Chapter 202 - The World Before The Destruction

I watched the TV intently in the living room that morning. It had been several weeks since my last encounter with Stardust.

"It's starting to feel like winter now..."

I muttered to myself on the balcony, feeling the noticeably chillier wind. The end of the year was approaching, and in terms of the original story, we were moving past the midpoint. It had been several years since I fell into this world, and I was feeling oddly sentimental today. I'd been active as a villain for quite some time now.

"Whoa!"

While lost in thought, I heard a sound from below and looked down. It was Seo-eun on some mechanical device. She must have bounced here while training in the forest.

"Oh, oppa!"

When she spotted me looking around, she waved enthusiastically. I smiled slightly and waved back. After that brief exchange, she ran back to continue her training. Our newly recruited spirit guide must be supervising her practice right now.

As I watched Seo-eun running off, I found myself reminiscing.

...When I first met Seo-eun, she was in middle school. In a month or two, she'll be a high school senior. Time really flies. She used to seem like such a child, but compared to before, she looks quite grown up now. And if I count from when we started our terrorist activities together... it's been almost three years already.

"Sigh."

Since deciding to become Egostic and engage in terrorism, I've come a long way. Recruiting Ego-stream members, helping Stardust grow, traveling abroad to meet villains from other countries. So much has happened.

Which means the world is about to get hardcore. Actually, it's surprising the world hasn't collapsed already. Villains far outnumber heroes, and each villain has extraordinary powers. The only reason other countries remain relatively peaceful is because most villains are concentrated in America.

...Even in our country, mega-corporations control everything from finance to politics. I've heard that the prime minister can be replaced with just one word from Lee Seol-ah. Of course, that chairperson is in cahoots with a villain. That villain being me.

In conclusion, it wouldn't be surprising if something happened in this world at any moment.

And soon, something big is going to happen.

"Da-in?"

"...Yes?"

While I was lost in thought, a voice suddenly came from behind me.

When I turned around, I saw Su-bin with a slight smile, holding a cup of tea.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out in the cold. Have some warm tea."

"Ah, thank you."

I thanked Su-bin and took the mug of tea she offered.

It was warm when I took a sip.

"What were you thinking about so deeply?"

After handing me the tea, she leaned against the railing and asked me that question.

"Oh, just thinking about various things. What to do next... that sort of thing."

"Hmm."

Su-bin was silent for a moment at my words, then smiled faintly and turned to me.

"Da-in... please don't push yourself too hard."

Su-bin spoke in a warm voice.

Hmm, have I seemed like I've been overexerting myself lately?

As I was choosing my words, Su-bin continued speaking to me.

"I know you know a lot and are working hard for this world... but sometimes, isn't it okay to take a breather? If you get too immersed in work, your efficiency might actually drop."

Su-bin said with another gentle smile.

...Hmm, I don't think I'm pushing myself too hard. Aren't I taking enough breaks while getting everything done?

"You're right. I'll keep that in mind."

Somehow feeling like I shouldn't argue, I simply nodded in agreement.

With that gentle smile, Su-bin went back inside. Since it was getting cold anyway, I followed her back into the house.

When we returned to the living room together, Su-bin smiled slightly and spoke to me in a joking manner.

"Well, no matter how unstable the world is these days, it's not like it's going to suddenly end tomorrow or anything."

"...Haha, right."

I forced a smile at her words, unconsciously glancing at the calendar hanging in the hallway.

Well, Su-bin.

The world isn't going to end tomorrow, that's true.

But, actually, it's going to end next week.

Of course, I kept my mouth shut about that.

Anyway, well.

It will all become undone anyway.

***

The original "Stardust!" was quite bleak until the middle part, but there were still readers who followed it with hope. From the beginning, there was a hint that Stardust had a special power different from others. The author even mentioned that the source of her power was different from other heroes.

Because of this, readers maintained hope even as they watched Stardust struggle among villains. Yes! Someday Stardust will suddenly awaken her hidden power and beat up all the other villains!

What shattered these readers' mental fortitude was an issue that came without any foreshadowing in the middle of the story—a sudden world-ending episode.

The content of the episode was simple.

