novelraw Chapter 154 : Chapter 154
Chapter 154 : Chapter 154
Chapter 154: Villain (2)
Just yesterday, I had carried out civilian rescue operations alongside heroes.
I had even experienced having my name chanted—something that never suited my fate—and I had secured a hefty reward.
And now, the very next day.
“Tsk. Do I really have to deal with this kind of petty crap too?”
I was with a villain.
Jack—an insane bastard who still believed I was his colleague.
He was sorting clothes and personal items laid out on the bed with his gloved hands.
[Seongdong District, Seongsu-dong, Lot XX. ‘Lovely Pet’ Pet Shop. Shadow ledger and biological cargo transport confirmed.]
The documents in his hand pointed to a pet shop called Lovely Pet.
Jack had declared that he would wipe the place out today.
Before starting the job, the two of us had come to an officetel to make preparations.
“You said you would wipe it out today. Does that mean we are heading to the pet shop right now? And why did you bring me along?”
Having been dragged in without warning, I asked the obvious question.
Was it really fine to push things forward this recklessly?
More importantly, I had been fulfilling my role at the academy just fine.
“Why did I bring you? What kind of idiotic question is that? Why would I not bring you?”
“What?”
Whip—!
Instead of answering, Jack tossed something flat through the air.
“That is today’s work outfit. The guy runs an underground pawnshop and uses a sword. It should suit you.”
It was leather.
Colorless, but disturbingly slick with a human sheen—
a strip of human facial skin.
‘Ugh.’
I immediately knew what it was.
Edward’s mask ability.
Just like my Mimicry, he possessed a disguise-type ability.
By flaying a specific person’s facial skin, he could turn it into an item that allowed him to transform into that person.
But calling someone else’s peeled-off face a “work outfit”—
these lunatics truly were something else.
As I stared down at the skin, Jack clicked his tongue.
“Edward was worried too. That you might end up getting drunk on justice, like yesterday, and stop handling our side of things.”
“……”
A convenient excuse.
Concern that I might forget my duties as a villain after indulging in righteous acts.
Which really meant only one thing:
a demand that I continue doing villain work regularly.
‘This is the worst.’
I was already busy enough as it was.
And now they wanted me to deliberately carve out time for risky villain activities I could get exposed doing?
I could not let myself get dragged along like this.
I cleared my throat and responded the way Balzac would have.
“I have my own plans and rhythm. Are you saying you forced this leave because of some delusional worry like that?”
“Tsk. As if. You disappearing just means more work for the rest of us. Are you complaining about doing what was originally your share?”
“Disappearing? I am infiltrating hero society. You know that.”
When I scowled and pushed back, Jack shrugged.
“Do not act strange. Why are you overthinking it? Just enjoy today’s work. Tsk. Looks like Edward’s concern was spot on.”
Jack shook his head.
“In the past, you would have been excited to see blood again after so long. Am I wrong? Or did slipping into that damn kid’s body mess with your head?”
At that point, I had nothing to say.
Balzac really would have reacted that way.
‘Damn it.’
For today, at least, I had no choice but to play along.
There was nothing more dangerous than letting them suspect something was off.
“Hmph. Like I said, I have my own rhythm. I never said I disliked this job.”
“Yeah? Then that is fine. Your instincts are still alive, then.”
Jack grinned and pulled the facial skin over his own face.
Schlk—
The sound was like slapping wet mud onto skin.
Crack—pop—
At the same time, faint sounds of joints twisting accompanied the transformation.
His body swelled, his frame growing thick and bulky in the blink of an eye.
His neatly styled hair turned into a slick regent cut, heavy with pomade.
Now a hulking man with a vicious-looking face, he clicked his tongue.
“Still feels like shit.”
With his increased size, the shirt he had been wearing stretched dangerously tight.
Jack casually stripped and changed into a prepared suit—
one with generous proportions, likely belonging to the original owner of that face.
‘At this point…’
There was no avoiding it.
I raised the skin in my hand to my face.
The moment it touched, a cold, slippery sensation spread across my skin.
Schlop—
Calling it “shit” was accurate.
When I used Mimicry, transformations flowed naturally, like water.
This was different.
It felt stiff, like forcibly shaving down bone and flesh and pasting something on top.
A dull resistance.
An unpleasant dissonance, as if something foreign were sitting on my skin.
Still, the result was undeniable.
The reflection in the mirror was no longer Ryu Jinwoo.
