I Woke Up as the Villain

In-Young, looking at the faces of the people who had gathered after receiving her call, couldn’t help but smirk. After a moment of speechlessness, she sighed. "Haa..."

"Where's Min-Seok?" asked Choi Yeo-Reum, twisting her lips.

Yeo-Reum was the seventh child of the Comet Family, and she was widely known as a player with Natural Projection skill. She smirked subtly at In-Young, seeming to mock her sister with a cynical attitude. In fact, she hadn’t even come here willingly.

"You said we’re all getting together after a long time, so what's this?" Yeo-Reum said.

"Choi Yeo-Reum, you sure talk a lot."

"Look at that, Seok-Young oppa is still sticking to In-Young unni like a bodyguard. Are you sure you two are siblings? You guys could pass as a bodyguard and his lady, haha!"

"You...!" shouted Seok-Young.

"It's okay, oppa. I'll handle it," said In-Young.

Even though Yeo-Reum was being quite rude, In-Young remained calm and spoke in a steady voice.

‘Even though she's making me angry, I still need that woman's help at the moment.’

Yu-Seong had grown quickly. He was now powerful enough to reach the tips of In-Young’s toes. In order to shake off this sense of crisis, In-Young had considered stopping her brother by injuring him in some way.

Unfortunately for her, Mi-Na’s behavior had also become increasingly difficult to tolerate.

‘If I concentrate on Choi Yu-Seong, there's a chance that Choi Mi-Na could take control of the company by herself.’

In-Young could never allow that to happen, but she couldn’t handle Mi-Na alone. This was why she had to rely on Seok-Young's help so far. Together, they could manage Mi-Na's behavior.

‘Besides, the third oppa has also provided some assistance.’

In-Young was stalling for time, knowing that she couldn't win against Mi-Na alone. Mi-Na's individual power was estimated to be comparable to Woo-Jae's, so In-Young was constantly working on increasing her strength while buying herself some time.

However, as mentioned earlier, Yu-Seong had grown rapidly and was now strong enough to reach the tips of her toes. This meant that she had to deal with him too.

And during the short period of time, she would have to face Mi-Na alone. This would certainly be a difficult task.

‘I have already informed my mother's side, so the situation should be somewhat manageable, but…’

It wouldn't be wise to rely too heavily on external forces, such as the power of her maternal relatives. In-Young needed to quickly bring Yu-Seong under control, getting out of this unfavorable situation as soon as possible. For that, Yeo-Reum's power was essential to her.

"You know, Yu-Seong is becoming uncontrollable these days," In-Young said.

"It's hard not to notice," Yeo-Reum replied.

"Doesn't it make you uncomfortable?" asked In-Young.

Yeo-Reum shrugged in response. "Not really..."

Although she sounded disinterested, her eyes flickered.

In fact, In-Young knew Yeo-Reum quite well.

‘She may act cool, but she's just a narrow-minded kid.’

Yeo-Reum clearly wasn't interested in inheriting the company. She didn’t have an interest in holding high positions like the chairman or being on the board of directors. What she wanted was something quite simple.

‘Money. Just enough money to live luxuriously without any worries.’

The crucial question was: who would provide Yeo-Reum with the money she needed? That was the reason why Yeo-Reum had come to this gathering.

‘Even though she claims that she has come here to reunite with the family after a long time…’

In truth, Yeo-Reum had come here to pick a side and see who could help her. She wanted to figure out who she could rely on to take responsibility for her financial needs until she died.

However, In-Young was certain that the young girl wouldn't choose Yu-Seong's side. The reason was simple.

‘When Yu-Seong was being bullied by Min-Seok, he had asked for Yeo-Reum’s help before.’

Yu-Seong had asked Yeo-Reum for help, since she had a somewhat less intimidating and more approachable image than the other siblings. However, the outcome had been disappointing with Yeo-Reum choosing to remain indifferent. Yeo-Reum hadn’t felt the need to get close to someone who she perceived as weak.

