Chapter 240 - Sea

# Quality Terror

What I always worry about is how to more effectively help Stardust grow when I'm terrorizing her.

"Hmm..."

Back in Seo-eun's basement after a long time.

In the meeting room I usually use for planning terror attacks, I stood alone quietly staring at the massive screen attached to one wall.

What appeared on the screen that completely filled one wall was an enormous map.

And on it, various villains' faces were marked like icons.

Roughly the locations of all the S-class villains I've discovered so far.

It shows only the ones I've identified among the countless villains who will appear like mushrooms after rain in the latter half of the original story when everything goes to hell.

My role is to choose which ones to leave alone and which ones to handle instead of Stardust.

Although there's still quite a bit of time before they start their activities, I prefer to prepare in advance. Later on, I might not have enough time... or I might not even be around.

"Let's see..."

I muttered as I clicked the pointer.

While Stardust, once she's strong enough, could handle most ordinary villains on her own, there are those who would be difficult even for her current self. Some are simply too powerful, or like Scream Maker who appears once and massacres hundreds of people...

If I don't clean them up, there's simply no other way. Since Stardust is just one person, I need to do at least this much. One small mistake and this country falls apart. In the original story, how many times did New Seoul get destroyed or collapse?

Still, thinking that Stardust can sleep soundly every night thanks to my efforts gives me strength. Do people realize how many times higher the monthly death toll would be if I hadn't been causing this chaos behind the scenes? I can't help but think it's a miracle the country survived in the original story.

"Well..."

Right. That's enough idle thoughts.

I began my analysis in earnest. Starting with who to eliminate, whether to broadcast when eliminating them, or if Stardust could handle them so I could leave them alone, and so on.

Especially those idiots in the original story who launched terror attacks at night and got torn apart by Shadow Walker—I need to consider the possibility that they might attack during the day due to the butterfly effect.

After diligently examining my memories of the original story and the data, time passed in an instant.

And so, with my hands resting on the conference table, I quietly looked at the conclusion I had reached.

"....."

Almost all villain icons on the map had been marked with an X.

...Hmm, when am I going to take all these guys down?

I scratched my head.

Well, in my defense, I have my reasons. When I imagine these guys fighting Stardust, scenes from the original story flash before my eyes, cold sweat runs down my back, and I can picture Stardust rolling on the ground...

Anyway, I think I need to remove a few of them from the list.

Aside from when I'll eliminate them all, if I kill all these guys, who will Stardust fight?

Ah, of course there is a way.

I could directly cause terror attacks in their place.

"....Hmm."

But that's easier said than done.

I rolled my pen between my fingers, sat down in the chair in front of the table, and pondered for a moment.

There are several reasons why I cause terror attacks.

One is to make my presence known, to constantly remind our country—the whole world—that I am a villain. Also to demonstrate my power...

And.

Most importantly, to help Stardust grow.

Yes.

Whenever I carry out a terror attack, I try to give Stardust an opportunity to grow, like the saying "the redder the better."

And the best way to do that is to recruit other powerful ability users and pit them against her. Specifically, focusing on ability users from whom Stardust can learn something during the fight.

Come to think of it, it's about time for another terror attack.

Plus, Kathedal is right around the corner.

...Tsk. I need to think of a strategy to entice Li Xiaopeng for my East Asian villain alliance plan...

As I was thinking about this.

-Knock knock.

The door outside the meeting room was knocked on, then opened, and Eun-wol's head peeked in.

"Da-in oppa. Su-bin unnie says dinner is ready and to bring you."

"Oh, really? Is it that time already?"

I muttered while checking the time.

...It's already night. They say time flies when you're working, and it's true.

I got up from my seat, turned off the lights, and walked toward Eun-wol.

"Alright, Eun-wol. Let's go."

"Yes."

"Ugh... my back. What were you doing before dinner, Eun-wol?"

"I was in my room researching what Da-in oppa taught me last time. But it's a bit difficult on my own... Could you help me today, oppa?"

"Huh?"

