Chapter 47 - Perfect Plan

Healer.

A term commonly used in games to refer to someone with the ability to heal wounds.

In this comic I've possessed into, [Stardus!], there was a woman with healing abilities.

Healing. An ability that seems perfect for a hero at first glance.

Unfortunately, she was a villain.

Having a healer on your side is incredibly reassuring, but having one on the enemy's side? It'll drive you absolutely insane.

You beat them down so badly they shouldn't be able to move for months, but somehow they crawl away and escape, then come back fully recovered the next day to commit another terrorist attack.

Our Stardus was mystified by how these guys recovered and returned so quickly. Later, it was revealed that it was all because of a female villain called 'Ex-Saint' who healed the villains.

The main culprit who made capturing the already difficult villains in the latter half of the original work even harder.

If I just deal with her, the latter half will become considerably easier.

So.

I need to recruit her.

"So Oppa, you're saying there's going to be some villain-exclusive saint who heals villains later on?"

"That's right. Having just one person like her would be really reassuring, wouldn't it?"

"Ha... Are you really not going to tell me how you know all this? Is it just delusion, or can you actually see the future?"

"Seo-eun, you're still young so you don't understand, but when you become an adult, you'll naturally know everything~"

"What does that even... Sigh. Fine, whatever. So where is she now and what's she doing?"

"Mm..."

"What's she doing?"

"In a back alley... probably pickpocketing?"

"What?"

Seo-eun suddenly made an expression as if she'd heard something absurd. Hmm... how should I explain this?

"I think she's a high school student?"

At my words, Seo-eun's face became even more incredulous.

Hmm... how should I explain this?

***

Lee Ha-yul.

She had lived as an orphan from a very young age.

Together with her younger brother, she endured terrible abuse at an orphanage, barely scraping by day after day.

Then the orphanage director discovered her ability.

A top-tier healing ability that could save even those on the brink of death.

Normally, he should have reported it to the Association immediately.

But the wicked orphanage director concealed it.

And tried to sell Lee Ha-yul to wealthy conglomerates.

Essentially planning human trafficking.

However, Ha-yul caught wind of this and escaped from the orphanage.

After stabbing to death the insane director who knew her secret.

And so she began wandering the back alleys with her younger brother.

A life barely sustained through theft and pickpocketing.

Then one day, her younger brother was killed by assailants right before her eyes.

Deeply traumatized, she eventually fell to darkness.

The reason she ended up like this was all because of this world.

Because of the Association that didn't discover and help her sooner, because of the government.

Living desperately with such resentment, she eventually joined the Villain Alliance, helping villains and participating in the South Korea Collapse Project.

Looking at it this way, she has quite a bit in common with Seo-eun. Resenting the world and eventually trying to destroy it.

Anyway, the conclusion is that I need to win her over and make her my ally.

She seems perfect as the first member of Egostic's Villain Alliance.

If I gather them one by one like this, won't I eventually have almost all villains under my control?

Well, that probably won't happen.

But none of that matters right now—the urgent priority is winning her over.

Of course, there's the problem that she fundamentally has a distrust of humans due to what she experienced at the orphanage, so she probably won't be easily swayed.

Running up to her and saying "I'll give you money, so pledge your loyalty to me!" would be a perfect way to get stabbed.

Still, maybe if I somehow use the suspension bridge effect, I can somehow make it work?

"Actually, I'll handle everything, so you don't need to worry, Seo-eun."

"That makes me worry even more..."

Seo-eun sent me a disapproving look.

There's really nothing to worry about.

I'm already confident this method will work.

Because I used this exact method to become friends with you, Seo-eun...

***

And so, here I am now.

Evening, somewhere in a Seoul back alley without any CCTV.

If I remember correctly, she was active around here...

As I was wandering the alleys aimlessly.

A call came from Seo-eun through my earphone.

[Oppa, there's a girl hiding in the alley at two o'clock watching you. I think that's her?]

Bingo.

My current outfit is black clothes without even a mask.

I'm walking around dressed in a style that looks somewhat clueless but seemingly well-off. Dressed to look like an easy mark.

Hmm...

As I walked leisurely.

Finally, a girl came running from over there.

