Chapter 17 - The Time Of Choice

Terror.

Just hearing the word, it sounds like something that ends with tossing a single bomb—a very simple task.

But the reality is far more complex, requiring extensive design and planning. I should know, having orchestrated two large-scale terror attacks. Probably.

Tie people to railway tracks where a train will pass.

Sounds easy enough when you just hear it, right?

Just snatch someone up and tie them down.

But when you actually try to do it, it's really not that simple.

First off, I had a hard time even finding people to tie down. How guilty would I feel if I tied up some truly ordinary civilian and they accidentally died?

Sure, I'm already a full-fledged villain with plenty of blood on my hands, but if I did something like that, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Until recently, I was just an ordinary law-abiding citizen of South Korea.

So I carefully selected people with issues. Ones who'd committed serious crimes but got slap-on-the-wrist punishments and were released. They were still living like trash, which made kidnapping them relatively easy.

Even assuming I somehow managed the kidnapping, tying them to the tracks was another huge problem. Actually, it's similar to the kidnapping issue. South Korea has way too many CCTVs. I mean, it's not like they're everywhere due to privacy invasion concerns, but somehow they're always there at the most inconvenient moments.

Of course, I could get past the CCTVs with my teleportation ability and Seo-eun's hacking skills, but tying people to the tracks...

In South Korea, there's this hero called Shadow Walker who's invincible at night, so if you get caught doing anything after dark, you're screwed. It'd actually be better if everyone just went wild with terror attacks at night—then Shadow Walker couldn't handle everything alone. But all the villains are cowards who lay low at night, so if you're the only one causing trouble, you're in deep shit. Tsk.

So I had to teleport around tying people up in broad daylight. It's embarrassing and feels weird and just... ugh. Even without CCTVs, doing this in the middle of the day makes me feel... something.

And the train. This one's actually my fault. After the cruise ship bombing and my followers' building bombing last time, explosive inspections were strengthened everywhere, so I couldn't plant bombs on trains. That's why Subin had to do the hard work. She knocked out the train engineer with anesthesia and took their place.

Subin. I'm pretty sure she said she had no friends growing up and just stayed home all the time, but apparently there's nothing she can't drive—helicopters, trains, forklifts, airplanes. When I asked how that was possible, I nearly fainted when she said she learned from computer simulators.

It seemed completely unreasonable, but when she mentioned she started studying for the college entrance exam one week before the test and got into Seoul National University, I decided to just accept it. Right, geniuses must have something different from me.

She seemed so timid that I thought she was similar to me, but I'd forgotten she's actually a genius who can hold technical conversations with Seo-eun. Am I the only normal person here again? This is just depressing...

Anyway, Subin's driving the train. Can't have the engineer suddenly deciding not to hit people and stopping or drifting. Plus, if push comes to shove, she can derail the train as a mutual destruction threat.

Terror attacks require time, effort, and insurance. As I always say, I have a fragile body that could die from a single punch from Stardus. If I tell her to pull the lever, she might pull my spine instead and send me to the afterlife. I need insurance. Subin, who can derail the train, is the first insurance policy. And in case Stardus attacks the train, I've also planted bombs where the people are tied to the tracks as a second insurance policy. Nothing's easy.

Still, if I can do this much.

If I can show the citizens just how dangerous a villain I am!

If I can raise Stardus's favorability again!

I, Da-in, can sacrifice myself for my favorite character.

And right on cue, she's flying in from over there.

Stardus, soaring through the air with her blonde hair streaming behind her in that red latex suit she somehow changed into.

I feel this every time I see her, but she's truly beautiful.

Will I ever date a woman as beautiful as Stardus in my life? Probably not.

Of course, if we're talking purely about looks, Subin might rival Stardus... but still.

Anyway, it's time to get back into character.

Even though the more I do this, the more my hands seem to tremble instead of getting used to it, this is the concept I chose! I'll protect it through sheer stubbornness.

"Ah, here comes today's protagonist. Ms. Stardus has arrived!"

I clapped my hands alone, welcoming Stardus.

She landed a short distance away from me.

"You bastard! What are you up to this time!"

Hmm.

Actually, my concept isn't the only weird one.

I didn't notice when reading the comic, but hearing Stardus actually speak in person... uh...