Narrowed eyes.
A sly, underhanded expression.
The unmistakable face of a back-alley criminal stared back at me.
“Looks like we are ready.”
Jack’s voice had grown hoarse and gravelly.
“Let us go.”
***
Seongsu-dong’s streets were crowded.
Warm sunlight. Couples enjoying leisurely strolls.
Jazz music spilling out of stylish cafés.
And within that peaceful scene stood two men who felt distinctly out of place.
With appearances straight out of a back alley, they drew the gazes of passersby.
Jack, and Ryu Jinwoo.
Their ominous presence naturally pulled attention toward them.
“…Gangsters?”
A man walking past muttered instinctively, then hurriedly covered his mouth in realization.
“…Ah.”
For a brief moment, our eyes met.
But by sheer luck, perhaps, the two men walked past him without a glance.
Jack and Ryu Jinwoo stopped in front of a tall building rising at the center of the street.
[Lovely Pet]
A large pet shop with a prominent pink sign.
As the automatic doors opened, pastel interiors and a pleasant fragrance greeted us.
“Kyaa! They are so cute!”
“Honey, how about this one?”
The store bustled with customers admiring adorable pets and small phantasmal beasts.
Behind reinforced glass, cages of various designs protected animals of all kinds.
“For this one, as long as you offer the designated tribute each month, there will be no issues.”
A female employee in uniform was enthusiastically explaining things to a couple.
In front of her, a small fox-like phantasmal beast wagged its tail energetically.
“It sounds like a tribute, but you can think of it as a special meal. It is feed mixed with magic stone powder—and of course, we sell it here.”
“Oh my, is that really all it takes?”
The couple exchanged looks, then nodded.
“We will take it!”
“Yes~ An excellent choice. Please wait a moment. Sia! Help them with the adoption here.”
With the deal finalized, the woman smiled in satisfaction and turned her head.
Naturally, her gaze shifted to the two men who had just entered the shop.
Despite their rough appearances, she maintained a professional smile.
“Welcome to Lovely Pet. Is there anything you are looking for?”
Whether due to professionalism or familiarity with such customers, Jack answered indifferently.
“I am looking for a unicorn.”
The woman’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
She forced a troubled smile.
“Ah, sir. I am sorry, but we only handle basic, mass-market phantasmal beasts here. For rare ones like that, you would need to contract directly with specialized summoners—”
“Then do you have Fenrir?”
Cutting her off, Jack fired the next question.
“…I am sorry, sir. We do not.”
“Then how about a Counter Weasel?”
“……”
The woman’s smile stiffened.
Just as nearby customers began giving them looks that clearly said, What are these troublemakers doing?, Jack spoke again.
“Then just a Counter Weasel.”
The employee briefly checked her wrist watch, then nodded with a smile.
“Ah, we do have a Counter Weasel available.”
Her sales smile returned in full.
“I will guide you. This way, please.”
Click, click. She led the way.
Jack and Ryu Jinwoo followed in silence.
Past the deeper parts of the store, down a secluded corridor where ordinary customers did not tread, a door marked [VIP Consultation Room] came into view.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
“Fine.”
As we entered, the woman bowed politely and closed the door.
Inside were two luxurious leather sofas.
Click—
The sound of the door locking echoed.
“Went through the trouble, huh.”
Jack shook his head slightly.
The two of us leaned back on the sofas.
At the same time, a heavy vibration rose from beneath the floor.
“Tsk. What a racket.”
As Jack muttered, the entire room began to sink.
The consultation room itself was a massive elevator.
Thud—
With a dull impact, the descent stopped.
The opposite wall split open, red light spilling inside.
The stench of blood and beasts rushed in.
Jack stood and cracked his neck.
Crack.
“Let us see.”
He turned to me.
“How they have been using the demonic beasts they skimmed.”
***
Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the scene was bizarre.
A circular underground space carved sheer into stone.
At its center stood a massive cage, reminiscent of a recreated Roman Colosseum.
“I will guide you to your seats.”
A man in a suit and sunglasses approached.
He handed us a remote control with two buttons—one red, one green—and led us to our seats.
Sitting on the leather sofa, we could clearly see the arena through reinforced glass.
Inside, employees were cleaning something up.
A massive lump lay sprawled out, tongue lolling.
‘…A bear?’
The disturbing part was its abdomen, grotesquely torn open, as if bitten clean through by a giant maw.
‘You really do see everything.’
