How to Survive as a Villain in a Novel

4 – Nebulous Thoughts

What would be the most common fantasy among students in school life?

If we were to do a survey – suddenly taking heroic action one day, instantly becoming the school’s most popular person, this fantasy would likely win the first place hands-down.

Bang Daeho of Class A in the second grade is one of these people.

In reality, he was far from being popular.

Indeed, he was fortunate enough to be promoted into the elite Class A during his second year, but it’s not like his appearance or personality transformed.

Instead, he felt increasingly insignificant among the star students.

One day, when his self-esteem was dwindling, a delinquent from his class summoned him.

“Hey, you pig, come here.”

“Me…?”

“Is there anyone else here but you? Come quickly.”

“Um…why?”

“Why the hell does someone like you stutter so much? Relax. We’re classmates. Friends.”

“Oh? Okay…”

As he slowly approached with trepidation, the delinquent slung his arm around his shoulders as if they were close friends.

“Your name was Daeho, wasn’t it?”

“Daehu. Bang Daehu.”

“Oh right, Bang Daeho. Mate, I need a favor from you.”

But that’s not my name… These words died in Bang Daehu’s throat.

‘What the hell.’

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

I can’t remember doing anything to catch his attention?

“What… What is it?”

“Do you know Lee Han?”

“The boss of our class?”

“Yeah, that puffy-eyed jerk.”

Upon hearing this, Bang Daehu nodded vigorously.

Lee Han.

Ever since the school gate explosion, his popularity has been dissipating like ash. Even Bang Daehu thought that he was having a more hopeful school life compared to him.

“In today’s dueling class, I want you to pick on him.”

“Huh?”

“Your…what’s that? The magic you use, it’s like…excuse my language, diarrhea?”

“Mud…”

“Yes, with that. Ruffle his feathers for sure.”

“Ah…. that’s a bit…”

“Damn, this bastard.”

Bang Daeho flinched unintentionally as he saw Iljin’s face crumple suddenly.

“You. Are you trying to be a hero? Do you not know that that bastard is the perpetrator of the Gate explosion?”

“Ah… I know.”

“Good, bastard. If you just ruffle things up in the competition a bit, your popularity is no joke. Girls will line up, 100%.”

“But… there’s no guarantee that I’ll definitely win…”

At Bang Daeho’s words, Iljin’s expression softened instantly.

“Eat one of these. Before you join the competition.”

“What is this…?”

“Damn, you’re really backward.”

“…?”

“Just trust me and eat it, you bastard.”

Swept up in the momentum of Iljin’s confident stride away, Bang Daeho cautiously tucked the pill into his pocket.

“Hey, Bang Daeho.”

“Yeah…”

“Do you want to be a hero? Let’s do well, okay?”

Bang Daeho recalled the delusion he had been entertaining for a long time.

It started to feel like it might be possible.

* * *

The academy ‘Orbis’ was a prestigious institution that attracted prospective talents from all over the world.

A youngest child of a chaebol family, the successor of a magician, heirs from renowned guilds, and so on.

Contrary to the highbrow school image, this damned academy tends to obsess over ‘practical training.’

Swordsmanship training, Magic training, I can understand that.

Battle training. Mock battle training. Classroom training training. The names of such lessons start to make your head go numb. For the record, there’s no course called “Training Training”.

And the lecture I now have to join is…

“Attention, class 2-A!”

“I am the instructor for Battle Training and will handle the lessons-“

“Battle training will provide practical teachings through mock battles-“

＜Battle Training＞.

As a tedious class introduction started, my mind quickly began to drift into the unconscious.

Characteristics of a top-class villain.

Whether the instructor’s voice is harsh or not, it’s dull, hence the flow of consciousness techniques kick in.

“……”

After reincarnating into a novel, everyone adopted their own survival values.

Mine can be summarized in two sentences.

1. Suck up all the honey you can.

2. Interfere minimally with the original plotline.

This is my principle of possession.

But there were cases where I had no choice but to intervene in the flow.

Like having to forcefully transplant my mana circle into a heroine cursed with uncontrollable magic and eventual explosion.

