Chapter 60 - Public Opinion

The next morning.

"Are you sure you're really okay now?"

"Uh-huh. I told you, my condition is back to normal."

"That's weird... There's no way you could get better in just one day... You aren't just pretending to be fine because you don't want to go to the hospital, are you?"

In the living room, I told them that after a good night's sleep, I was back in tip-top shape.

However, since no one believed me even after I said it, I demonstrated by teleporting whoosh whoosh all around the room. I mean, what am I doing first thing in the morning...?

"What the... I guess he really is better?"

"Huff, huff. I told you so. Have you lived your whole life being deceived?"

"Strange... How does he get better in a single day?"

Considering I was coughing up blood and dying just yesterday, everyone seemed puzzled by my sudden vitality. However, with my attitude of 'all's well that ends well,' the atmosphere just sort of moved on.

Over in the corner, only Ha-yul was smiling quietly while stroking the head of her younger brother, who was just happy that I was okay regardless.

It seems my mood has improved today. Honestly, yesterday I turned into a monster consumed by a sentimental late-night mood, so it was a bit scary... I felt guilty and blamed myself, which made me feel even more sorry toward them.

Well, even though she looks like a grown adult, Ha-yul is still only a high school sophomore.

Come to think of it, Seo-eun is in her third year of middle school, so she'll be a high schooler next month. She still acts like a middle schooler, though. Tsk.

Anyway, since the sun was up, I decided to receive a report on the results of the recent terror attack.

Ms. Subin handled all the data organization. Wait, she's looked incredibly busy taking care of three kids lately; when on earth did she do this?

In conclusion, the results brought about by my terror attack this time are as follows:

The complete collapse of Mapo Bridge.

Because I blew everything up right down to the pillars, it's said that the bridge vanished cleanly, as if it had never existed in that spot to begin with. The situation is such that they don't know how many years it will take to clear all the debris and build a new bridge.

Good. It's perfect.

Now, that crazy black tentacle monster won't be able to charge blindly like in the comics and turn Seoul into a wasteland.

Thinking about that bastard, who would have marched forward excitedly without knowing the fear of the world only to nose-dive straight into the Han River water, I was already amused. Ah, on that day, I definitely have to get some popcorn and watch it live.

The beginning of a tragedy? There is no such thing! I will remove any elements that would turn my life into a tragedy well in advance. For Stardus's sake, and for my own.

Anyway, since they say it'll be difficult to restore even a single pillar, let alone the bridge, for about three years, I can say all preparations are perfect.

In my memory, that incident happens next March, so about four months from now. Just in case I remembered the time wrong like with Ha-yul's recruitment, or if the event happens earlier, I destroyed it with plenty of time to spare. Now there is nothing to fear!

With that, my goal of smashing the bridge was perfectly completed.

I also heard some unexpected news.

"What? More people are cursing me?"

"Yes, Oppa. Public opinion has practically shifted to everyone bashing you."

"No... well, since my goal was to become a terrifying villain in the first place, I can accept being cursed at. But suddenly? When I tried to smash boats, tied tracks to trains, and crashed airplanes, they were practically worshipping me. Why now?"

They stayed quiet when I tried to massacre 50 people at my whim, and this was even a participatory public vote, so why?

"Here is how it happened..."

The story Seo-eun told me was truly absurd.

While the terror was ongoing, everyone was like, 'Hehe, easy 100,000 won.' But when I concluded that 7 million people had taken the 100,000 won, people were reportedly quite shocked.

People who said things like 'It'll never pass 5 million in that short time' or 'At best it might pass a million' all shut their mouths tight and feigned ignorance.

Resultantly, it proved my point that humans are selfish.

But here, the problem became a bit strange.

Foreign countries began reporting this incident on their own news channels.

Covering the event that occurred in Korea, a small country on the eastern peninsula, they reported, '7 million Koreans actively participated in causing terror for their own gain,' giving off a grim nuance about the disappearance of humanism.

In short, Korea became a bit of a laughingstock. Foreign netizens clicked their tongues, saying, "Look at those selfish people."

This caused cognitive dissonance for the 'Nationalist TV' channels. They usually produce videos by taking comments from foreign communities saying 'Korea is great,' but since there was nothing but insults toward Korea, they took a huge hit.

Fueled by anger toward Egostic for causing all this, the Nationalist TV channels, failing to live up to their name, began uploading videos unanimously chewing out Egostic with nationalist rhetoric.

Roughly, the conclusion was that this reaction from foreigners was all due to that heavenly-sinning, immoral bastard Egostic, and the citizens of South Korea were merely victims played by his tricks.

These videos, lacking both basis and logic, spread rapidly, centered around the older generation who were heartbroken watching foreign news...

Reporters then picked this up to mass-produce articles, concluding that they were victims because of Egostic, who toyed with human hearts like trash.

In reality, they could have just not taken the money, but blaming everything on Egostic was truly the pot calling the kettle black.

As a result, Egostic, who was somewhat well-liked, suddenly became a traitor to the nation.

"Uh..."

Hearing up to that point, I was a bit dumbfounded.

Sure, it's true I was flustered by the positive public opinion after I became a villain.

So I did think I wanted to be hated a bit to become a proper true villain.

But having it happen in this way is kind of funny.

"Hmm, well. It happened because of the terror I planned and induced, so is it technically true that it's because of me...?"

