Villain Hides His True Colors
Chapter 8

[ Level has risen. ]

[ Level has risen. ]

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.

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[ Gained a Fragment of Growth. ]

[ You’ve reached level 10. ]

[ Gained a Skill Selection (Low). ]

[ You’ve reached level 12. ]

[ Inventory expanded. ]

[ Completed Challenge ‘Clean Up the Bandits.’ ]

[ Gained a Random Box (Low). ]

[ Completed Challenge ‘Suspicious Supporter.’ ]

[ Gained a Random Box (High). ]

[ Gained achievement title ‘Novice Warrior.’ ]

[ Gained achievement title ‘The One Who Fought God.’ ]

[ Next selectable skill will vary depending on your achievements. ]

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I had no choice but to widen my eyes after checking the game log.

It was unimaginable that in just one day I had already reached level 12…

Considering the time it took me to reach this level in the past, this speed could be said to be truly out of this world.

I seemed to have hit the jackpot when the bombs exploded and it wiped out everyone at once.

Mobbing was the right answer to leveling up.

And thanks to that, the rewards had come in nicely.

I briefly summarized my newly acquired goods.

– 5x Fragment of Growth.

– 1x Skill Selection (Low).

– 1x Random Box (Low).

– 1x Random Box (High).

Hu…amazing.

I felt full just from looking at it.

Among the rewards I had received this time, one in particular caught my eyes…

…I didn’t expect to already get a high-grade box.

Originally, goods that were classified as high-grade belonged to the later content and were unobtainable at my current level.

If the suspicious thing called the Savage God hadn’t appeared, it would have been impossible for me to get such a reward.

And considering its power, it would have been normal for the current me to never defeat it.

However, in my inventory, there was an item that could be called its weakness.

As such, I was able to complete the task thanks to the proper use of an item.

In other words, I was lucky.

I had taken the body because I thought it would be fun to show it to Yifret, but I never would have imagined that it would help me in such a way.

As expected, the world was a game of luck.

Now, shall I start the settlement?

I checked my stats first.

Body: 1.21

Dexterity: 1.35

Mana: 1.08

Spirit: 1.12

“Hmm…”

If I consider Phase Change to be my main skill, then it would be best to raise my Spirit.

But if it was Vampiric Touch, then it would be correct to invest in Mana.

However, there was no need to focus on only one stat just for a skill.

Besides, until all of my stats reach 2, it was advantageous to balance them as much as possible.

That was to say the only difference was the order in which I added them, and that it didn’t make much difference in what I choose now.

I added the 5 Fragments of Growth in Body.

Body: 1.21 -> 2.15 (+0.94)

Dexterity: 1.35

Mana: 1.08

Spirit: 1.12

My priority for now should be to build up my stamina.

Especially considering that this fragile body hadn’t even hit puberty in the second round.

It was better to develop my strength even if just a little bit.

Next was skill.

To be honest, I was looking forward to the skill a little. That was because I had gained as many as two achievements this time.

Tendency: Good Karma

Description: I’m a novice warrior! Villains, show yourself!

Tendency: Feat

Description: I applaud your courage for challenging a God.

Good skills should appear.

I used Skill Selection (Low).

[ Used Skill Selection (Low). ]

[ One of the following skills can be learned. ]

(1)

Classification: Magic

Grade: E

Description: Create a pair of beads containing the power of flame.

(2)

Classification: Mortal

Grade: F

Description: Run fast after gathering strength for a short time.

(3)

Classification: Mortal

Grade: F

Description: Curl up your body to instantly increase your defense.

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What’s this?

There were only trash skills on the list.

What was going on here? Where have my achievements gone?

As soon as I thought as such, when I looked down the list a little more, separated at the bottom were skills that shone.

[Special Selection]

(a)

Classification: General

Grade: C

Description: Bonus damage against Divine targets.

(b)

Classification: General

Grade: F (Growth Type)

Description: A Warrior grows through trials.

[ Level 15 Skill Selection will be forfeited if you select a Special Skill. ]

This…?

As expected, the status window didn’t let me down.

Perhaps because the achievements this time were too good compared to my level, but there was a special selection.

As high as a C-Grade bonus damage skill and a F-Grade growth type skill that could continue to grow stronger.

In particular, the growth type skill, which was as rare as special skills.

This was absolutely amazing.

No matter which one I choose, it could be said to be a great benefit.

After a short thought, I chose one of the skills.

[ You’ve learned the skill . ]

I had chosen the growth skill.

Even taking the previous round into account, I only had a few growth skills.

Nonetheless, all of those skills were useful enough that they were my main source of strength until the very end.

The C-Grade bonus damage skill was attractive, but…there was nothing better than a growth type skill.

And in any case, there were only a few religious orders that used divinity in this world.

I didn’t feel too bad because they would all die the same if I just beat them up.

And now all that was left…

I manipulated my status window to summon the two random boxes.

A copper colored box and a gold colored box.

