on the progress of the plan, and then talk about unrelated things more than anything else.

I didn’t blame him for it, knowing his intentions were to try and get along better with me.

The problem was that Kwon Sahyeok had become far more cautious in how he treated me.

He seemed firmly convinced that Baek Gunho had hit me.

No matter how firmly I denied it, he didn’t believe me.

Eventually, I just gave up and let it be.

It was after meeting like this a few times.

Just when I was getting increasingly anxious, wondering if I should start pressing him for progress.

“It’s ready. What you wanted.”

At last, Kwon Sahyeok said he’d give me the opportunity to kill Kim Kyungmin.

---

“Hey, Heewon, are you feeling sick?”

While I was eating breakfast, the uncle asked, looking concerned.

Startled, I quickly shook my head.

“Huh? No, I’m fine.”

“You just seem a bit out of it.”

“Oh… I think I’m just really busy with work these days. It’s the end of the year, you know.”

I laughed awkwardly, and he clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“That company works you too hard.”

I think my company is fairly average.

Honestly, compared to some notorious black companies, it’s probably the National Headquarters that overworks this uncle more.

“I’m more worried about you, uncle. You’re always going out to work even on weekends.”

“Oh, I’m used to it by now.”

“That’s exactly the problem; you shouldn’t be getting used to it…”

He laughed heartily, saying it was no big deal, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh along like usual.

After all, today, I was heading out to kill someone.

If I succeeded, I’d undoubtedly become a murderer.

How could I laugh, especially in front of an uncle who didn’t have the faintest idea what I was about to do…?

---

In the evening, Kwon Sahyeok came to meet me in person.

Our goal was to create an alibi for me, just in case, and kill Kim Kyungmin without leaving any witnesses.

To do that, I made sure to appear on CCTV as much as possible on the way there.

The odds of someone like me—a mere F-class with no connection to Kim Kyungmin—becoming a suspect were slim, but I couldn’t take any chances.

Kwon Sahyeok led me to a restaurant I often visited.

The place where we would kill Kim Kyungmin was a traditional Korean restaurant he had once summoned Lee Kanghoon to.

Conveniently, it was close to where we were headed.

Once inside a private room, Kwon Sahyeok took out an item. It was a doppelgänger doll.

The item transformed into a perfect copy of me.

While it couldn’t perform complex actions, simple movements were no problem.

This doll would appear on CCTV in my stead.

“…Sorry.”

“For what?”

“I mean, this is illegal. And you’re doing all this trouble just for me…”

“This is nothing. I’ve done worse plenty of times.”

“….”

I couldn’t tell if he was just trying to comfort me or if he meant it.

Deciding to take it as the former, I nodded.

“This is as much as I can help. From here on, it’s all up to you.”

“Got it.”

“Take care of yourself. If anything goes wrong, run immediately.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

I climbed out through the window and moved through narrow alleyways.

Whenever I had to cross open areas, I carefully avoided CCTV blind spots that I had pre-researched.

Moving through these gaps wasn’t difficult since I could propel myself freely.

Of course, I had to watch out for human eyes, but thankfully, this alley wasn’t crowded.

I successfully infiltrated the restaurant where Kim Kyungmin was.

From here, the task became slightly easier.

There were guards, but no CCTV inside.

Carefully, I brought out Noeul.

Though it had been discovered by Kim Kyungmin before, I had no other choice.

“Just take a look from a distance and come back, okay?”

I reinforced the instruction, and Noeul nodded firmly.

Then it vanished and fluttered away.

Even for someone as skilled as an S-class, spotting Noeul wouldn’t be easy.

Last time, it had been discovered only because it lingered in the same space for too long.

A quick reconnaissance like this shouldn’t be an issue.

Still, I couldn’t shake my unease.

Thankfully, Noeul returned without incident, having located Kim Kyungmin.

I sent Noeul ahead again. This time, I wasn’t sending it alone, so I felt less anxious.

Using Noeul as my guide, I avoided people and advanced cautiously.

Finally, I reached the innermost room where Kim Kyungmin was.

I summoned dust.

As soon as I opened the door, I filled the room with a thick fog, incapacitating all of Kim Kyungmin’s subordinates.

Next, it was Kim Kyungmin’s turn.

Since he was an S-class, there was no way I could knock him out easily.

I would have to kill him outright.

I immobilized his entire body and began choking him.

Worried about witnesses, I shut the door.

Kim Kyungmin’s ability was mind control.

He might have other abilities, but… he didn’t seem to have any powers that could counter physical force, given his lack of resistance.