"Why is that because of you, Oppa! It makes no sense for them to blame you now when 7 million of them did it themselves. Did you force them? What did you do?"

"That's right! Hyung did nothing wrong!"

Ha-yul's younger brother, Cha-yoon, who was coming out after drinking some water, also defended me as he passed by. Haha...

"Tsk... So, is the Mango Squad gone then? Did the people who were in the Mango Squad turn their backs too?"

"Oh, the Mango Squad? No. Actually, they've become even more united."

"United?"

What's this about now?

"Do you think people only cursed at you, Oppa? Of course, they cursed at the people who supported you too. So, they actually banded together tightly among themselves. Look at this."

Really?

I turned on my phone and entered the Egostic Official Fan Cafe.

Looking at the list of popular posts, the titles seemed to be burning hot.

*

[Why the hell do they take the money and then curse our Mango?]

[Look at them shutting their mouths and cursing after taking 100k won lol]

[Just admit you're selfish, why bitch at Mango?]

[Just got back from teaching a lesson to kids at school cursing Mango Oppa (Proof included)]

[If you're disgusted by people dragging Egostic down with them, upvote lol]

[Real-time Everytime at our school... what's up with this guy?]

*

"Hmm...."

I let out a groan seeing the list of popular posts.

Just glancing at the top part, it's total chaos.

"Ha. Of course, I'm not saying Oppa did a good thing, but it's ridiculous how they're driving the narrative as if it's unilaterally Oppa's fault."

Seo-eun, who was sitting on the sofa looking at the phone with me from behind, soon flopped down completely.

"Oppa. You destroyed the bridge this time because the Haneun Group guys in front of that bridge said something like a monster would come out of their experiment, right? Because if a monster comes out, it will definitely cross that bridge?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, that's right."

"Ha. I'm curious to see what happens if things really go as you say, Oppa."

Seo-eun grinned, wearing a wicked smile.

"So, if we really end up stopping the monster because of you, Oppa, what kind of reaction will people show then?"

Oh?

True.

I had forgotten for a moment after seeing all the insults directed at me, but if a monster as tall as a skyscraper nose-dives into the Han River, the entire nation will see it. It's not like they can hide that.

Well, people's reactions then would be pretty funny. No, wait, would they become my strong supporters instead? I think they'd support my claim that it was a 'coincidence.' Otherwise, they'd be the only ones looking like fools.

Well, that's a story for when the time comes.

I just played around while watching the news. For the time being, until the Black Monster Crash Incident, I plan to stay home and scheme.

Just as I was browsing internet news, an article caught my eye.

[Haneun Group Technical Advisor Kim Seonwoo Released on Parole.]

"Oh."

I shouted out loud at that.

Finally, just like in the original work, that guy is out of prison.

The guy who became the starting point of all these situations.

The primary person responsible for the fall of Haneun Group.

And the guy who conducted the 'Black Monster' project, which is the reason I destroyed the bridge.

"Now that he's out, it's only a matter of time."

Something big is coming.

Seoul. Beneath the Han River.

Deep inside an underground laboratory, researchers in white lab coats bowed their heads in unison.

"Welcome back, Dr. Kim Seonwoo."

"Yeah, whatever. Just lead the way."

"Yes, sir!"

The man who commanded their deference wore glasses on a gaunt face and had thinning hair. He was dressed in research attire.

He was the Technical Advisor for Haneun Group.

He was also the final supervisor and director of the secret project, 'Post-Human.'

Kim Seonwoo.

"Save the reports on the others for later. How close is 'it' to completion?"

"It is nearly finished. It appears to be gradually developing intelligence as well."

"Good, good. Let's take a look."

The researchers guided him as he walked, tapping away on a tablet. After passing through a long series of dark corridors and dozens of steel doors, they arrived at a vast, open space—a cavernous hall so large it was hard to believe it existed underground.

Amidst the bustle of countless researchers, a massive tank dominated the space—so immense it couldn't be fully captured in a single glance.

One entire side of the expansive chamber wasn't a wall, but glass. Aside from the platform where the researchers stood, the entire cavern was essentially one gigantic aquarium.

The tank was filled not with water, but with some kind of pale green chemical solution.

Dr. Kim Seonwoo stepped forward quietly and placed his hand against the glass wall, which towered dozens of times higher than his own height.

"Behemoth Beta's current condition is extremely stable."

"Right, right. Is that so..."

He gazed into the tank with a wistful look in his eyes.

Inside the green liquid, a mass of black tentacles the size of a large house lay curled up, squirming sluggishly.

"...I will complete you soon. Behemoth."

The doctor stared into the tank with burning eyes.

His gaze was ablaze with pure madness.

***

"Yeah~ Behemoth is gonna crash-dive into the Han River and get insta-deleted, right? Five years of research down the drain and the company's gonna go belly up, right?"

"Oppa. Where on earth are you picking up that weird way of speaking? Those are internet streaming terms!"

I had been muttering to myself in excitement after reading the article about Kim Seonwoo's release, only to get scolded by Seo-eun for not using proper Korean.

It was a situation where a middle schooler was lecturing an adult to stop using frivolous slang and speak with some dignity.

...Is this right? I've seen adults scold middle schoolers to speak properly... but the other way around is just...

'No, look, Seo-eun, this is good news for you too.'

Of course, my protest was ignored.

So mean.