As expected, the highlight of gaming were gacha boxes.

I was really lucky today. And naturally, gachas should be opened when you’re lucky.

So I opened one of the boxes without hesitation.

[ Used 1x Random Box (Low). ]

The box rotated in the air as a bright blue light began to burst out.

“Oh! Is this?”

The blue effect was something that would only appear when a D-Grade or higher item came out.

I couldn’t believe it was at least a D-Grade from a low grade box! Sure enough, today was a lucky day…

[ Obtained Durable Socks. ]

“…”

I stared blankly at the socks in my hand for a while. The blue effect definitely came out earlier…So why did this come out?

No…It couldn’t be an ordinary item since it had come from a box. I shouldn’t be quick to judge because of its name.

I checked the option of the item.

Classification: Clothing

Grade: D

Description: Tough and sturdy socks.

*Can’t get wet.

*Can’t rip.

*Can’t be soiled.

“…At least it can’t get wet.”

I didn’t feel comfortable with my feet being soggy, so I changed my socks. The soft fit felt very good.

“Haa…”

I sigh without realizing it.

Had I used up all my luck for today already? If that was the case, it was right to stop the gacha here.

There was a saying that you should quit while you’re ahead in gambling, and if you endure the moment, you may win more later.

But…

Gacha wasn’t gambling, it was a love-hate affair.

With the pride of a gamer on the line, I curiously reached out to the gold box.

[ Used 1x Random Box (High). ]

The gold box floated in the air and the light leaking through the gaps continued to change.

White, green, blue, red…

The color, which had been constantly changing, turned gold at some point and emitted a dazzling light.

It slowly opened. And…

“Th-this…”

Shining brightly was an A-Grade skill.

* * * * * * * * * *

A man was quickly heading up a mountain path.

The look on his face showed that he was in a hurry, which was supported by the fact that his beard was full of sweat.

I-I have to hurry.

The man’s name was Go Changsu.

But in the slums, he was more known by the nickname Hairy.

About an hour ago.

Go Changsu heard a deafening roar as if the mountain had collapsed. It had sounded similar to when an industrial bomb used in the mines exploded.

And the direction the sound had come from was the base of the Turbak Brotherhood who he had been investigating.

As soon as he realized that, he began to run up the mountain with his heavy body.

It was only recently that he had secured evidence to punish every single of them.

However, if they were up to something, or if they had noticed and ran away, all the years he had spent would amount to nothing

Absolutely not…I can’t let them escape.

He had been constantly tracking down clues ever since the disappearance of his son.

And the clues had led him to a criminal organization in the slums.

Turbak Brotherhood.

But the evidence he had were only abstract things that had no legal basis.

So he took a risk and began to observe them himself.

Soon after, he learned that the Turbak Brotherhood had their own special ritual.

Beasts who occupied the upper part of the organization would hold a special banquet once a month.

Strangely enough, whenever the banquet was held, there would be reports of missing children in the city.

As a result, he soon realized what kind of end his son had met.

Those deplorable beasts…

Since then, he had made it his life’s goal to bring the Turbak Brotherhood to justice.

As such, he had grown a beard, and tattooed his whole body like a criminal.

It was so he could personally infiltrate Guangcheng District and collect evidence to put an end to them.

Even if I die…I can’t let them escape.

***

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

His steps became quicker and quicker.

Soon, he arrived in front of a cave located in the middle of the mountain. In front of the entrance to the cave, gruesome dried bodies could be seen scattered everywhere.

“W-was this the work of the military?”

Did someone attack this place? He thought perhaps it was the work of another group of villains fighting for their own interests.

I need to gather more information before I enter the cave.

He looked around and found the darkest shade nearby. Next, he squatted down and sprinkled a powder he had taken out.

Black shadows began to clump together and it soon floated in front of him.

*Summon Shadow

What he had summoned was a spirit of darkness called Shade.

He asked the summoned spirit.

“Hey, possess the dead body over there and replace out what happened.”

Shade shook its body as if it was bothered by his words. He bowed his head to the spirit.

“Please help me…This is related to my son Jaseung. You also want to catch them for your friend, right?”

Shade raised its head when it heard the name Jaseung from Go Changsu’s mouth. The name of its one and only friend it couldn’t protect.

It wanted to give immeasurable pain to the bastards who had killed its friend, but it also didn’t want to help the foolish Go Changsu.

Shade agonized for a while, but eventually flew toward the dead body with the feeling of reluctance.

After reading the dead body’s thoughts and leaving, Shade delivered them to Go Changsu.

*Read Thought.

Read Thought. The ability to turn emotions or short thoughts that the target felt when they were alive into shapes.

The exact scenes weren’t visible, but this clue alone could be of great help to the investigation.

Soon after, the last thoughts left by the dead body began to flow into Go Changsu’s head.

And…

Surprisingly, this place had been attacked by a single person.

Whether it was a man or a woman, the shape wasn’t clearly visible, however, the terrible evil that swirled around it was.