She rushed toward me, bumped into me as if by accident, and passed by.

And so I, shoulder-checked by a teenage girl.

Who would have known that the once-proud Egostic was living like this? Truly unfortunate.

Tap tap tap—the girl disappeared into the darkness in the distance.

Finally, when the girl was out of sight, I put my hand in my pocket.

As expected, my pocket was empty. The wallet that had been inside was gone.

"Just as I thought."

Good.

Everything was going according to plan.

In the gloom of the back alley, I grinned.

[What are you doing there? Come back.]

"Sure."

The bait had been cast.

Now she only had to bite.

***

"Huff... huff..."

Lee Ha-yul ran and ran.

It had been ages since her last successful pickpocket.

She kept sprinting until she was sure the man couldn't follow, then finally stopped to catch her breath.

Once she reached a safe spot, she pulled the stolen wallet from her pocket with shaking hands.

Embroidered on the black leather were the initials E.S.

She opened it carefully. Inside—

"A hundred thousand won?"

Ten crisp ten-thousand-won notes.

A ridiculously easy haul.

These days everyone carried cards instead of cash...

"With this... I can buy Cha-yoon something better than instant ramen..."

She murmured to herself, a small smile tugging at her lips as she started for home.

She did feel a twinge of guilt toward the man she'd robbed, but—

'Can't be helped...'

They had no money, no power, no identity—this was the only way they could survive.

The guilt kept piling up, layer after layer, but she pushed it aside.

"Noona, you're back?"

Inside the crumbling shantytown, her little brother greeted her.

She ruffled his hair, forcing a bright smile.

"I earned a bit today. Let's eat something tasty."

"Really? Wow!"

Still an elementary-schooler, he wore every emotion on his sleeve.

Watching him, Ha-yul smiled without realizing it.

Yeah. Even if I go without, this kid needs to eat properly.

She sighed, stroking his head.

Today and tomorrow they could manage... but what about after that?

Like the night outside, her heart darkened.

***

[Title] When is Mangostick coming back?

I'm cold...

=[Comments]=

[Sseuni found frozen solid shiver]

[Comment deleted]

└ [?]

└ [???]

└ [What'd it say? I missed it before it was gone]

└ [Exact text: "Sorry, busy lately. Give me a few more weeks"]

└ [Why does that account show up as non-existent now? Creepy af shiver]

└ [That comment—wasn't it really Mangostick?]

└ [Nah, no way lol]

*

I've been fooling around like this lately, bored.

Drop a few troll comments on my own fan-cafe, delete them right away... but it's surprisingly fun.

If Seo-eun catches me, she'll probably give me that pathetic look again... hmm.

Enough play. I mapped out the next phase.

Code name: "Clothes-soaked-in-drizzle" plan.

I let her lift one wallet today.

Next time I'll change clothes and let her steal another—same initials, E.S.

After a few more rounds she'll notice: she's been robbing the same person over and over.

She'll start wondering. Why does this guy keep standing still even after I bump into him?

And why does the cash keep climbing—first 100 grand, then 200, then 300?

Right when the questions hit, I'll appear at her door.

"I knew you'd pickpocketed me. I tracked you down.

But watching you struggle yet still care for your little brother— it moved me.

If you're willing, I'd like to become your guardian."

Of course, her deep-rooted distrust of humans will make her tell me to get lost.

I'll bow out quietly, lonely but accepting.

Yet even after she slams the door, she'll keep thinking of me.

She'll realize I wasn't after her strength, and when I never come back...

"Maybe... he was actually a good person..."

Right about the time that lonely thought crosses her mind, the incident will happen.

The gang's murder of her little brother.

Just before he dies, I'll swoop in and save him.

And when I offer guardianship a second time?

She'll trust me completely and step under my wing.

"Huhuhu... perfect..."

From the depths of the basement, I let out a wicked laugh.

Yes, the plan is flawless.

Nothing can go wrong.

While hatching that sinister scheme, wallet stuffed with two hundred thousand won in hand, I prepared the next move...

...

Seo-eun suddenly flung my door open and rushed in, shouting.

"Oppa! That gang or whatever just showed up! What do we do?"

What the fuck—why are they here already?