After walking to the teleportation device in the basement to go eat, and then climbing the stairs back to the mansion.

While walking along the rather long path with Eun-wol and chatting about various things, she asked me that.

Difficult... what did I teach her last time?

Moving my brain, which was tangled from continuous villain research, I finally remembered. Ah, right. I asked Eun-wol to help with that magic circle research.

With the Moonlight Church incident approaching, the key to resolving this issue was, naturally, Eun-wol. As a former priestess of the Moonlight Church, she knew the church better than anyone and was the only one who could decode and modify their magic circles.

That's why I had been having Eun-wol study advanced magic circles. Combining my knowledge from the original story with what the Vine Witch had taught me.

...I should probably have a serious conversation with Eun-wol soon.

But anyway, I'm proud of how diligently Eun-wol is studying, so of course I should help her.

Therefore, I couldn't ignore Eun-wol's pleading eyes as she looked up at me.

"Sure, after dinner I'll help you as much as I can."

I can at least help her think through things with my knowledge of the original story.

Hearing my words, Eun-wol smiled and thanked me.

...Yes. As long as Eun-wol smiles brightly, that's enough. I still have some work left to do, and I need to figure out how to persuade that Chinese villain... but I guess tomorrow's me will take care of that.

With that thought, I arrived at the kitchen.

After eating dinner with everyone, I followed Eun-wol to her room and spent time researching together.

...For the record, I stayed up all night catching up on pending work.

Anyway, time passed quickly.

And before I knew it, the day had arrived.

The day I had to attend another regular villain meeting.

And.

[Da-in, you haven't forgotten, right?]

"No, Katana."

[Good. Then I'll see you then.]

Before going to the meeting, I went to meet Katana.

We had promised to meet and go together the next time we attended Kathedal.

...More precisely, with Atlas, who had earnestly requested that we come this time.

***

And now.

"Da-in?"

"...Yes?"

"I think we've arrived."

"Ah! Yes. We have arrived."

Lost in thought about today's events while absentmindedly staring at the ocean outside the submarine, I snapped back to reality at Katana's words.

"Well then, shall we disembark?"

"Yes."

And so we stepped into Latis City, riding what Atlas had prepared for us—a submarine... though it looked more like a mysteriously crystalline, shell-like object. Atlas had invited both Katana and me. He asked us to come visit.

So we met earlier than the meeting time and descended into the depths of the sea on the deep-sea transportation he had prepared in advance.

Somehow prepared in advance, as we exited, we entered directly into the interior of a city without water.

"Wow..."

"Haha, amazing, isn't it? I was surprised too when I first came here."

I smiled and said that to Katana, who was looking around and letting out small exclamations of wonder.

Latis City. The base of Atlas's organization, Team Lapis, and a city of sea people built in the middle of the deep sea.

Proving why Atlas is counted among the world's top three villains, it was a city of truly enormous scale.

So impressive that even Katana, who is usually emotionless and restrained, couldn't help but be amazed.

Built inside a dome made of thin glass mesh in the blue ocean depths, it was a place where you could see the entire ocean when you looked up. Somehow, despite being in the deep sea, it was as bright as morning, making the underwater scenery clearly visible.

A dreamlike landscape where turtles and fish swam around white buildings surrounded by blue water and swaying seaweed.

...I'm not sure how turtles and colorful tropical fish can live in the deep sea, but I decided to let it go. Must be Atlas's taste, I guess.

Anyway, unlike me who had grown accustomed to it after visiting a few times, Katana was still glancing around curiously at the city. Well, aside from Kathedal, this was her first time abroad since she followed me to Korea.

So I followed Atlas's minion, the so-called fish-man with a fish face, giving Katana a tour of the city as we headed toward the central temple where Atlas would be waiting.

And when we arrived there.

"Hahaha! Greetings, my friends!"

Atlas rose from his throne and welcomed us cheerfully with a hearty laugh.

"Ah, hello..."

Along with his daughter Ariel, who had long blue hair and was blushing shyly.