I Woke Up as the Villain

Yu-Seong's expression momentarily froze at Woo-Jae's unexpected reaction. He had only shown that expression for a mere moment, but he knew that Woo-Jae had caught his changed reaction.

"Why? Did you think I would scold you or something?" Woo-Jae asked.

"...no," Yu-Seong replied.

"Well, I can tell just by looking at your expression. Even though you're all different in your own ways, my children all have similar traits. Haha…”

Would that be a compliment or an insult? Yu-Seong couldn't tell what Woo-Jae meant by his words.

"Can you drink?" Woo-Jae suddenly asked.

Yu-Seong was surprised by the sudden question.

‘Drinking, all of a sudden?’

One after another, Woo-Jae made unexpected offers that left Yu-Seong feeling astonished. However, Yu-Seong managed to keep his calm.

"I've been living quietly these days, but I used to be the troublemaker of the family, no?"

"So...?" Woo-Jae asked.

"...I've had my fair share of days where I drank too much and ended up causing trouble," Yu-Seong admitted.

Even if that memory wasn't truly his own, Yu-Seong had undoubtedly participated in many company dinners during his time as a game company employee. During those situations, excessive drinking of soju was the norm. Therefore, he had no reason to worry about being weak at drinking in any place.

"That was just a result of getting drunk. What I meant by my question was whether you know how to enjoy it," Woo-Jae asked again.

"Oh… Roughly I do," Yu-Seong said.

"You should learn a little. You'll need it in the future. Wine, whiskey, cognac… It would be good to know about tea as well. You'll have to meet a lot of people who enjoy these things when you become Vice President next year. You should start preparing for that now."

"I understand," Yu-Seong said.

Woo-Jae was already thinking that Yu-Seong would achieve the goal he had set for him by next year.

Yu-Seong tensed up at the realization. He knew that he couldn't afford to make a mistake while Woo-Jae trusted him so much.

"You are the third child who succeeded by earning money behind my back without being caught. I know that you are all using it for your own secret organizations or to increase your funds. And I've never scolded any of the others. I've only praised them, but remember this," Woo-Jae said, leaning forward with a sly smile. "Make sure you never get caught. Even if it's my child's, I have a habit of getting greedy for delicious food…”

"...I'll remember that," Yu-Seong replied with a quavering voice.

Woo-Jae smirked and flashed a subtle smile, then said, "That aside, there's something you need to do.”

"Something I need to do?" Yu-Seong asked.

"Take this first," Woo-Jae said as he handed Yu-Seong a document.

Yu-Seong's eyes widened in surprise as he read the title. “Dungeon special access pass…”

Yu-Seong's restrictions on entering dungeons, which were imposed on all players in Korea except for Kim Do-Jin, had been lifted.

"Unlike the temporary pass you received before, this is permanent. You can also include two more colleagues. It's what you've been hoping for," Woo-Jae said.

"Thank you!" Yu-Seong immediately bowed his head in gratitude.

Although the access pass could be immediately taken away if Yu-Seong caused an accident in a low-grade dungeon, it was a type that could be used permanently. With this, Yu-Seong's range of activities had expanded.

As Yu-Seong's face was filled with excitement, Woo-Jae let out a sinister chuckle. He said, "Recently, two new dungeons have appeared in Incheon Songdo and Busan Port. Both are ranked 6th and 7th, respectively.”

Yu-Seong's gaze instinctively shifted toward Woo-Jae's face, unable to discern his intentions. However, one thing was clear:

“So, clearing one of those dungeons would significantly boost the Comet Guild’s reputation, given that I am a B-rank member,” stated Yu-Seong.

“Yes, that essentially means accomplishing the mission I had tasked you to complete by next year,” said Woo-Jae.

Woo-Jae's task for Yu-Seong was to achieve A-rank by next year. Officially, the 6th grade dungeon was practically impossible to clear unless one was an A-rank hunter, so it was not wrong to state such a claim.

Yu-Seong thought for a moment. There were two ways to approach this.

‘The 6th ranked dungeon could be cleared relatively easily, even with only Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk.’