As a result, Yeo-Reum suspected that Yu-Seong might hold a grudge against her, and so she was trying to quietly piggyback on In-Young's plan to get rid of him.

In-Young was also well aware of Yeo-Reum's intentions, so she didn't feel the need to rebuke or scold her in any way.

“What happened to Min-Seok is quite surprising, but we don't really need that coward anyway. We just need to deal with Yu-Seong,” said In-Young.

"I understand that, but what I'm curious about is whether I'm the only one responsible for catching Yu-Seong."

The only people gathered here were In-Young, Seok-Young, and Yeo-Reum. Min-Seok would usually be present as well, but he had suddenly disappeared. In-Young was flabbergasted by this turn of events, while Yeo-Reum, who had been hopeful, felt equally disappointed.

To be honest, the current Yu-Seong was more than Yeo-Reum could handle on her own.

"Who said you'll be alone? Oppa will help you,” said In-Young.

"You mean Seok-Young oppa? Then what about Mi-Na unni?" asked Yeo-Reum.

"I'll take care of that myself." In-Young flashed a sly smile as she revealed her ace in the hole. She said, "And even though he's not here, our third brother, Jin-Woo, has agreed to assist with the operation on Choi Yu-Seong."

Jin-Woo, the third child of the Choi family, also didn't feel great about Yu-Seong climbing up his leg.

"And so, you're handling Mi-Na unni by yourself, unni?" asked Yeo-Reum.

"Yes, it won't be easy. That's why all of you need to give it your best," said In-Young.

"And the plan is...?" asked Yeo-Reum.

"It's simple. Choi Yu-Seong, that rascal, has a huge weakness, right?" said In-Young as she let out a chilly laugh.

In fact, the most significant factor contributing to Yu-Seong's reputation was his pristine record of success. He carried the expectations of Woo-Jae, the nation, and its people on his shoulders and had not disappointed them even once. As a result, his shameful title of 'rascal' was gradually fading away.

However, what if he were to fail just once? Normally, if someone consistently failed and then succeeded once, they would be praised. But in this case, what if they kept performing well and then failed all of a sudden? If that were to happen, Yu-Seong would probably receive criticism instead. The previous story about his 'rascal' behavior would resurface once again, and eventually, Yu-Seong would become the subject of public scrutiny.

When that happened, In-Young and her siblings would seize the opportunity to do everything in their power to tarnish Yu-Seong's reputation. They would make it challenging for him to recover his position in society. After all, crafting false narratives was not as difficult as people assumed.

In-Young's explanation had Yeo-Reum's eyes gleaming with excitement. The young girl commented, "This sounds fun."

"Given Father's personality, he'll soon put Yu-Seong to the test again. This test will probably be a turning point. If he does well again, then…” In-Young gulped and had a bitter smile on her face.

If that happened, Yu-Seong would rise further up and reach In-Young’s chin, not just her toes. Indeed, it was a terrible thing to imagine.

Yeo-Reum also shuddered at the thought. Anyways, she didn't want to face the current Yu-Seong in any way.

"Okay. It's probably a good idea to give it a try," said Yeo-Reum as she made up her mind.

At that moment, In-Young looked at Seok-Young and grinned satisfactorily.

Suddenly, In-Young's cell phone rang.

‘Choi Jin-Woo?’

The unexpected call was from Choi Jin-Woo, the third child of the Choi family.

“What’s going on?” In-Young asked calmly.

Hearing some news over the phone call, her expression gradually hardened. She said, "What...? Really? Alright, let's discuss it further once you're inside.”

In-Young hung up quickly. She couldn't hide her fluctuating emotions as she turned to Yeo-Reum and said, "The plan we just talked about is on hold for now."

"What? Why all of a sudden?" asked Yeo-Reum.

In the first place, In-Young had a strong resolve to have organized this gathering. However, she was suddenly canceling the plan after receiving just one phone call. In truth, her change of mind didn't make much sense.

"Can you at least explain why?" Yeo-Reum asked anxiously as In-Young tried to leave the room hastily.

