I Woke Up and Found I Had Become the Villain

Day 12

“Who are you…?”

“Who are you?”

David looked surprised, while Cheon Seoa’s expression showed she genuinely didn’t recognize the man in front of her.

David whispered to Cheon Seoa.

“He’s the star hero of Team Steel Balloon and a 3rd-rank hero, ‘Steel Muscle’.”

Cheon Seoa’s eyes widened at the fact that the small-framed man before her was a 3rd-rank hero.
Moreover, she was surprised that his hero name was ‘Steel Muscle’.

Come to think of it.

“Despite his small frame, the muscles in his arms are abnormally large.”

Steel Muscle’s right arm, which was holding David’s leg, was disproportionately swollen compared to his overall physique.

From this, Cheon Seoa could tell that Steel Muscle’s ability was likely a common body enhancement type, similar to David’s physical transformation ability.

Meanwhile, Steel Muscle released David’s leg and said.

“I don’t know what this villain did, but we shouldn’t kill him. Even the most vicious villain’s life is precious.”

….

David remained silent at Steel Muscle’s words.
No, beyond silence, he was watching Cheon Seoa’s reaction.

If Cheon Seoa were to say just one word.

If she pointed at the villain in front of them and said ‘kill’, David would swing his leg again without hesitation.

This time, at a speed that even the hero Steel Muscle couldn’t block.

However.

“Of course. A person’s life is precious. Even if that person is a villain who’s nothing but harmful to society.”

Cheon Seoa said with a slight smile.

At this, Steel Muscle inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, even though Steel Muscle was a 3rd-grade hero, he couldn’t be confident that he could perfectly block David’s next attack.

After all, his right arm that had just caught David’s swinging leg was trembling slightly.

‘Even if he wasn’t using his full strength…’

The same could be said for his opponent.

That means the foreigner in front of him is also a 3rd-grade ability user, just like himself.

However.

‘I don’t know of any hero with a face like that.’

A 3rd-grade is a powerful figure who can receive respect wherever they go.

They could be the face of a small hero team.
Even if they work alone, lower-ranked heroes would line up to be their sidekicks.

Yet, despite this, Steel Muscle had never seen David before.

That could only mean one thing.

‘He’s not a hero… huh.’

It meant that his opponent wasn’t a hero.

However, this made him even more curious.

What could possibly make the man in front of him act as a bodyguard for a young girl?
Did he owe her a debt of gratitude that he absolutely had to repay?
Or was there some other reason?

As Steel Muscle was watching David and Cheon Seoa with wary, heavy eyes, it was then that.

“Well then, we’ll be going now.”

“Understood, miss.”

With those final words, Cheon Seoa and David turned and walked away.
How long had the two of them been walking?

Suddenly, Cheon Seoa let out a low exclamation of “Ah!” and turned to look at Steel Muscle.

In Cheon Seoa’s eyes, Steel Muscle was restraining the villain.

“By the way, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Is there a McDonald’s nearby?”

…?

At Cheon Seoa’s unexpected question, Steel Muscle momentarily looked bewildered, as if he couldn’t understand.

Seeing Steel Muscle’s reaction, Cheon Seoa also appeared flustered.

“Um… Could it be that you don’t know McDonald’s?”

“No, I do know it. I do know, but…”

Could it be that she was seriously asking where McDonald’s was?

That’s something easily found using a map app on a smartphone.

Steel Muscle initially thought the other party was trying to make fun of him, but soon realized from Cheon Seoa’s serious expression that the question “Where is McDonald’s?” was genuine.

To this, Steel Muscle let out a sigh with various meanings and answered.

“If you go straight for about three blocks, there should be a McDonald’s.”

“Ah, thank you.”

At Steel Muscle’s answer, Cheon Seoa bowed her head slightly and started walking again.

* * *

“Is it delicious?”

“It tastes good, maybe because I haven’t had it in a while.”

Munch munch.

David couldn’t help but smile warmly at Cheon Seoa, who was eating her hamburger diligently with her small mouth, like a hamster.

At the same time, David felt he could understand why his master was interested in this young girl.

This harmless and innocent girl possessed a strange charm that tickled a corner of the heart just by looking at her.

By the way.

“Where do you plan to go now?”

“Hmm.”

Putting down her half-eaten hamburger, Cheon Seoa, who was now nibbling on french fries, opened her mouth to David’s question.

“That’s right. Shall we go to Guro-gu first?”

“Guro-gu… I see.”

The McDonald’s where Cheon Seoa was currently seated was located in Gangnam-gu, one of the twenty-five districts of Seoul.

It would take at least 40 minutes by subway to get to Guro-gu.

As expected.

‘Maybe it’s better to take a taxi.’

Alternatively, he could carry Cheon Seoa himself and move by jumping between buildings.

Of course, using that method would likely attract a lot of attention from others, so David decided ‘Let’s just use a taxi after all.’

However.

“That’s right. And, I’d like to ride the subway for the first time in a while.”

“The… subway, you say?”

David’s expression stiffened slightly at Cheon Seoa’s words.

To think she wanted to ride the subway, packed with countless people.

