I Woke Up as the Villain

Inside the quiet office, a figure sat in the chair with sunlight streaming through the spacious window behind him. The brooding Woo-Jae ended the call with a sneer on his face. Rubbing his forehead, he swore. "Damn fools.”

"What's the matter?" Pil-Doo asked cautiously, having observed Woo-Jae's changing expression in real-time.

"The seal stone in Pyongyang has collapsed. They say they found nothing," Woo-Jae replied.

"What about the young master, Yu-Seong…?" asked Pil-Doo.

“He went completely missing, and we have no idea whether he’s dead or alive. Damn it,” Woo-Jae replied. He repeatedly clicked his tongue, pounding his chest in frustration. "Furthermore, the Philosopher's Stone that was connected to the seal stone in the underground was also stolen, and they have no idea who the culprit is.”

"That’s a mind-boggling situation." Pil-Doo frowned with a click of his tongue. He then asked, "The Philosopher's Stone was promised to be handed over to the Miraculous Alchemist, right?"

"It's not for free. In exchange, she was going to help the Comet Group secure exclusive contracts with the recently emerged artifact creators," Woo-Jae explained.

Recently, Helen was referred to as the mother of all artifact creators. It was because she had established a company to support the manufacturer type players who had long been overlooked until the appearance of the Tower of Heaven. After this fact became known, many figures in the industry sought her assistance.

However, among them, the one Helen chose was the Comet Group of South Korea, and in return, she demanded the Philosopher's Stone. Since Woo-Jae wanted to grow his company and had no reason to refuse, the contract was signed.

In truth, Woo-Jae was left in the dark about Helen’s true motivation. She believed that she was acting with great kindness toward the Comet Group, which would eventually become Yu-Seong's company. In fact, thanks to the promise with Yu-Seong, the Philosopher's Stone practically belonged to her already.

"I've lost so much. When I had entered the Tower of Heaven, I never imagined things would turn out like this," said Woo-Jae.

Despite reaching the SS-rank, which could be counted as one of the top powerhouses in the world, losing Yu-Seong, the chosen successor, meant the losses were multiplied several times over. Moreover, considering the promise with Yu-Seong's mother, Baek Yu-Ri, that still weighed heavily on Woo-Jae’s heart, he was in an unbearable situation.

"This is frustrating."

Just as Woo-Jae uttered these seldom-heard words, a shadow seemed to cast over Pil-Doo's face. Woo-Jae’s expression suddenly stiffened. He rose from his seat and grabbed the long spear he had concealed behind the curtain near the window.

In an instant, Yu-Seong, who had traversed space by opening a portal from within Woo-Jae's office, widened his eyes as he saw the spear aimed at his forehead. The close proximity was highly dangerous, as a slight miscalculation could result in the spear piercing through his head to lead him toward instant death.

However, before such an unfortunate event could occur, Yu-Seong moved on instinct. Naturally, as he looked at the spear that had reached in front of his eyes, Yu-Seong slightly bent his body and extended his arm to catch the spear that was tearing through the air.

Woong-woong! 

A heavy vacuum sound echoed throughout the entire office.

"...Choi Yu-Seong?" Woo-Jae said with a quavering voice.

Yu-Seong, who was gripping the spear, shifted his gaze toward his father and offered him an awkward smile. "Ha, haha... I'm sorry. You must have been surprised when I showed up without warning. I acted in haste because I was in a hurry..."

"It's okay," Woo-Jae replied.

"Pardon?" Yu-Seong asked.

"As long as you're safe. That alone is enough," Woo-Jae said.

Upon seeing Yu-Seong, Woo-Jae's mouth curved into a smile as he exhaled a sigh of relief and took a seat.

Yu-Seong, taken aback by the sight of his father's expression of undeniable astonishment for the first time, could only look at him with a slightly trembling gaze in response.

'He was genuinely worried about me.' 

Sometimes, a person's actions, expressions, and words alone could communicate their sincerity. Experiencing such emotions from Woo-Jae, who always appeared intimidating, felt strangely touching.

An awkward silence descended between the two, father and son. Pil-Doo, who was a bit uneasy in the situation, cautiously opened his mouth to ask, "...Should I leave you two alone?"

Woo-Jae nodded silently, and Pil-Doo, offering a slight bow to Yu-Seong, said, "I'll see you later, Vice President.”

"...Excuse me?" Yu-Seong asked.

Taken aback by the unfamiliar title, Yu-Seong observed Pil-Doo as he departed the room. As silence permeated the space once again, Yu-Seong was the first to break it. He said, "You must have been very surprised. If you're wondering what happened during the last three years..."

"You met the transcendent beings, didn't you?" Woo-Jae said.

"Yes."

As expected, Woo-Jae, who already knew about the existence of the transcendent beings through Baek Yu-Ri, followed the story at a brisk pace.

"It's fortunate that you've grown much stronger. I came dangerously close to taking the life of my own child with my own hand just now," Woo-Jae said.

"Haha..."

In the first place, the issue might have been that Yu-Seong had attempted to teleport into Woo-Jae’s space without uttering a word.

"Well, you must have the qualifications. Now that you have embarked on the path of a transcendent being, you will encounter numerous challenges. It is a realm that even I dare not venture into..." said Woo-Jae.

It appeared that he was indeed aware of Yu-Seong's status as a trainee transcendent being. In fact, it was not at all surprising.

'Since it's only been three years on Earth.' 

No matter how diligently Yu-Seong tried within that limited time, achieving the realm of a transcendent being would be impossible.

'Unless there's a huge variable, it absolutely can't happen.' 

Most importantly, once someone truly became a transcendent being, they were bound by the rule of not being able to freely interfere with the affairs of this world.

