I Woke Up as the Villain

In order to gain the most benefits, Choi Yu-Seong had to win the upcoming match. Of course, raising his level was not the only preparation he had to make for the match.

‘I thought it would be helpful to get some information about the fight with the Orc War Chief from Kim Do-Jin…’

Unfortunately, the original novel did not have details of the fight between Kim Do-Jin and the Orc War Chief. There was just a short explanation of Kim Do-Jin’s success in the Orc War Chief Raid. That was the reason why Yu-Seong had tried to get information by directly meeting up with Do-Jin. Unfortunately, he had failed to get answers.

This was an unfortunate situation, but it wasn’t a big problem.

‘It would be helpful if I could get some information, but it’s fine if I can’t get any.’

Besides Kim Do-Jin, there were quite a few other hunters who had hunted the Orc War Chief.

'They just hunted in parties or groups, not individually.’

It was best if Yu-Seong could acquire key knowledge from an individual player, but getting general information about the Orc War Chief would be helpful too. Above all, there was an ace in the hole which Yu-Seong had prepared for this match.

Yu-Seong didn’t hastily choose to fight alone when Choi Woo-Jae had offered him the two options.

‘They would have their own strategies, but I also have some information from the original novel…and this is the time for me to use it.’

Yu-Seong was aware that clumsy methods would not work here in the real world.

Before heading to Bangbae-dong, Seoul, where Orc Village, the dungeon match’s chosen destination was located, Yu-Seong woke up early and was doing his usual morning training.

Yu-Ri passed Yu-Seong with a smile. She asked, "Jenny said she got the item you asked for. She’s at the airport. What should I do?”

This was the news Yu-Seong had been waiting for. Wiping off his sweat with a smile, he said, "Tell her to come to Bangbae-dong right away. Let's get ready and start.”

***

Originally, the dungeon racing match between Bernard Yoo and Choi Yu-Seong should have drawn great attention from the media, since both of them were rookies in the global limelight. However, the fight was essentially between the two giant groups, Cheon-Ji Group and Comet Group, so they prevented the contents of the match from being leaked to the public.

The reason was simple. Since it was a dungeon race between the son and the grandson of two conglomerate families, there would be reporters who would use drones to record what was happening inside the dungeon. However, it would be difficult to control if a large crowd gathered, not to mention, there wouldn’t be any guarantee that there weren’t any dangerous villains amongst the crowd.

In any case, both groups did not want a threat from these villains to occur amid a confrontation between their beloved grandchild and son. Naturally, the match was not known to the public and had to be carried out in secret.

A woman in her early 30s looked at Bernard Yoo, who had arrived in Bangbae-dong before her. He sat across from her on the second floor of a building overlooking Dungeon Square and was drinking coffee through a straw. She asked, "Are you nervous?"

With big and sharp eyes, the woman was a cat-like beauty with fair skin. She was like family, having helped Bernard Yoo adapt to a rather lonely life abroad.

"Nervous? No way... That word doesn't fit me, Meghan.” Bernard Yoo stopped sipping on his coffee and revealed his teeth with a bright smile.

"Bernard, do you know that the ends of your eyes are trembling? This is just like the time you took the first hunter test," she said.

"...How do you even remember that?" he said.

"Don't be too nervous. Bernard, I have no doubt that you will win. I guarantee you as an S-rank hunter," she said calmly, her facial expression showing no change at all.

Looking at her, Bernard Yoo knew better than anyone that Meghan was expressing her true feelings. To him, she was an excellent hunter, a warm sister, and a great teacher.

"Thank you, Meghan, but...what should I do with this?" Bernard asked. He took out a golden ring from his jacket pocket and placed it on the cafe table. He had deep conflict in his eyes as he twirled the ring on the cafe table.

"Whatever choice you make, I will respect it, Bernard, " she said.

"I think I'd feel more comfortable if you forced me to do something..." he said.

"Like the chairman?"

“Oh, I’d refuse if that were the case. I would get scared if you forced me like grandfather did,” said Bernard Yoo with a smile. He held the straw in his mouth again and looked at the ring with thoughtful eyes.

‘As Meghan said, I am pretty strong now.’ 

Bernard was probably the strongest out of all the existing D-ranks. He wasn't just confident of his own ability.

Bernard Yoo once had an unofficial match with Geras, who had been the top D-ranked player on the hunter’s ranking website, ‘Ranker’. Geras was quite a well-known hunter overseas. The very close match had ended with Bernard Yoo's victory. Geras had clearly admitted his defeat, affirming that the result would not change even if they fought again. In fact, Bernard Yoo's thoughts had been no different from his.

‘Rather, if we fought again, my victory would come a lot easier.’

Even Geras, a strong enough player to have been officially listed as the top D-rank player on the Ranker’s website, hadn’t been able to follow Bernard’s sense of battle. This simply proved that simple figures on a website could not capture and express all of a hunter’s abilities.

