* * *

The world was in an uproar.

Mass carnage had erupted at the night event for Hunters in the banquet hall.

More than half of the Hunters present were either dead or seriously injured, with the property damage soaring to astronomical levels.

“It’s absurd, isn’t it? Why does everyone assume we’re behind every single mess?”

Doyoung’s icy smile contrasted with his otherwise relaxed demeanor.

That’s how the government always was, labeling Antithesis as society’s evil, twisting every incident through the media to manipulate public opinion against them.

‘Sure, back in the day, Antithesis was a gathering of villains.’

But since he took over, they’d quietly disposed of irredeemable Hunters within their ranks, dealt with problematic dungeons, and handled matters internally.

Still, the government ignored all that and instead relentlessly emphasized only Antithesis’s so-called misdeeds.

To the government, Antithesis was a thorn in their side that they were itching to get rid of, so this time, they had jumped on the opportunity.

It was funny, really. The government was moving exactly as he’d intended.

“Zero. We have to deny it immediately!”

“Exactly! It’s obvious the government is using this incident as an excuse to drive us out.”

Voices of complaint echoed throughout the room, each one brimming with anger.

Their masked faces only added to the grim atmosphere.

‘Whoever came up with this idea deserves some praise.’

Doyoung thought idly to himself.

Honestly, the silver masks did make Antithesis seem more intimidating.

“We’re innocent. We didn’t do it. Is that what you want to say?”

The conference room fell silent.

Doyoung’s sarcastic tone, head tilted to the side, hung in the air.

“Yeah, I bet they’ll believe that,” he said, glancing over his subordinates. Just that slight movement was enough to make them stare at him in reverence and fear.

It was curious.

He’d never really acted threateningly, yet the power of being the leader of Antithesis carried a certain weight.

‘It’s not like I’ve ever cut off anyone’s head or outright threatened to kill them.’

Well, he did lose his temper here and there, flash a dagger, and give a chilling glare.

That was the power of propaganda and fabrication, he thought dryly, straightening up.

“So what do we do, Boss?”

One of his closest aides asked on behalf of everyone else.

“What do you think? We do as we always do.”

His subordinate looked at him with a puzzled expression, which Doyoung returned with a look of mild disdain.

“And who are we?”

Antithesis. A crime syndicate of the worst villains. He meant for them to act accordingly.

It was a declaration of war.

At first, his followers looked uncertain, but soon, their eyes hardened.

Their grievances were real, their resentment was genuine, and now, with the leader’s blessing, they had the official green light to fight.

As the conference room bubbled over with excitement, Doyoung pulled the trigger.

“End it.”

◇◆◇◆◇

Life was amusingly predictable.

That’s what Doyoung thought.

It was remarkable how everything played out exactly as he’d foreseen.

The incident at the Hunter’s Night was never Antithesis’s doing.

It had been carried out by a terrorist group from another country, alarmed by Antithesis’s growing influence.

Not that anyone knew he’d nudged them into action.

‘Not that it matters, anyway.’

He’d merely sped up the timeline, expanding the scope just a bit.

Nothing in the original story was really altered.

Thanks to that, the plot was moving along as planned.

In other words…

“The Hunters broke away from the government and established their own guilds.”

The government, as usual, blamed the Hunters for the recent incident.

Consequently, many high-ranking Hunters had been forced to step down, and some were even arrested and awaiting trial.

The government claimed it was to reassure an anxious public, but for the Hunters, it felt like a betrayal.

‘They risked their lives for the country, and what do they get? A knife in the back.’

All the while, the government was losing ground in its ongoing struggle against Antithesis, and the tension between the agencies and Hunters was at an all-time high.

In the midst of it all, corruption scandals came to light.

‘I just tossed a bit of fuel onto the fire.’

A sinister smirk crept onto Doyoung’s lips.

He’d quietly leaked information about dealings between agency heads and various criminals, revealing bribes, collusion, and even dungeon and Hunter data in secret ledgers.

The backlash had been immense.

Not that he’d acted directly.

He’d simply let the information “slip” to the right people through a few well-placed insiders.