Aboveground, Lovely Pet—
a shop selling cute pets.
Belowground, a gambling pit forcing beasts to fight.
It felt like peeling back a luxurious carpet only to find swarming insects underneath.
Just sitting here felt wrong.
But I could not show it.
I was here as Balzac.
With Jack beside me, I was expected to enjoy this kind of brutality.
That was when—
“Grrrr….”
With the staff retreating, a chained beast emerged from one corner of the cage.
Dark crimson scales.
Vicious fangs jutting past its jaw.
A Lycan.
‘That is a demonic beast.’
Were they not just pitting animals against each other, but using full-fledged demonic beasts?
That meant slaughter was inevitable.
The Lycan’s muzzle glistened red with the blood of the bear it had just devoured.
“Tsk. Feeding garbage like that.”
Jack clicked his tongue in displeasure.
“Giving trash to a precious demonic beast? If Larry saw this, he would clutch his neck and collapse.”
That was the problem, apparently.
Villains really did have skewed priorities.
“Now, we will prepare the next match! Today’s main event!”
At the announcer’s booming voice, a transparent glass container slowly rose from the arena floor.
Inside was a beautiful phantasmal beast with silver fur.
A Silver Wolf.
Had they gone as far as using phantasmal beasts now?
A Silver Wolf was not some minor creature.
Just as disbelief set in—
‘…Wait.’
My brow furrowed.
Beneath the Silver Wolf’s abdomen—
Pups.
Two tiny pups, their eyes barely open.
“A burning maternal instinct to protect her young! Or the merciless predation of the strong! You shall witness the outcome! Let us begin!”
At the announcer’s vile shout, the transparent barrier deactivated.
The chained demonic beast and the mother protecting her children faced each other.
“Kyaaaargh!”
The Lycan’s restraints were released.
Its crazed eyes locked onto its prey as it charged.
The Silver Wolf could not flee.
Her pups were behind her.
She bristled her fur and charged forward, bracing for death.
Crunch—!
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
The Lycan was a mid-tier demonic beast by nature, and whatever the hosts had done, it was in a berserk frenzy.
The gap was absolute.
Before long, the Silver Wolf was flung into the air.
“Whiiine…!”
A gruesome gash split the area above one of her eyes.
Bleeding heavily, she staggered back into place in front of her pups.
Sensing their mother’s scent, the pups crawled forward and licked her wounds.
“Ah, how tragic, ladies and gentlemen! Let us pause here!”
At the announcer’s call, a transparent magic barrier rose in the center of the arena.
Bang! Thud!
The demonic beast slammed its jaws into the wall, roaring madly as it lost its prey.
On the other side, the Silver Wolf trembled in terror.
“This is the highlight of our stage! We will now begin the vote! Continue, or stop! Please make your choice!”
I understood immediately.
The remote in our hands.
Red meant “continue/kill.”
Green meant “stop/save.”
I looked around.
Above the heads of the spectators seated in darkness, red emotions flared.
[Excitement, Anticipation, Sadism]
Not a single trace of compassion.
Only people like this would gather for such a show.
“Hey. You know which one to press, right?”
Jack quietly signaled, gripping his remote.
Of course I knew.
I was Balzac.
Here, I was expected to press red.
I nodded lightly and placed my thumb on the button.
Beep—
The scoreboard began to count.
Numbers flickered rapidly.
[Continue: 51] vs [Stop: 2]
The final tally appeared.
“Ah! A shocking two votes for stopping! Stopping, of all things!”
The announcer lamented theatrically as boos erupted.
Booooo—!
Shouts of outrage filled the arena.
“My, my. You all know, right? In this sacred arena, those who press [Stop] are granted a special privilege! Our rule, respecting the minority!”
He grinned.
“The first option is to admit your mistake and switch to [Continue]! And the second—”
His voice dropped, then exploded.
“Enter the cage and personally face that starving demonic beast!”
Roooaar—!
The crowd roared.
“Now then, let us see which choice you make. As you know, this vote is not anonymous.”
The announcer whispered mockingly.
At the same time, the ceiling lights moved.
Flash—
A blinding spotlight shone down.
One beam landed squarely on me.
I had changed my mind, yes—but I had not wanted this much attention.
And the other beam—
‘Jack?’
Both spotlights locked onto us.
Under the pouring light, Jack rose with an annoyed expression.
“Tsk. Stand up.”
He loosened his tie roughly and grinned at me.
“It is time to work.”