In fact, Yu-Seong thought it would be quite straightforward. It was because he believed that the power of the three people who had just come out of the Tower of Heaven was on a much higher level than an average A-rank hunter.

Ultimately, there was only one way to leave a strong impression in a Rank 6 dungeon.

‘To clear it solo, alone.’

Yu-Seong would have to solo clear the dungeon like the dungeon racing event. It would also be at a new dungeon with no information available, so a solo clear would attract even more attention.

‘It's a dungeon that appeared in Pyeongtaek and Busan. At this point... I'll have to go in and see, but I can roughly predict it.’

In fact, Yu-Seong was quite confident in clearing the Rank 6 dungeon by himself. However, the important thing here was that clearing the Rank 7 dungeon with three people would attract more attention.

‘Since the difficulty level increases significantly every three ranks of the dungeons.’

In other words, up to the Rank 6, skilled A-rank hunters could clear the dungeons somehow. However, the Rank 7 dungeon was completely different.

Based on the criteria of a new dungeon that had no information, it was considered necessary to have at least two S-rank hunters in order to clear it reliably. Moreover, even if they managed to clear it cleanly, any casualties in this circumstance would be a loss for the nation. Ultimately, Woo-Jae was bringing this up as a test.

‘It’s a choice between the easy path or the difficult path.’

With those choices given, Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae looked directly at each other.

"The second child will take the path that you do not choose," said Woo-Jae.

If it were Mi-Na, she could easily clear even a Rank 7 dungeon. After all, she ranked at the very top among S-rank hunters. Ultimately, the most stable choice was for Yu-Seong to choose the Rank 6 dungeon, and for Mi-Na to enter the Rank 7 dungeon.

Therefore, Yu-Seong made a choice.

"I'll choose the Rank 7 dungeon."

"Why?"

"Because I lack confidence," Yu-Seong replied.

"Huh...?"

Woo-Jae was taken aback by Yu-Seong's response, which echoed a statement that he had read in an interview during Yu-Seong's early player's examination.

"I lack confidence in failing either choice, so I have decided to challenge the Rank 7 dungeon to make an even greater impact."

"What? Hahaha-!"

"Isn't this better for you too, Father? Rather than a powerful S-rank hunter showing overwhelming strength, it's more exciting for the B-ranked rascal to turn the tables in a magnificent way. It will be a hot topic."

"Of course!" Woo-Jae shouted loudly as he looked at Yu-Seong with glittering eyes. "Now, I'm starting to look forward to how far you can go, my son."

For Yu-Seong, it was the first time he had heard the words ‘my son’ from Woo-Jae.

***

After Yu-Seong left the office, Pil-Doo strolled out slowly from the tightly packed bookshelves. Looking at the man who just appeared, Woo-Jae asked, “What do you think? He seems to be making me prouder and prouder, doesn't he?”

In front of Yu-Seong, Woo-Jae would try to come across as strict, serious, and intimidating—a typical grown-up. However, when Pil-Doo appeared in the room, Woo-Jae dropped his facade and revealed his true colors.

While Pil-Doo watched him, Woo-Jae tried hard to be careful not to speak thoughtlessly.

‘The Chairman's character is clearly not consistent with this behavior.’

Woo-Jae had always been a strict and imposing figure, even when his children were performing well. However, he seemed to treat Yu-Seong with a slightly softer approach.

Of course, Pil-Doo could easily guess the reason. Yu-Seong's mother had died, and Yu-Seong was in a more difficult situation than his other siblings. However, he was still achieving great things while growing rapidly. In fact, even Pil-Doo found it difficult to deny Yu-Seong’s true potential.

"...It's not good to focus too much on one side," said Pil-Doo.

He offered this advice with difficulty, causing Woo-Jae to stare at him with surprise.

“Secretary Kim, you're also considering Yu-Seong as the potential next Chairman, aren't you?" asked Woo-Jae.

Initially, Pil-Doo had regarded Yu-Seong as just a child, and even though he had tried to change his perception recently, the gap between Yu-Seong and his older siblings was already too significant. How could he possibly wake up and continue down the same path, just like a dragon who was once lying down and hiding its strength before?