Wh-what the hell is this…

Did the giant evil demon living in the depth of Guangcheng District appear?

It was the most terrible existence he had ever heard of up till this point.

It’s having fun…

He felt its feelings. For some reason, the unknown existence was very happy when it had killed this person.

And the moment he faced that pure malice, he felt as if his mind was being eaten up little by little.

It was hard to watch anymore.

“Keu-keuk! S-stop!”

Shade cut off the terrible thoughts, and Go Changsu heaved.

“Heuk…heuk….For such a thing to pop out of nowhere.”

His whole body broke into a cold sweat and his legs trembled unknowingly.

If that thing was still in the cave, he might die today without knowing how.

However, on the contrary, he gave a bitter shout.

“Fuck! I’m so close! Just go back? Just a little bit more! I’m never going to give up until all of those bastards serve time in prison!”

He couldn’t stop here. He clenched his lips, recalling the face of his son.

And so, he carefully went down the dark stairs. He didn’t even want to light the way for fear his location would be discovered.

Soon, In front of his eyes, there was the sight of the ruined banquet hall.

“Wh-what’s this?”

Dead bodies were scattered everywhere, and even cement fragments had been shattered as if a bomb had exploded.

Was there really a war here? Go Changsu couldn’t keep his mouth closed while looking at the bloody scene.

Wh-what about him? What happened to him?

Yifret, the leader of the Turbak Brotherhood. He didn’t know about the others, but he had to confirm the status of Yifret.

Illuminating the water filled ground, he began to look for Yifret.

And not long after, in the middle of the cave, he found Yifret’s body with one of his arms missing.

His body was embedded with dozens of bullets and had turned into something like a rag.

It was unbelievable that the wretched corpse in front of him used to be the head of a notorious cartel.

I’ve spent over a decade in the pursuit of revenge and to catch this bastard, but this is how it ends?

It was all in vain.

Go Changsu fell down.

Despair filled his mind at the fact that in the end he couldn’t take revenge with his own hands.

However, at the same time, he felt thrilled that Yifret had eventually faced a terrible end.

At last…the bastard faced retribution.

It was something he shouldn’t have thought about as a police officer, but at this moment he wanted to thank the villain who had killed Yifret.

He bowed his head and clasped his hands to the mysterious existence.

At that very moment, something familiar floated in front of him.

W-why is this here…

Socks with ugly penguin characters on them and fit for a child. It looked exactly like the ones he had given a child a few months ago.

I-it can’t be…These socks are common.

There was no reason for these criminals to have children’s socks at the banquet hall.

He shook his head hard.

No…

If there was God in this world, something like that would never happen.

But at that moment, as if denying his own thoughts, a piece of torn long coat floated down.

Ah…

The child who always looked unhappy.

It was the very same child that he couldn’t help but notice, the one that resembled his son.

He had promised himself to tell the child the joy of this world…one day, when everything was over.

However, this time again, he had failed to keep his promise. Facing that fact, he collapsed on the spot.

“Aahh…! Noah!”

As such, to the child…who’ll never know happiness in his life, he shed tears for the boy who had lived an unfortunate life.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Ah, I had a lot of fun.”

Leaving the slums, I headed to the border of the city.

Neo Pyongyang, the city of diversity, and the world’s largest residential area where superhumans lived.

I stuck out money at the front gate and passed through confidently.

There was no need to break the law like the last round since I have a large amount of cash in my inventory now.

One way or another, I also needed to replace a place to stay.

Ah, of course, the easiest and fastest way to solve this problem would be to enter a rich home and spray a few bullets, but I won’t bother with such a method.

Because my plan was to become a hero this round.

And in order to become a great hero, thorough image management and storytelling were essential.

I recalled newspaper articles I had read in the past.

[Overcoming his poor background with the dream of becoming a hero…]

[Sent to a nursery after his parents passed away…]

[So that other children don’t have to live in a nursery like he did…]

Strangely enough, many of the famous heroes were from nurseries.

In fact, I had also attended a nursery, and it was one of the articles that the media liked to write about.

It was good for the storytelling of a hero.

But if I have to choose, it would be ideal to go to the best place among the nurseries.

So I decided to collect information.

“Ahjussi, what’s the most famous nursery around here?”

“Kid, are you alone? Hehe. Mister will tell you the location of the nursery if you become my secret friend…Keuk!”

Of course, the process of collecting information wasn’t easy.

However, when it came to fighting games, information was more valuable than any item.

I didn’t give up and persistently gathered information. And finally, I was able to visit the most famous nursery in Neo Pyongyang.

“Hello~ I’m Choi Noah. My hobby is playing games. My specialty is playing games. I look forward to working with you.”

“How much money do you have? It’s 10 won a punch if you don’t want to get hit.”

“…”

But this place…It seemed to be a famous place in a slightly different sense than I had thought.

This will be fun.

For the foreseeable future, I think I’ll be able to spend my time without having to worry about being bored.