Deep in contemplation of these thoughts, Yu-Seong, who was gradually coming to accept his circumstances, noticed the attentive gaze of Woo-Jae fixed upon him.

"You look better now," Woo-Jae commented.

"Do I?"

"You seem more relaxed since you've gotten stronger.”

Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly and nodded. "I can't deny that."

In the past, he was always tormented by the thought of when he might die, constantly feeling chased by something. However, it was different now.

'The only person in this world who could kill me now would be...' 

It was likely only Eveheim, since the six Hexagram masters following him were no longer a threat to Yu-Seong.

"Well... Well, well."

Watching Yu-Seong sitting comfortably, Woo-Jae clicked his tongue just as he had done when he had heard unpleasant news. However, there was something different from before. His lips and eyes were naturally full of smiles. Consequently, Yu-Seong had no choice but to ask.

"What's so enjoyable?"

"It's the first time I've experienced the feeling of having a reliable child, that's why," Woo-Jae replied.

"...Pardon?"

"I never anticipated having this sensation, which is why it brings me joy. Hehe..." Woo-Jae, who let out a peculiar laugh, asked, "Have you contacted Mi-Na and Ji-Ho yet?"

"Not yet. I was actually about to ask about Ji-Ho hyung-nim..."

"The guy who always said he'd die when his time came, is clenching his teeth and holding on to life. He plans to do just that until you returned. He's holding up well," Woo-Jae said.

"Then, how is his health?"

"He's reached a stage where he can't utilize most of his abilities, but he's still alive. I've heard that he made a promise to you."

"Yes," Yu-Seong said as he nodded with a smile.

On his way here, he had stopped by the Tower of Heaven. It had happened just a few minutes ago, but recalling the experience now brought forth hollow laughter.

'Even though most of my physical abilities were reset in the Tower of Heaven... it wasn't a problem at all.' 

The Beast King's Instinct, which he had inherited from Ok-Rye, had been a great help. From the start, his body had reacted on its own, and despite being slightly less powerful, he had ended up fighting incredibly well.

Thanks to this, he had managed to break through the 20th floor in half a day, just as the term ‘unstoppable’ suggested. In addition, he had also made sure to collect Elixir on his way out. In many ways, he had naturally kept his cool and achieved whatever he had set out to do.

“I have something to give him. I wanted to contact hyung-nim and noo-nim, but my phone was completely dead," Yu-Seong said as he held up his phone, which didn't light up on the black screen.

"I'll make the calls. I want to see their surprised faces anyway... hehe," Woo-Jae said.

Upon hearing that, Yu-Seong couldn't help but be taken aback once again. Today truly was a day where he saw many previously unseen aspects of Woo-Jae. The sight of his father, smiling like a mischievous child while making calls to his other children, was something Yu-Seong couldn't have imagined.

After a few rings on the phone, Woo-Jae, his voice returning to its usual heavy timbre, said, "Come home. There's something I need to discuss with you. Yes, right now.”

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com".

He then looked at Yu-Seong again, a smile still on his face. It was only then that Yu-Seong could read the emotion in Woo-Jae's expression.

'Ah... He's finally letting go of some burdens.' 

The old man had started showing his true self, partially shedding the weighty responsibility he had been shouldering as the head of the large group, Comet.

'He could never be considered ordinary, but...' 

Couldn't he rejoice for the same reasons as others? The gazes of Woo-Jae and Yu-Seong, each smiling awkwardly toward each other, gradually warmed.

'It would be really nice if we could live like an ordinary family from now on, even if we haven't until now.' 

Of course, there was something they needed to fight through for that to happen. Yu-Seong, who had naturally settled into a chair, was thinking about another name.

'Kim Do-Jin...' 

Now, Yu-Seong had no choice but to stop Do-Jin with all his might.

***

Inside a dark cave, surrounded by complex magic circles drawn all around, Eveheim, who had spent three years in this inaccessible space, smiled and called out to the man in front of him.

"Red."

A man, characterized by his black hair and red eyes, turned toward Eveheim as he heard the call. He was wearing a red devil mask that obscured his identity, making him unrecognizable. Holding a single sword, he responded to the call, emitting a low growl like a beast that had lost the ability to use human language.

"My disciple, you seem to be hungry still," Eveheim remarked, his gaze drifting toward the center of the cave where devil corpses laid brutally dismembered. He commented, "Even after indulging in all of that, your insatiable greed remains unabated. Truly, it was fitting to burden you with the sin of gluttony."

Eveheim chuckled ominously, stroking his chin in thought. "What should we do now... You've already devoured everything that could be gleaned from demons. Moving forward, summoning a Demon King-level entity is the bare minimum requirement..."

Eveheim smacked his lips, seemingly disappointed. “Considering the situation, it is highly probable that the Demon King of Sloth, Acedia, met his demise at the hands of your former comrades. As for Choi Yu-Seong…”

"Keughh!"

At the mention of the name Yu-Seong, Red reacted quite violently. His eyes shone with a desire to charge at Eveheim.

"Ah, my mistake. Woah, woah, I’ll be careful with that name." Eveheim smirked, shaking his head as though there was nothing he could do about it.

"Given that you still lack sufficient strength to summon and apprehend the Demon King of Pride, Supeoreubia, I am left with no alternative. It seems I must sacrifice the outside world."

Eveheim's smile turned seductive, his fingers pointing toward the entrance of the cave. He commanded, "Red, go outside, eat to your heart's content, and indulge in blood. Then, another power will come to you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Red, seemingly having been waiting for the command, dashed toward the entrance of the cave. His figure disappeared beyond sight at a rapid pace.