Interference in the Academy’s gate explosion was one such instance.

Lately, after deciding to fill up on ‘evil’, I’ve often killed villains too.

Ultimately, my biggest goal is one thing.

To reach a happy ending by clearing the scenarios of the novel.

The biggest obstacle to this goal is, of course, the ‘Destiny of the Evil’.

Whether given a scenario quest or not, it imposes penalties for actions deemed ‘virtuous’.

Even just losing my eyesight was a gift from ‘Destiny’ in return for ‘kindly’ resolving a scenario.

“Damn it…”

There probably isn’t another possessor in the world who lost his eyesight as a penalty for preventing a monster-spewing gate explosion.

This was all due to the ‘Destiny of the Evil’ given because of the malicious comments.

“That bastard author.”

I’ll definitely skin him when I escape from here.

Anyway.

I’ve sufficiently studied how to navigate through this dilemma between ‘Destiny’ and scenario.

I’m almost ready to face the ‘main scenarios’ that will officially begin now.

[Current Evil: 95.7%]

In other words, I’m already so close, as long as I fill up the remaining ‘evil’.

The problem is the amount of that remaining ‘evil’.

Certainly, this isn’t a small amount.

If I have to kill villains one by one, I need to kill at least a dozen of them to reach this number.

Naturally, there are many people in the Academy, so I can fill it up a little faster.

“Lately, it feels like I’m not catching much attention.”

I’m wondering if I should stir up a significant issue and get cursed at.

Nobody is expelled to the extent of falling…

“Lee Han!”

A voice that seems to be spat out with veins bulging in the neck.

My mind returns with a sudden loud shout.

“What are you thinking so hard about during class! The one-on-one combat has started. Go back to your place!”

Ah.

For one-on-one combat lessons, I needed to have a partner. If that’s the case, I need to pair up with the last remaining student…

“Move to the back! Your partner has already been decided.”

‘Huh?’

Someone wants to have a match with me?

Why?

***

With a bit of confusion, I move to the waiting area and stand idly by.

The sounds of the already started combat reach my ears.

– Thwack!

“Ugh!”

– Thwack!

Hmm.

He’s frowning.

Isn’t it too harsh to beat like that for a duel?

When I try to enhance my perception slightly, a roughly sketched image of the scene forms in my head.

‘I still have a long way to go to properly use my perception.’

A slight sigh slipped out, but whatever.

The man, though I don’t know who he is, possesses a physical enhancement type of power.

“Ahk!”

The one who’s on the receiving end of the hits, the woman…

A wise and thin, but firm voice. A voice known to me.

It’s Yoon Hyun-Jin.

She has brown hair and brown eyes, right?

She’s not a person whose distinct characteristic stands out, but she’s pretty popular because she’s pure and cute.

She is also one of the named characters according to the original work.

Her parents must hold quite high positions in the legal circuit. The so-called law spoon, I suppose.

‘Except for her personality.’

If I have a notorious reputation for being an evil villain.

She is well-known for her excessive law-abiding spirit.

It’s a spirit of lawfulness, however, imagine this.

She’s already quite a stickler for carrying around a book of school rules.

And she’s a meddling girl who swings it around here and there.

The reactions of other kids confirm it.

– “Wow, is it okay to hit her that hard?”

– “Hey, Yoon Hyun-Jin is cheap even when she gets hit like that.”

– “Satisfying. So satisfying.

If this is the case, I get it.

Furthermore, having obtained the position of disciplinary head,

Beginning to meddle here and there,

She also quite earns the hatred of students.

‘Of course, not as much as me.’

As if she’s competing with the reputation of a top villain!

If you think about it, it’s funny.

I mean, I deserve to be blamed because I’m a villain.

She commits a crime just trying to abide by the rules.

‘She’s a bit poor.’

– Thwack! Thwack!

With the dull bursting sound…

Just by hearing the vague sounds of moaning, it seems like someone is being quite one-sidedly beaten.

Hm. But.

It won’t be good if that guy loses too badly.

Though the kid seems strong on the outside, he doesn’t have a particularly strong mentality.

