I Woke Up as the Villain

The next day, Choi Yu-Seong was discharged from the hospital. There wasn't really a need for him to stay in the hospital, and he thought it would be better for him to move around a little.

It was only under the doctor’s extreme insistence that Yu-Seong reluctantly underwent additional treatments from the Recovery player’s skills. Although the treatments were somewhat cumbersome, he was somewhat addicted after receiving them.

‘I felt powerless when the Chakra disappeared…but this feels quite refreshing.’

The treatments infused energy into Yu-Seong, who was more revitalized than when he had gotten a glucose IV after his corporate days had tired him out.

‘I wish the Recovery skill could also heal Jin Do-Yoon's injury.’

Unfortunately, to be able to fix broken body parts with the Recovery skill in this world, one had to achieve at least the minimum rank of SS. And so far, there were no SS-ranked Recovery hunters who could possibly help.

‘Recovery hunters probably have a hard time passing the promotion exam.’

That was why recovery hunters of B-rank or higher were often promised significantly higher pay than the other type of players. It was also the reason why the vice chairman of Kim Do-Jin’s guild—Eclipse, Baek Ah-Rin, had become a companion of the protagonist.

‘She is a future SS-rank Recovery hunter, and also has Support-type abilities as well.’

Although she hasn't particularly encountered Yu-Seong yet, Baek Ah-Rin was also a character as reliable as the protagonist Kim Do-Jin's companion.

‘And there’s Jin Do-Yoon’s incident... Ultimately, my party also needs someone with great recovery abilities like Baek Ah-Rin." 

However, among hunters, there was no one other than Baek Ah-Rin with such outstanding recovery abilities. That was why Choi Yu-Seong was looking more toward the future.

‘If the tower opens, I'll definitely get my hands on it no matter what other things happen.’

‘Pet’ was considered the strongest title among those of simple recovery.

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‘The Cyanic Wind Spirit Cat.’

If Yu-Seong could only get this mythical creature, he knew that it would surely be more reliable than any other Recovery hunter.

‘And...what kind of incident or object will there be around spring? Oh right, there’s the ancient artifact, the Book of Faust. I'll have to give that to Chae Ye-Ryeong. Maybe not the ones Kim Do-Jin will obtain, but I’ll monopolize all the objects that the villains used, as long as their source is certain.’

During the remaining time until his mana recovered, Choi Yu-Seong spent his days organizing his thoughts and checking the original novel's contents. He did some light exercises to loosen up his body, but he didn't push himself too hard or exert himself too much during his training. It was a short period of rest until his abilities returned.

While he was doing that, Choi Yu-Seong called Choi Woo-Jae, who would be the most curious about the match. However, for some reason, he didn't pick up the phone. Not only that, but he didn't call Yu-Seong back.

‘I wonder if something happened to him?’

Choi Yu-Seong was momentarily worried. He couldn't help but be surprised at his own emotions.

‘Is it because I'm so used to calling him father, father…’

Suddenly, the thought that he considered the chairman, who used to only seem scary and intimidating to him, as a family member crossed his mind. The strange thing was that the thought didn't feel bad.

- I am too busy to contact you for a while.

Fortunately, Choi Woo-Jae responded before another day passed by. It was a short message, but since it was written in his characteristic manner, there was nothing to be suspicious about.

And around the time when Choi Yu-Seong’s mana fully returned, which was five days later, Bernard Yoo regained consciousness in the hospital room.

***

Bernard Yoo opened his eyes in the hospital room. The first thing that came to his mind, as expected, was the match. He muttered, “I lost."

Despite the certain words, Meghan, who was silently standing by Bernard’s side, nodded in agreement. "It's a disappointing result."

"Are you not surprised?" Bernard asked.

Meghan smirked and sat down next to Bernard Yoo. She said, "Bernard. You did your best but still couldn't defeat Choi Yu-Seong. Doesn’t that mean he was that amazing?"

"Yes."

"Then that's enough. It was an amazing competition. How can you always win? It's possible to lose, too. You will win next time."

"...Thanks, Meghan," said Bernard Yoo, smiling wryly.

He then nodded firmly.

'Next time...' 

Bernard Yoo could win and he would make sure that happened. His gaze became determined again. Then, he asked Meghan for his cell phone and called his grandfather, Chairman Yoo, right away.

- Oh, my dear grandson, Bernard. Are you alright?

As if he had checked the caller id, Chairman Yoo answered the phone with a friendly voice and asked about Bernard’s well-being first.

"Yes, grandfather. My body is rather strong... I think I will be fine in a few days."

- The doctor said that your injuries are on the more serious side, but you will recover soon. On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong...

Bernard Yoo thought that Chairman Yoo was dragging out the sentence on purpose. Feeling too curious when Chairman Yoo's voice trailed off, Bernard couldn’t help but ask, "What happened to Choi Yu-Seong?"

- It seems that he might become Mana-deficient. He may have over-exerted himself during the Demon King Worshipers’ sudden assault.

"...Mana-deficient?" Bernard Yoo looked at Meghan in surprise. He noticed that she looked equally surprised by the news, shaking her head in disbelief.

- This is information obtained in secrecy. It hasn't been told to anyone yet. Anyway, it became a fierce game because of the mages—the Demon King Worshipers. But since the outcome caused the boy to be Mana-deficient, it's okay to consider it your victory.

“No, no. Wait a moment, grandfather,” said Bernard Yoo as he quickly lowered his head. He was quickly overwhelmed by a complicated mix of thoughts in his head.