While David wanted to avoid the subway as much as possible, Cheon Seoa had already said, “I want to ride the subway.”

Given that he had been instructed by his master, the proxy, to follow Cheon Seoa’s opinions as much as possible, David nodded as if he had no choice.

“Understood. Then… would you mind waiting here for a moment?”

“Huh? Where are you going?”

“I thought it might be more convenient to have a transit card if we’re going to ride the subway. I’m going to buy one at a nearby convenience store.”

“Ah-! A transit card! It’s definitely more convenient to have one when riding the subway. Go ahead.”

“Then, I’ll be back.”

As soon as Cheon Seoa gave her permission, David stood up and left McDonald’s.

At that moment.

‘They’re moving.’

Two men who had been blending in with the bustling crowd, pretending to be ordinary customers, exchanged glances and quietly rose from their seats.

They approached Cheon Seoa’s side in an instant with such natural movements.

“Jumper-!”

“I know-!”

One man covered Cheon Seoa’s mouth and grabbed her.
Then the man called Jumper used his ability.

Keeeing-!

With a strange sound, Cheon Seoa, the man holding her, and Jumper as well.
The space around them distorted for a moment.

“Miss-!”

David, who had just exited McDonald’s, was running towards Cheon Seoa while letting out a scream-like shout.

His two legs had already transformed into something monstrous….

“Hey, friend. You fail as a bodyguard.”

The man who was holding Cheon Seoa with his hand over her mouth sneered at David.
At the same time, as the distorted space returned to normal, they disappeared without a trace, and only David landed with a thud where Cheon Seoa had once been.

Grind-!

“How dare…!”

David muttered, grinding his teeth roughly.

However, David’s anger was brief, and he soon fell into deep contemplation about how to resolve this situation.

David was also aware that there were bugs daring to follow them.
But the reason he left those bugs alone was because he was confident that he could react to whatever they might do.

It was a kind of arrogance and David’s mistake.

It was David’s arrogance and mistake to never have dreamed that one of the opponents would have the ability to teleport.

Thus, David, alone in thought amidst the confusion inside McDonald’s due to the sudden situation….

“First, I’ll report to the master. And then.”

If he was ordered to take his own life for this mistake.
David was prepared to end his own life without hesitation.

* * *

“How dare these worm-like bastards!”

Kwaaang-!

Hyeorangje let out an angry cry.
At some point, he had transformed into the form of Insu Hyeorang, and from his entire body, a blood-red aura and intense killing intent burst forth.

However, Hyeorangje wasn’t the only one who was angry.

The nine villains of Illuminati who were waiting for Cheon Seoa to return from her outing.
They were all enraged after hearing the news David had delivered.

They just didn’t show it outwardly like Hyeorangje did.

Meanwhile, as Hyeorangje, who had been raging with overflowing anger, finally calmed down, the Agent spoke.

“So, have you finished locating those vermin?”

-Yes, Master.

“Speak.”

The Agent spoke in an ice-cold voice.
The subordinate reporting to him gulped and continued speaking.

-They are a villain duo consisting of Jumper, an 8th-grade villain, and Shadow Hunter, a 5th-grade villain.

“Jumper and Shadow Hunter? I’ve never heard those names before.”

The Agent frowned at the subordinate’s report.

When he first heard from David that Cheon Seoa had been kidnapped, the Agent had assumed it was the work of a hero who had figured out ‘who’ and ‘what’ Cheon Seoa was, or perhaps a villain organization opposing Illuminati.

No, the other eight villains had thought the same.

But now, out of nowhere, it’s a duo of 8th and 5th-grade villains?

-Well…, it turns out they’re quite a famous duo.

“Famous?”

-They were a duo that targeted ordinary people who were famous but had no special abilities, such as kidnapping famous celebrities and releasing them for hundreds of millions of won in ransom.

-Even the Hero Association publicly announced that they would give one billion won to anyone who could capture this duo alive.

Crack-.

As soon as the subordinate’s report ended, a terrible crack appeared on the floor where the agent was standing.

So, let’s summarize.

“Are you saying that Lady Cheon Seoa was kidnapped by mere small-time villains?”

-Y-yes, that’s correct.

The agent’s voice now devoid of any emotion.

The subordinate gulped and swallowed dry saliva once again.

“Sigh-, I wonder why Lady Cheon Seoa ‘allowed’ herself to be taken.”

“Her heart is too soft. Well, that’s why.”

That’s probably why we were able to receive help from her.

As the agent muttered with a deep sigh, the Mara monk spoke with his hands clasped.

Certainly, it wasn’t wrong.

Given the strength of Cheon Seoa that they knew, even if it was a sudden kidnapping using teleportation abilities, she should have been able to escape easily.

The fact that she didn’t means that the soft-hearted Cheon Seoa must have deliberately allowed herself to be taken out of consideration for them.

No, that’s not it.

Now was not the time to discuss how soft-hearted Cheon Seoa was.

Right now.

“So, who’s going to make a move?”

Indeed, ‘who’ will rescue the kidnapped Miss Cheon Seoa.
It was time to decide that.

As the representative spoke with such intention, all nine villains, including himself, had their eyes lit up.