I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With

423 – Somewhere Beyond

‘Hello. I’m Ego Stick!’

‘…Star Dust. You can do it.’

‘With this… the debt is, cough. Repaid.’

‘Star Dust. Haven’t I always said, my only hero is you.’

‘…Okay. I will never leave you again. I’ll always be by your side. If that’s what you want.’

‘Cough… Ha… hahahaha…’

‘…Ha ha. St, Star Dust.’

…Please.

Be happy until the end.

“Sniff…”

On the bed.

Star Dust, burying her face in the pillow, opened her eyes.

The moist eyes she felt even without realizing.

Always like this, while sleeping, wiping the tears that flowed,

Star Dust, with her blonde hair sprawling, sat up on the bed.

…For the past three months since Ego Stick’s death,

she was always like this.

Unable to get a proper sleep.

When she lay down, his thoughts came.

When she dreamed, his image appeared.

Always starting the day with red eyes without getting proper sleep had become a habit.

She missed Ego Stick.

She couldn’t believe, couldn’t accept his death.

Without him, she couldn’t go on with life.

So,

she decided to bring him back to life, along with everyone else.

Even if they had to pour everything into it.

And finally, the moment to reap the fruit of their labor came.

Finally, today was the day.

‘…Yes.’

She could do it.

Surely, when he returned, she could see him again.

With that resolve,

Star Dust opened the door and went out.

The room she was currently staying in was one room in Ego Stick’s mansion, given to her by the Ego Stream members.

So, as she stepped out into the hallway,

…Star Dust saw her who, just like herself, was coming out of her room.

“…Ah. Unnie.”

It was Han Seo-Eun.

…Whether she also cried in her sleep, with red eyes, she greeted Star Dust in her pajamas.

Seeing her like that, Star Dust gave a bitter smile and greeted back.

…Han Seo-Eun.

Until now, Star Dust didn’t know much about Han Seo-Eun, other than she was a hacker under Ego Stick,

but living together recently, she got to know her well.

Outwardly she may seem curt, but she was a girl with a softer heart than anyone.

…And she, too, relied heavily on Ego Stick just like herself. They knew each other since childhood, didn’t they?

Perhaps that’s why Han Seo-Eun suffered the most.

…She would sob every night in the next room, to the point where Star Dust stayed with her some nights.

‘Oppa always comes in my dreams…’ As she sobbed in the middle of the night, Star Dust wiped her tears and comforted Han Seo-Eun.

In fact, the situation was similar for others as well.

…That’s why, living together, she could see.

How much they all followed Ego Stick.

…And how broken they were without him.

‘…Yes.’

She could do it.

Certainly, once they get back, she could see him again.

With that resolution,

Star Dust stood up from her place.

The room she was currently staying in was one of Ego Stick’s mansion rooms, given to her by the members of Ego Stream.

As she stepped out into the hallway,

…Star Dust saw her, just like herself, emerging from her room.

“…Ah. Unnie.”

It was Han Seo-Eun.

…Whether she also cried in her sleep, with red eyes, she greeted Star Dust in her pajamas.

Seeing her like that, Star Dust gave a bitter smile and greeted back.

…Han Seo-Eun.

Until now, Star Dust didn’t know much about Han Seo-Eun, other than she was a hacker under Ego Stick,

but living together recently, she got to know her well.

Outwardly she may seem curt, but she was a girl with a softer heart than anyone.

…And she, too, relied heavily on Ego Stick just like herself. They knew each other since childhood, didn’t they?

Perhaps that’s why Han Seo-Eun suffered the most.

…She would sob every night in the next room, to the point where Star Dust stayed

with her some nights.

‘Oppa always comes in my dreams…’ As she sobbed in the middle of the night, Star Dust wiped her tears and comforted Han Seo-Eun.

In fact, the situation was similar for others as well.

…That’s why, living together, she could see.

How much they all followed Ego Stick.

…And how broken they were without him.

So,

They absolutely had to find him back.

And finally, today has come.

“Seo-eun, are you ready?”

“…Yes. In a moment, after everyone washes up and gathers themselves, we’ll begin.”

Answering Stardeus’s question with a determined expression, Seo-eun soon moved her steps.

And not long after,

In the basement, an open meeting room where everyone gathered.

There, Seo-eun declared staunchly in front of the blackboard.

“Today, we’re going to the afterworld.”

The time has come.

***

Reviving Egoistic.

…Reviving someone already dead was not rational, and naturally, such an event had never occurred.

However,

Their persistence managed to concretize a plan for Egoistic’s resurrection.

And it all started with a minor discovery.

“…It’s strange.”

After the Sun God’s demise, while everyone’s supernatural powers were gradually weakening,

Celeste discovered that not only did her power not disappear, but it seemed to be growing stronger.

And it wasn’t just her, Stardeus was the same.

Even though Baek Eun-Wol used independent, magical powers and was not weakened, why was Stardeus growing stronger?

In order to resolve this question, they scoured through information left by Egoistic and ancient texts.

Thus, they were able to draw one conclusion.

“…It seems that due to the death of the god, divinity is being inherited by the successor.”

Exactly, all of the previous god’s power was concentrating on the one with the greatest share of divinity.

…While they didn’t know how things would develop or in which direction they would go,

Separately from that,

Through Celeste, who inherited divinity, one fact was revealed.

“…Somehow, I can feel the presence of those who possess the power of the sun around me.”