Suddenly, associations and governments from around the world, along with ability users, all began attacking the world. Nuclear bombs were flying, cities were burning, and heroes went mad and destroyed cities.

An episode depicting the world collapsing in an instant. It appeared out of nowhere. In a world that was rapidly falling apart, Stardust, somehow unaffected, struggled alone.

Naturally, readers were in an uproar. The process of the world collapsing in just one day was covered in three episodes, and since only one episode was released per week, this storyline lasted three weeks for readers. During that time, all sorts of rumors circulated, from claims that the author had gone mad to various other speculations. While there had been some foreshadowing about the end of the world, like the Moon Church's dimensional experiment and the existence of "God," this apocalypse had nothing to do with any of those elements.

After three painful weeks, everything ended in the final episode. The American S-class hero Ex Machina, who had regained his senses and was the only one capable of manipulating time, sacrificed himself to turn back the world's time and prevent the apocalypse. Thus, all those events "never happened," and the episode ended. Naturally, almost everyone, including Stardust, couldn't remember anything, and the world regained peace.

'...Anyway.'

That shocking episode is about to begin soon. There's virtually nothing I can do about it. I have no idea what the trigger is. Based on the circumstances, I can only guess that perhaps an insane S-class villain with the ability to cause chain reactions of mental contamination might appear. I can't know for sure because that part of the original comic was almost entirely from Stardust's perspective.

In any case, as they say, if you can't avoid it, enjoy it. I decided to use this event to my advantage.

After time was reversed in the apocalypse episode, for some reason, the identity of the time manipulator Ex Machina and his death were revealed and reported worldwide.

I used this point to my advantage by revealing information about Ex Machina in advance at the S-class villain meeting Kathedal. Everyone might be skeptical now, but once the official information comes out, they'll believe what I said. That's how I'll gradually expand my influence.

Actually, there wasn't much else I needed to prepare.

After all, all of this will "never happen," and I'll just spend the day as if it were ordinary. Of course, I'll experience the apocalypse, but since time will be reversed and everyone will forget, it doesn't matter.

So until then, I spent my days normally.

Coaching our PMC Ego-squad members one by one, preparing for the next terrorist attack, selecting information to release at Kathedal, choosing villains to deal with in advance, helping members with training. Just normal days like that.

Of course, I did make minimal preparations.

...Although no one will remember the world ending this time, it's still something we'll experience.

And in the original work, Stardust, not knowing that time would be reversed later, tried to stop the collapsing world on her own, crying and struggling.

...I had no intention of letting that scene play out again.

What? It's an event that will be erased from the timeline, something no one will remember?

That doesn't matter. Even if it's just for my own satisfaction.

I can't bear to see Stardust suffer again.

Even if I can't stop the apocalypse with my power, I can at least do that much.

So I prepared little things bit by bit.

The reason I told Stardust we'd meet again during our last terrorist attack was precisely because of this day.

Anyway, time flew by as I prepared.

And finally.

The day arrived.

"Oppa, what are you doing?"

In the living room that morning.

At that moment when everyone was gathered there, I was intently watching the TV.

[At this hour, America is still celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the American branch association in front of the Statue of Liberty.]

Along with the anchor's words, the image of the Statue of Liberty appeared on the screen.

I was watching it intently.

Yes, five minutes left.

The beginning of all destruction.

[[The head of the Statue of Liberty suddenly exploded, marking the beginning of the tragedy.]]

Yes.

When the head explodes, all the events of destruction will begin.

However, if it doesn't explode, it means the apocalypse has already happened, and time has been reversed due to Ex Machina's sacrifice. It would mean I've already experienced the entire apocalypse but am sitting here unable to remember because time has been reversed.

Now, will it explode or not?

I watched the TV intently, and at the moment the minute hand pointed to the hour.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-

[AAAAAAHHHHH!]

On the screen, the head of the Statue of Liberty exploded into pieces.

"Huh, what's happening?"

As our Ego-stream members were panicking at that moment.

"Tsk."

I stood up and naturally took out what I had prepared in advance from my pocket.

It seems I've landed in a timeline where I need to clean up this mess.