“Urgh…”

Kim Kyungmin squirmed, his groans and movements unmistakably real, not a pretense.

If I kept going, he would die.

The thought made sweat pour down my face like rain.

If I continued, Kim Kyungmin would truly die.

A person who had been alive just moments ago would be dead—at my hands.

My legs felt like they were about to collapse, but I forced myself to stand firm.

The entire situation was unbearably terrifying.

No matter how evil he was, I had no right to take his life.

No, it wasn’t even a matter of rights.

I just didn’t want to kill him. I couldn’t.

‘Seo Heewon’ might have killed countless people, but… that’s not me. I’m just an ordinary citizen. I’ll never become accustomed to such things…

Killing someone else so that I could live… was something I was incapable of from the start.

In the end, I released my grip on Kim Kyungmin.

He collapsed onto the spot, coughing violently.

Seeing that he wasn’t dead, I felt a mixture of relief and regret.

He was someone who deserved to die, after all.

But… even if given another chance, I knew I wouldn’t be able to kill him.

Then Kim Kyungmin started staring intently in my direction.

As the master of the fog, I could see through it, but there was no way he could.

Yet, he crawled desperately toward me, as if he knew I was there.

Panicking, I restrained him again with my skill.

Unable to move, Kim Kyungmin grinned.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Seo Heewon.”

The moment Kim Kyungmin said my name, chills ran down my spine.

I covered my mouth, fearing I might make a sound.

How did he know it was me?

Did he anticipate my coming?

Perhaps it was because of Lim Nayoung, the seer in Baekmyeon Sect…

If he knew, why didn’t he stop me?

Did he know I wouldn’t kill him?

But then, why endure all this pain? Why…?

“I’ve wanted to meet you, even before I knew you were my god.”

“…”

“You are the one who made me. It’s entirely thanks to you that I’m standing here today. One day, you will come to understand.”

For a moment, I was overcome with disgust.

Listening to this lunatic’s nonsense, hoping to glean something useful, made me feel like a complete fool.

“Soon, you’ll come to us. I’m always ready to serve you.”

“……”

“For the day when we bring this world to its knees.”

It was drivel, not worth listening to any further.

I left the traditional Korean restaurant, still surrounded by the haze of cigarette smoke.

And that was when it happened.

[Re-evaluating suitability for the trait Villain’s Qualities.]

[Control over the trait Villain’s Qualities has decreased. If control reaches 0%, the trait will run amok.]

[Current control: 87%.]

---

A vivid red system window appeared, blocking my path.

Staring at the sudden notification, I covered my mouth and darted into a nearby alley.

The nausea hit almost immediately.

“Guh…!”

I couldn’t hold it back.

My insides churned violently, and blood came pouring out of my mouth.

It felt like I was dying—a punishment for not taking a life I should have.

Why?

Why had my control dropped again?

Was it because I failed to commit an atrocity?

Or because I ignored Kim Kyungmin’s insane talk about destroying the world?

I couldn’t be sure.

My mind wasn’t clear enough to figure it out.

Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the blood.

I didn’t know why I was crying, but the tears wouldn’t stop—not even when the bloody coughing fit subsided.

“Urgh…”

I couldn’t just stay here like this.

Forcing myself to my feet, I stumbled.

My legs felt weak, and I wanted to collapse right there.

But I didn’t have the luxury of doing so.

Good thing I brought a change of clothes… I cleaned up the blood on the ground and headed to a nearby restroom to change.

“Stay hidden. Don’t come out.”

The shadows that had been rustling after I spat out the blood went still.

Then, I called Kwon Sahyeok.

I had to report what happened, no matter what.

The moment he picked up, I spoke bluntly.

“I failed.”

— I see.

“…Did you expect me to fail?”

— Killing someone isn’t just something anyone can do.

He wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t the type of person who could do it, even when my life was on the line.

Pathetic, considering the target was a villain.

— Should I come get you?

His voice was gentle, so much so that I felt tempted to lean on him.

My emotions were in turmoil.

If I called him, I knew Kwon Sahyeok would comfort me.

And I wanted that—I desperately wanted to lean on someone right now.

At the same time, I didn’t want to. I wondered if there was any point in being comforted by someone who didn’t know the full extent of my situation. B

ut even so, I yearned for some form of solace, no matter how fleeting.

I didn’t understand myself. My feelings were all over the place.

— Heewon?

“…I told you not to call me that.”

— Sorry. Should I come now?

I barely managed to suppress a sigh.

“No… I’ll take a taxi. I just want to get home and rest.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

— Alright. Call me when you get home.

“…Okay. Thanks for today.”

I hung up without saying anything more.

* * *