Both you and me. We both picked our concepts wrong, didn't we?

Hearing a modern-day ordinary female college student like Shin Haru speak in historical drama style is incredibly awkward.

Though I'm no better.

"Hahaha! What am I up to, you ask? I simply wanted to see what kind of 'moral' choice you would make."

"You bastard. Do you really think it's okay to try massacring civilians like this?"

*

[Civilians (they're not)]

[Massacre (never did that)]

[Why is Stardus slandering our Mangostick like that?]

[For real, does Mango look like a piece of shit to you?]

[She's really likable....]

[Who's likable?]

[Stardus is likable. That's sarcasm. Meaning she's unlikable.]

[??? But other times you say Egostic is likable?]

[That's genuinely likable]

[No wtf why does 'likable' have two meanings]

[Figure it out from context]

[This guy just discovered community slang and can't get a grip lololol]

[Free Kim Seonwoo Free Kim Seonwoo Free Kim Seonwoo Free Kim Seonwoo Free Kim Seonwoo Free Kim Seonwoo Free Kim Seonwoo Free Kim Seonwoo]

[Stop spamming!]

[Can't stand looking at Stardus]

*

...As I spoke, I checked the chat window once more, and even in this situation, the atmosphere was more critical of Stardus. No, I need to turn this around quickly!

I opened my mouth with an exaggeratedly loud voice.

"Now! That's not the issue. Right now, at this very moment, a train is coming, and at this rate, it's going to hit five people! How about you hurry over there and decide whether to pull that lever or not?"

As I spoke sarcastically, I could feel veins bulging on Stardus's forehead.

"...Is there any reason I shouldn't just kill you right here and now?"

"What? Of course there's a reason! Now, you know what this is, right?"

I quickly pulled the detonator from my robe. Wait, did I not explain this? Come to think of it, I didn't.

"Now, see this? If I press it, all six people over there are dead. Total annihilation. And if I die, my subordinate currently driving the train won't just sit still either, will they? You'd better calm down."

Stardus looked extremely displeased but seemed to accept it. Phew, that was close.

But I don't have time right now. The train seems almost here.

"Now! Breaking news—the train is almost here!"

As soon as I finished speaking, I teleported down to where the lever was. Looking up at the cliff from below, Stardus, who'd been looking around for where I'd gone, belatedly flew toward the lever.

"Now, now! The moment of choice is here. What will you do? If you don't turn the lever, those five people tied up over there will die. Hey, hey, don't go that way! I can just derail the train. Yes, the lever. If you turn the lever, only one person dies. Will you sacrifice one person to save five? Hurry up and decide."

After rattling that off quickly, I teleported back up the cliff.

From the top, I filmed Stardus agonizing in front of the lever with my camera. And soon the sound of the approaching train filled the air.

"Now, now! The pentakill express is arriving. What choice will our Stardus make?"

*

[She has to turn the lever]

[But if she turns it, doesn't that mean Stardus killed that one person? If she does nothing she's innocent, but if she turns it she's killing one person with her own hands]

[From a utilitarian perspective, turning it saves four people so that's the right choice...]

The chat window filled with conflicting opinions.

Still, everyone seemed to expect that Stardus would turn the lever.

Yeah, I figured they'd all think that.

But I know better.

The Stardus I know—Shin Haru—isn't that kind of person!

The train drew closer, now right before her eyes.

Stardus, who had been agonizing in front of the lever, ultimately didn't pull it.

Instead, she clenched her fists—

And started running toward the train.

[Kyaaaaaaah! Da-in! She's running toward me, what do I dooooo!!!]

Subin's scream came through the earpiece in my ear. She must be watching Stardus charge straight at her from the engine room.

I quickly muted the camera that was filming and spoke to her.

"Don't worry, she's not coming to hurt you, Subin."

She's probably trying to stop the train with her body.

Right.

If it's the Stardus I know—Shin Haru, more righteous than anyone—

I knew she'd choose the path where no one gets hurt.

Now, I need to make sure she shines.

After unmuting the camera, I put on an expression of disbelief and shouted.

"No!!! This can't be—what is Stardus doing?!!!"

My throat hurt sharply after making that pterodactyl-like screech.

Stardus, are you watching?

I'm degrading myself this much for you...