Furthermore… If that guy’s mental strength breaks, the consequences won’t be pretty. He is quite a unique ability user.

‘Should I intervene?’

He briefly contemplated but shook his head.

Yun Hyunjin, who thoroughly adheres to the law, would undoubtedly be considered ‘good.’

If he intervened now while she is being beaten, the system would surely recognize it as a righteous act.

This isn’t a situation where he would risk the penalty for good deeds to help.

“Cease the scrimmage!”

Just then, the instructor stopped the scrimmage.

What a relief.

He should have stopped it sooner.

“Next up! Lee Han! Bang Daehoo!”

Yun Hyunjin’s next was my turn.

* * *

“Will you be okay?”

The instructor’s question worrying about my unseen eyes.

Instead of answering, I just nodded my head.

Super villain trait! Even if I can’t see, I can fight!

Honestly, I don’t quite understand why he would ask such a question. It’s not like being blind automatically lets you avoid danger.

‘Even if it’s practical, it’s ultimately still school.’

Laughing quietly to myself, I opened up my senses.

Ah, right. Actually, the phrase ‘opened up my senses’ sounds a little grand.

It’s just like a dog sniffing around, feeling body heat like a chameleon, listening like a bat. You know, that kind of thing.

Of course, I’m not really sniffing around, just using my skills to feel a bit of an enhancement.

Shall we start with a greeting?

“I am Lee Han.”

“Bang. Bang Daehoo.”

More often than not, people’s voices carry a lot of information.

‘…It’s a voice I’ve never heard before.’

Initially, an unknown character in my mental database.

His voice sounds a bit chunky, perhaps he is overweight.

The sound of his steps is a bit plodding, with a lot of weight on the balls of his feet.

‘Turtle neck with round shoulders.’

And overall slight smell emanates from him.

‘This smells from his ability.’

I loosely piece together the components of my opponent’s profile like this. Since I had used my eyes for quite a while, I tend to reconstruct it visually.

I painted an image of my opponent in my mind.

Now it’s my turn to draw myself in.

And really,

‘It’s pitiful.’

I am a reincarnator now, although it’s too late to fuss about it.

Nonetheless, my ability is still far from enough.

Actually… I did gain some cheat level skills before entering Orvius.

‘But they are useless if I can’t see.’

Damn.

I’m getting unjustly pissed off.

I have to find Simcheong, or somehow open my eyes.

And that’s not the end of it.

‘I don’t have any magic power, either.’

A long time ago, I cut out my entire magic circle and gave it away to someone.

‘Villain’s special. I give it away entirely when I do.’

Of course, it wasn’t a benevolent act. It was a vile deed.

Because if a mana circle with a different attribute is grafted, the one who receives it must endure enormous suffering and hardship.

It’s more like the ‘coin entering the horse’ feeling often depicted in martial arts novels.

‘hehehehe.’

I am a first-class villain, seldom creative in villainy.

That’s me.

‘Speaking of which, it’s about time for him to enroll in the academy.’

I’ll probably be able to see him at the entrance ceremony for the first year, happening pretty soon.

Anyway.

All the skills I can use are tied to my intuition and a skill called [Pinch!] that comes with the ‘Fate of the Villain.’

Finally.

I visualize myself that I’ve contrasted in my mind with Bang Daehu.

My weaknesses that I have to be careful with.

And the opponent’s weaknesses that I need to exploit.

The skills I can use in the process.

The specific information about the opponent.

Character. Behavior. Gait. Appearance. Smell.

I organize and reorganize all the information I’ve gathered from the moment he chose me as his opponent.

I must give my best in all actual battles since I lost my sight…

No.

…?

‘Wait.’

This guy, Bang Daehu.

Isn’t there something odd?

“Okay! Then let’s start the duel!”

The instructor’s voice rings out.

At the same time, the unstable heartbeat of Bang Daeho.

The act of swallowing saliva with tension.

Constantly fidgeting with the pocket in the jacket.

“……”

This rascal, Bang Daeho.

To fight isn’t the goal.

‘Focus.’

There’s definitely something.

He is hiding something.