‘During his early years, Zhuge Liang[1] was just learning to spread his wings and take flight in the world.’

However, Yu-Seong was different. He had shown too many mistakes to be considered a hiding dragon, and he had lost too much from his mistakes. Pil-Doo believed that, no matter how things turned out good, Yu-Seong would only be exhausting himself by attempting to imitate those who were superior to him.

But the more Pil-Doo watched Yu-Seong, the more he seemed to be doing quite well, and now he was slowly soaring toward the sky. In other words, Yu-Seong had begun to enter the line of the next Chairman candidate, as perceived by Woo-Jae. And even Pil-Doo was finding it hard to deny this fact.

"That's why I'm worried. It seems like I’ve already lost in the bet with you," said Pil-Doo.

How should he say this? As he pondered, Woo-Jae slammed his desk again and burst out laughing. He said, "You're not admitting defeat so easily, are you? Looks like there's no way out this time?"

“...” Pil-Doo sighed without saying a word.

At first, he couldn't have imagined that simply betting with Woo-Jae on whether or not he would follow Yu-Seong would lead to this outcome.

However, before long, Pil-Doo would find himself assisting both Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae. It was like giving new wings to a tiger that had already started to fly. Perhaps then even Mi-Na would be threatened by Yu-Seong.

Actually, to be exact, Mi-Na would surely be surpassed by him. The reason was simple:

‘Since the Second Miss has no interest in taking over the Chairman position.’

Yet, despite this, Mi-Na's involvement in company affairs was driven by a combination of Woo-Jae's stubbornness and the fault of In-Young, to some extent. Strangely, Mi-Na was opposed to even considering In-Young for the Chairman position. However, it was different if it was Yu-Seong. Therefore, the ultimate opponent that Yu-Seong had to overcome would be In-Young.

In-Young's strength was different from Mi-Na's. Despite seeming like she was fighting alone, she actually had access to powerful support from her maternal side of the family, which was not widely known. Additionally, she possessed a strong and tenacious personality. Even Pil-Doo felt distinctly fearful of fighting against In-Young.

"Don't think I'm too biased. Unlike his siblings, Yu-Seong doesn't have any maternal relatives," said Woo-Jae.

“But you said his innate ability is the best among all," said Pil-Doo.

"That is what's interesting. Hehe..." Woo-Jae stroked his short beard and looked out the window.

"I always wondered when that ability would bloom, but it seems like it's finally starting to bloom properly now. Yes, other children have secretly embezzled money from me before, but that was only possible because they relied on the power of their maternal relatives. But Choi Yu-Seong did it all by himself,” said Woo-Jae.

"It must be thanks to the capable people who helped him," said Pil-Doo.

"But isn't it important who gathered those capable individuals?"

"You're right."

Pil-Doo no longer denied Yu-Seong. He had worried before, but if Yu-Seong were to become the Chairman in such a situation, wouldn't that also be fate?

‘It also means it's time for me to give up my ambitions.’

As Pil-Doo's gaze turned to Woo-Jae with a sense of shame, he suddenly looked out the window, mirroring Woo-Jae's gaze. Then, he looked at Woo-Jae with a surprised expression.

In front of Yu-Seong, who had just opened the front door, stood In-Young. It was as if fate had brought them together.

"Did you call her?" asked Pil-Doo.

Woo-Jae nodded calmly. "Haven't they not seen each other's faces in a long time? As they are rivals who must compete for this position in the future, it's time to recognize each other."

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

As Woo-Jae smirked, a cold chill flashed across his eyes. Although he cared for Yu-Seong deeply, he was not willing to relinquish his position as the representative of the Comet Group easily.

‘Father Woo-Jae and the Chairman of the Comet Group are entirely different individuals.’

Pil-Doo thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold, feeling a mixture of fresh emotions.

1. Zhuge Liang was a famous figure in Chinese history who lived during the Three Kingdoms period. He was a renowned military strategist, statesman, and inventor known for his intelligence, wisdom, and resourcefulness. People often use his name as a reference or comparison to describe someone who has similar traits or accomplishments. ☜