Precisely, she could feel the presence of those who possessed the power of the sun.

Perhaps, as one who inherited a large share of divinity, it was an ability to feel the power that was distributed to her.

However,

…If so,

Shouldn’t Stardeus, who seemed to have inherited the divinity of the Star, also

be able to feel the souls in the afterworld that possess the power of the star?

When this fact was uncovered and an optimistic atmosphere was formed,

“…But, Haru Unni. It will also be difficult.”

Ha Yul, who was looking at the papers, spoke with a gloomy expression.

Firstly, all the souls that have lived in the world so far would be gathered in the afterworld.

Certainly, there must already be those who died in ancient times possessing the power of the star.

Even in modern times alone, excluding Ex Machina, Celeste knew of a few more individuals.

Then certainly, how would they sift through so many souls in the vast afterworld,

how would they find each one possessing the power of the star?

To that question,

Stardeus, as if it was nothing, answered.

“We have to try.”

We have to try. Because, if there’s a possibility of saving Egoistic, they had to try any method.

Even so, there wasn’t only bad news.

“…I asked my father…”

Eun-Wol, who met with the Moon God,

…After learning how to go to the afterworld and having some time left, Baek Eun-Wol asked a few more questions she was curious about.

Thus, she learned one thing.

‘…Yes, the afterworld is a space I created. There, the concept of time doesn’t exist. Perhaps, even if you stay there and return to reality, time will not have passed.’

Exactly, the time in the afterworld did not share time with reality.

This meant that the time spent exploring itself would not be a problem.

Of course, it wasn’t only good news.

“…And, the Moon God said. About the Star God…”

‘The Star God… perhaps, he bestowed more power to stop the Sun God during that process and seems to have perished.’

Exactly, the Star God had perished after exhausting all his power.

…However, as Stardeus had anticipated this, the shock was less. If the Star God hadn’t perished, Stardeus’s power wouldn’t have continued to grow in the first place.

Anyhow, if they summarized their plan to revive Egoistic,

Go to the afterworld, find Egoistic with Stardeus’s power,

give him Stardeus’s power to amplify his divinity, and summon Egoistic to this world in the form of an advent.

And finally, after even learning how to go to the afterworld,

With the secret help of those who found out what they were doing, such as Atlas, Katana, and the Association, all preparations were completed.

Finally, the time had come.

uuung

A huge magic circle.

Above it, Ego Stream members all stood with resolute faces.

“Alright, everyone heard the plan, right? In a moment, we will all enter the afterworld.”

In front of the magic circle.

Subin, standing in front, spoke while reading the documents.

A magic circle heading to the afterworld, created by Eun-Wol who was taught the design by the Moon God.

…Except for a few for the Order, everyone was standing on the magic circle, waiting for the next moment.

Since they didn’t know what was in the afterworld,

they decided to go all together, to prepare for any dangers.

“Alright, everyone, we have the small stones I gave you, right? If you crush them in your hand, you’ll return to reality.”

And just before departing,

From noble mtl dot com

Seo-eun also gave the last briefing.

The moonstone, engraved with a small magic circle, placed in their hands.

The key to return to this world, containing Eun-Wol’s power.

And,

“…Let’s depart.”

Wearing a suit, Stardeus, nodding her head, finished her words.

“Whew….!!”

Eun-Wol, sitting in front of the magic circle, inserted her magic power, and

together with it,

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

With a feeling of dizziness,

everyone’s vision was flipped.

And,

Whooooooooo-

“…Cough. Cough.”

“Is everyone okay? …Ah. This place is…”

“Haah. Moon magic is not easy. …So, this place is…”

With a chilling sensation,

Stardeus and the others realized where they had arrived.

A seemingly empty cave.

…As soon as they arrived and checked their bodies, they realized there were no significant changes. They were still wearing the same clothes.

However,

…somehow, they felt somewhat lighter.

According to the Moon God… they must have all arrived in a soul state.

“…Shall we go for now?”

After everyone calmed down,

they decided to walk forward.

How long had they walked?

They finally reached the end of the cave.

And then,

“…Wow.”

They finally arrived on a cliff.

And spread out below that cliff was,

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

Overwhelming.

Really overwhelmingly spread out to the horizon, an open plain.

Under the black sky, on that open plain,

…numerous people stood, filling the plain.

And those people spread out in all directions, to an extent that was immeasurable.

“…All of those are souls.”

Looking at the scene,

Subin sighed and murmured.

Sehee, with a solemn look in her eyes, spoke while gazing at the scene.

“…It seems there is no particular danger for now… sigh. If we check each one, it will take thousands of years. Stardeus, do you feel anything?”

At Sehee’s words,

Stardeus, eyes closed, standing on the cliff, spoke.

“…I feel it.”

At the calmly spoken words of Stardeus,

Those who had been anxiously watching her were suddenly excited and asked her.

“Really?”

“Really?? Can you feel Oppa?”

“…Stardeus. Is it true? Where, where do you feel it…!”

In response to their reactions,

Stardeus slowly opened her eyes, shook her head, and spoke.

“…I feel it, but there are too many. I can’t determine exactly who is Egoistic. However.”

With that,

Stardeus, clenching her fist,

…with an unknowingly trembling voice,

looked beyond the horizon, eyes shining, and spoke.

“He must be somewhere here.”

“We can find him. Definitely.”

Even if it takes hundreds, thousands of years.

They could find Egoistic. Dain.

Stardeus was confident of that.