'Now that I think about it... Choi Yu-Seong was somewhat strange.'

The villains’ sudden attack and the fierce battle that followed had happened so quickly that he hadn’t had the time to think about it. However, looking back, there were definitely many strange things that had occurred during that time.

'Choi Yu-Seong single-handedly took down a B-rank villain, and even an Orc War Chief?' 

Yu-Seong was just a D-rank player, and even a lower level than Bernard himself.

Without Yu-Seong trapping Marlon in a corner, Bernard would not have been able to get close enough to defeat him. In fact, it was likely that Bernard would have been the one to fall in the battle. No matter how much the mind surpassed the limits of the body and pushed it, there was still only so much that could do.

'Choi Yu-Seong's movements...definitely weren't D-rank.' 

Bernard Yoo felt like he had a headache.

Sometimes, there were players who possessed the ability to temporarily gain immense strength by compromising their own lives or futures. Bernard had the impression that Choi Yu-Seong possessed such a skill, so he also wondered why Yu-Seong had used it.

‘It's my fault.’

Bernard was somewhat closer to a power type, while Yu-Seong was a little closer to a speed type. If Yu-Seong had used Bernard as bait for the two B-rank villains, then he could have escaped once a window of opportunity had shown up.

‘But because of the injury I inflicted on him…’

Yu-Seong might have chosen to sacrifice himself and not abandon Bernard Yoo because he couldn't bring himself to do such a selfish thing. With that thought, Bernard's head pounded.

"I lost," Bernard Yoo said with difficulty.

- What?

Chairman Yoo asked, expressing surprise.

"Grandfather, Choi Yu-Seong is really strong," Bernard said.

- …

There was a brief silence. It only broke when the chairman spoke in a low, heavy voice over the phone.

- Anyway, that guy is Mana-deficient. The video didn’t even capture you guys entering the boss room. If it’s announced that he failed because he lost control and went berserk, we can change the record for it to be your win. "

"...What?" Bernard was surprised by the chairman’s unexpected suggestion.

- We will announce that you won. It's fine, Bernard. Trust this old man. I will make sure that no one ruins your career...

"Grandfather!" Bernard shouted in opposition.

- Listen to this old man! If it becomes known that we lost in this state, do you think that venomous Chairman Choi will stay quiet? Like I said, on your shoulders...

The chairman raised his voice as if to drown Bernard out. However, before he could finish speaking, Bernard interrupted him.

"Grandfather, please listen to me!" Bernard yelled. His face was flushed from the anger he felt.

He had already accepted the outcome of the match. Even amidst all this, he had come to realize the sacrifices that Choi Yu-Seong had made. But now, his grandfather was suggesting to manipulate the official record of the match. That was outrageous. At least in regards to the result of this match, he couldn't compromise.

This was the first time Bernard had raised his voice in front of Chairman Yoo. He was driven by his refusal to accept this decision.

- Yoo Jae-Yeol.

The chairman's voice was laced with both anger and confusion.

"I did my best because of the burden on my shoulders. I gave it my all because I didn't want to disappoint those who rely on me. But is this just about me? Am I the only one being affected here?"

- Being selfish isn't always a bad thing, Jae-Yeol. You just don't understand the world yet.

"No, your world is a bad one, grandfather."

- Yoo Jae-Yeol…

"Make the announcement as you see fit. But if you lie, then...I won't stay quiet either."

- Are you really going to bully this old man? Do you dare? Do you think you can get away with it?

"It doesn't matter if it's not okay! Money, honor, whatever you have given me… Take it all back. I am Bernard Yoo. I am not a toy for you to brag about," said Bernard Yoo, cutting off the call gruffly.

If the call was prolonged, it would only be Chairman Yoo trying to convince Bernard to change his mind. Bernard didn't want to listen to that anymore. It was the first time the once beloved and kind voice of his grandfather had sounded so unpleasant to him.

‘Buzzzzz, uz-!’

The phone that had been thrown on the hospital bed continued to buzz, scolding Bernard Yoo. He buried his face in the blankets and blocked his ears as if to ignore it.

Meghan, who had been watching Bernard from the side, slowly moved. She picked up the phone from the hospital bed and looked at Bernard. Then, without hesitation, she opened the hospital window and extended her hand with the phone in her grip. She slowly strengthened her grip…

Smash-!

The small phone was crushed by the merciless strength of an S-rank hunter and scattered into the air. Bernard Yoo raised his head at the sudden cold wind and confirmed the scene. He then widened his eyes.

"Well done, Bernard. As your teacher, it feels good to see a worthy disciple," said Meghan with a satisfied smile.

"...Thank you, Meghan," said Bernard Yoo.

"What do you want to do?" asked Meghan.

"Let's run away. Grandfather will come looking for me soon," suggested Bernard Yoo.

"Understood. I will protect you to the best of my abilities, Bernard," said Meghan as she silently lifted Bernard’s rigid body.

In that short time, Bernard Yoo's eyes shone as he wondered where they should run to. He quickly said, "There is a place, Meghan. A place where Grandfather can't easily approach. That’s also where you need to be.”

It was easy for Meghan to figure out the location that Bernard was suggesting. With a nod, she asked, "Are you going to protect him from now on?"

"Yes… If he doesn't refuse," replied Bernard Yoo with a smile. He looked up at Meghan.

"If that's your will, then I will follow it to the end," said Meghan. With a smile that mirrored Bernard’s, she held onto him tight and flew out of the hospital window.

'Wait for me, Choi Yu-Seong. I'm coming.' 

Bernard’s destination was Choi Yu-Seong's house.