If there were any changes happening in the household, Yeo-Reum had the right to know about it.

In-Young hesitated for a moment, considering whether to snap at Yeo-Reum, but then she simply breathed a sigh. She said, "The first reason is that the target has disappeared.”

"What? So Choi Yu-Seong has gone missing?" Yeo-Reum asked, her face lighting up with delight.

Wouldn't that be a good thing? In-Young wanted to pound her chest in frustration at Yeo-Reum's misunderstanding.

‘Can't you understand what I'm saying?’

At this point, with everyone's attention fixed on Yu-Seong, the idea of him being kidnapped was very unlikely. Even if In-Young wanted to, it was impossible to do anything unless the Demon King Worshipers’ entire main force came forward.

Faced with a stupid younger sibling, In-Young had to explain everything in detail for them to understand. She said plainly, "Of course not, Choi Yu-Seong has entered the Tower of Heaven."

"Oh... So that's what happened. My goodness, that means he realized that you've made a move," Yeo-Reum exclaimed.

"That's right," said In-Young before gritting her teeth.

‘Choi Min-Seok…’ 

She was certain that the coward had completely lost his mind. She wanted to chase after Min-Seok and put him back in his place right away, but she didn't have the luxury of doing so.

If Yu-Seong had simply disappeared, then they only had to delay the plan. After all, he wasn't going to live in the Tower of Heaven for the rest of his life. However, there was another reason for In-Young’s growing anxiety.

"Secondly, this is something that you'll find out soon enough..." In-Young let out a deep sigh, her delicate features twisting into a frown. She said, "Ji-Ho oppa has returned.”

"...What? Big brother was definitely..." said Yeo-Reum.

"I don't know the details," In-Young responded.

However, Ji-Ho's return was no small matter in the Comet Group. In fact, it was a huge storm.

‘Choi Ji-Ho.’

The man who had seemed unlikely to return to the world after that incident had now officially returned to the household. Although nobody knew what Ji-Ho would do in the future, the fact that he had been close to Mi-Na was well known within the family.

‘Choi Ji-Ho, Choi Mi-Na.’

In-Young clenched her fists once again as she spoke her enemies’ names. It seemed like the burden on her shoulders had doubled.

Where was the solution to this problem? As she pondered, a sudden realization shone in her eyes. It was as if she could see the algorithm that the two were following.

‘Choi Yu-Seong... My goodness, is he the reason for those two returning?’

It seemed unbelievable, but if her suspicions were proven right, then In-Young had found the key to solving the situation.

However, as In-Young had already mentioned, Yu-Seong was not on Earth at the moment.

‘Haha... I feel like I got clobbered by them…’

In-Young let out a cold laugh as she got into the car.

***

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After entering the Tower of Heaven, Yu-Seong felt time flying by him like a bullet once again. Several months had gone by, and before anyone knew it, autumn had come and gone, and winter had arrived.

Yu-Seong, who had attracted significant attention from the world upon entering the Tower, had finally returned to Earth.

After clearing the 16th floor, Yu-Seong stood at the forefront of the tower, accompanied by the Jin siblings, Ye-Ryeong, and Jin-Hyuk. He checked the calendar and smiled contentedly.

‘It's already December.’

He had made it out of the Tower before the year was over. Do-Jin and Bernard’s group, who had entered the Tower about a month later than Yu-Seong, were also expected to return to Earth soon.

‘Until then…’

There were still many things that needed to be taken care of. Fortunately, the time spent in the Tower had brought Yu-Seong significant growth.

‘I’ve definitely reached my limit as a B-rank.’

Now, Yu-Seong had to advance to A-rank no matter what. Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri were in the same situation. They had already started the S-rank promotion evaluation before Yu-Seong. As for Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk, they were up for the B-rank promotion evaluation. The power of the attack team had clearly been enhanced.

Most importantly, long-awaited news reached Yu-Seong the day after he had returned to Earth. He murmured, "Finally..."

The violet dragon egg that had been asleep for a long time, unlike Do-Jin’s egg, began to crack open by itself.