The problem was that Bernard Yoo thought that Choi Yu-Seong, who was not even at the D-rank Max level, was as strong and threatening as Geras. Thinking about this a bit more, Bernard then asked Meghan, "Meghan, don't just cheer for me, but tell me honestly. If Choi Yu-Seong and I had a simple 1:1 match, what are my chances of winning?”

"Fifty-fifty," responded Meghan without any hesitation.

"But you said that I’d win just a moment ago?"

"You asked for an honest answer. And apart from that, I think you will win this game."

"Why?"

"Because you are nervous. Your weakness is that you tend to look down on your opponent, and that stops you from doing your best. You being nervous can be seen as a good sign.”

“Am I that full of myself?”

"It can be seen as a compliment. Depends on your perspective.”

When he thought about it, Bernard Yoo had never won an argument with Meghan.

"Dang it, everything is my fault. Anyway, those odds... What if I lose to Choi Yu-Seong?”

“Are you going to lose?"

"Do I lose because I want to? It can't be helped if the opponent is too strong. Dang it, this game is too burdensome," he grumbled. With a smile, he carefully put the ring on the table, no longer spinning it around with the tip of his index finger.

At that moment, his cell phone rang. Bernard Yoo answered the phone immediately after confirming that it was from Chairman Yoo.

"Yes, Grandpa?”

- The Comet Group said they are ready. Choi Yu-Seong has arrived.

Bernard Yoo's expression changed immediately. Apart from the tension, he felt a strong competitive spirit surging inside him. He quickly said, "I'm ready as soon as I wear the battle suit. When’s the leaving time?"

- We're entering in an hour. More than that, Bernard, you haven’t forgotten this old man's words, have you? There’s a lot of responsibility resting on your shoulders.

"...Of course, Grandpa."

-Try not to think foolishly. You'll have to remember that you are Cheon-Ji Group itself during the match.

Bernard Yoo sighed deeply after the call ended. He picked up the ring from the table and put it inside his pocket. Getting up from his seat, he said, "Let's go, Meghan."

"Yes, sir." Meghan, who was struggling to think about what she could say to cheer for Bernard Yoo, stood up and followed him. She walked by his side.

Bernard Yoo’s previously tense and anxious expression was no longer there. He tried to appear calm, but his eyes revealed his overwhelming desire to win. The tension, the pressure, and all the emotions that could hold him back had disappeared.

‘Did he say that he can’t help it if his opponent is strong? I don’t think he has the slightest intention of losing.’ 

Meghan smiled at the change and looked out of the cafe window. In the distance, an Italian luxury car was heading to the parking lot.

‘It’s a shame, Choi Yu-Seong.' 

The ninth child in the Comet Group’s complex family was just starting to get attention from the family, but he would have to experience a bitter defeat this time. Of course, the risks that Yu-Seong had to face after his defeat was not anything Meghan had to think about.

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

***

Before entering Dungeon Square and heading to Orc Village, Choi Yu-Seong met Jenny, who was waiting at the entrance. He received a heavy bag from her.

"It cost about 10 billion won to get both items. I spent a little more money because I was in a hurry to get it," said Jenny.

"It's okay. At least I got them in time. Good work, Jenny," thanked Yu-Seong.

When Choi Yu-Seong patted her shoulder lightly, Jenny slightly bowed her head. It wasn't just a habitual nod. To be exact, her body reacted reflexively.

‘Is this what Yu-Ri said about the boss’ real worth?’

In order to fill the vacant position of Jin Do-Yoon, who was away for a while, Jenny had been meeting Yu-Seong face to face often recently. She felt like she was getting to know more about Choi Yu-Seong little by little. He had a threatening vibe even though he was still a D-rank player.

Jenny could now completely understand Jin Yu-Ri’s words about Yu-Seong, that while he might occasionally act like a rascal, he would someday come to his senses.

‘He is a person of high caliber.’

Yu-Seong was a late bloomer, and his ability was steadily developing day by day. Jenny wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Park Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young Kim, who were waiting for the filming, hurriedly followed behind Choi Yu-Seong and exchanged looks.

‘What's this vibe?’

‘It's no joke.’

It could not be expressed in words, but Yu-Seong’s dignified presence naturally made them bow their heads.

Was it because of how relaxed Yu-Seong was even though a pretty tense match was coming up? The two reporters thought that this vibe was not bad, although it was ambiguous. After all, one’s vibe would also be reflected in photos and videos.

Starting from today's filming, they had a hunch that Choi Yu-Seong's popularity would soar even further.

Park Jin-Hwan demonstrated his good journalism instincts and took out his camera and filmed Choi Yu-Seong's back view. When they reached the Dungeon Square’s entrance, the peak structure was fully framed in his shot too.

One person, among those who were usually called a "robot" because they only silently identified people without expressing any emotion, greeted Choi Yu-Seong with a light bow. "It's an honor to meet you. Choi Yu-Seong."

"Don't mention it. Thank you always for your hard work."

The two shook hands lightly, and Park Jin-Hwan naturally pressed the shutter and licked his lips with his tongue.

‘It's a scoop.’

Even before the match began, articles were already starting to burst.