Because of this, Hunters began leaving government employment en masse, declaring independence and establishing their own guilds.

Most prominent among them was the Cheonho Guild, formed by young Hunters led by Beom Sinje.

‘The kid’s grown up well.’

A strange sense of pride swelled in Doyoung’s chest, like a parent watching their child come into their own.

But now wasn’t the time to bask in the feeling.

“I must have been too soft all this time, don’t you think?”

Doyoung’s expression shifted abruptly as he turned to face a trembling, bald man who hadn’t even managed to put on his mask.

“Z-zero… please, spare me.”

The traitor, who had carefully followed Doyoung’s plans only to sell him out, grovelled on the floor.

This was the same man who acted deferential whenever Doyoung was around, then bragged about his age and experience to the others the moment Doyoung was gone.

“You really thought you’d get away with it?”

“Well, I… I just…”

He had no excuse.

He’d taken bribes from high-level officials and probably had plenty of dirt on them, so he must have felt he had no other choice.

And yet…

“Fine. I’ll let you live.”

The traitor looked up, hope filling his eyes.

Watching that glimmer, Doyoung’s lips twisted into a cold smile.

“Bring me the heads of those who encouraged your betrayal.”

“Wh-what?!”

The cowards who hid in safe places and passed their sins onto other Hunters… could this traitor even find them?

‘Of course not.’

He’d likely run off to another country, sell the location of Antithesis’s base to some rising guild leader, and betray him further.

Knowing this, Doyoung still gave the traitor a way out.

“Now, get lost.”

The bald man scrambled up, eyes simmering with resentment and indignation beneath his flickering hope.

“So, we’ve dealt with the traitor and have a handle on the situation. Now, let’s give it our all. Since we’ve come this far, we may as well see it to the end.”

Doyoung clapped his hands sharply, drawing attention to himself.

The once-crowded conference room now had noticeable empty seats.

These gaps were the result of members either losing their lives in battles fought over the last few months, leaving the organization, or defecting to other factions.

Not that Doyoung cared much.

“There’s really not much left now.”

His gaze flicked to the corner of his vision, where a system window floated.

[Final Tutorial Mission!!
This is your chance to shine as a magnificent villain. Show your enemies how terrifying you can be. (ง •_•)ง
Completion Rate – 81%]

This window had appeared the day he declared war, right after ordering his subordinates to leave the room.

It was almost nostalgic, bringing back memories of something he’d long since forgotten.

But there was one notable aspect to it.

“Completion rate.”

He’d never seen anything like it in previous missions.

That percentage only increased whenever he pulled off a successful scheme, nudging it slightly higher each time.

“Is this mission cheering me on to play the villain properly, or what?”

Even as he grumbled, his heart raced with each rise in percentage.

He felt he might know what awaited him at the end, and he was curious about what would come after that.

“Zero.”

Wasn’t everyone supposed to be gone?

Doyoung snapped out of his reverie at the sound of his name.

Turning, he saw his loyal subordinate standing there.

“What is it?”

“Is it wise to leave Cron alone?”

Is he doubting me?

Doyoung thought he’d covered his tracks well, but maybe he’d missed something.

He studied the subordinate’s expression.

“He’s bound to side with someone else. Wouldn’t it be better to just take him out?”

Realizing his subordinate was concerned about the whereabouts of a recent traitor, Doyoung’s lips curved into a faint smirk.

“And why should I?”

Letting the guy make his moves would only make things easier on Doyoung’s side.

But his subordinate still looked unsettled.

“Just focus on your own tasks.”

“Understood.”

He replied promptly, but then hesitated before adding, “Please take care of yourself too, Zero.”

Doyoung rolled his eyes at the unsolicited advice, giving a shrug that seemed to satisfy his subordinate.

With a respectful bow, the man left the room.

“Hmm…”

That subordinate was unusually protective of him.

Since he was around the same age as his own mother, Doyoung had come to lean on him a little.

Still, he wondered how betrayed the man would feel when he realized they’d never see each other again.

‘There’s no helping it.’

After all, they had served their purpose.

Not long after, the moment he’d been waiting for finally arrived.

* * *