Chapter 230: Ep.230 Discord and Mockery

Ep.230 Discord and Mockery

The day I told the members that I would handle Scream Maker alone. There was strong opposition, but after a lengthy persuasion, I finally managed to convince them.

“Da-in, if you seem to be in danger, Eun-wol will be nearby, ready to assist.”

“...Hmm, all right. You can come if it seems like I’m in ‘extremely’ danger.”

“And in case things go wrong, we’ll all join in and demolish all the buildings with missile-like things to save you, so keep that in mind.”

“Hmm...”

“Oh, and this time, make sure to bring Death Knight’s ring with you. Got it?”

“All right...”

...It wasn’t easy, but anyway, the important thing is that I managed to avoid opposition to going alone. Even if it had to be done like this, it’s better for me to go alone. The villain’s toxic gas ability is dangerous with even a small inhalation, and given what I found out about where he lives, it’s even more so.

Yeah, based on simulations I ran using the original work as a reference, it’s most desirable for me to just go in alone and take him down. I know his attack patterns better than anyone else.

...And then.

“Hmm...”

I pondered deeply. Scream Maker. Just as I chose to face the risk rather than entrust Stardus, dealing with him is extremely difficult when you know nothing about him, especially as the story progresses further into the original work.

Especially later on, in the Association, there are those who are called something “Maker” besides Scream Maker. These villains formed an organization called “The Maker Trio” and engaged in intense battles. Among them, our Scream Maker was the toughest.

“Hmm...”

With those thoughts in mind, I reread the file I had received. He lives in a massive pension-like building on the outskirts of Seoul, but in reality, it’s a research facility. It’s filled with various scientific equipment, essentially a weapon to chase intruders.

These villains nowadays are quite thorough.

“....”

...Ah, I miss the old days. Our teleporter and those kinds of villains. In the early stages of the original work, they were pure villains who could be ambushed while taking a nap at home. Now, all that’s left are crazy people fortifying their homes...

Of course.

That doesn’t mean they can’t be apprehended, but...

Anyway, we continued to finalize our plans.

“Da-in, please be really careful, okay?”

“Da-in, if it seems dangerous, make sure to run away. Got it?”

“Da-in, I’ll be right next to you, so if anything happens, I’ll come right away.”

“All right, all right. Now, I’m really going.”

On the outskirts of Seoul, in a penthouse that stood conspicuously alone on a flat plain, I prepared to make my move.

Naturally, I set up the cameras in mid-air. All right, it’s time to start the broadcast.

***

After Egostic’s Kim Cheol-woo broadcast. Regardless of whatever Egostic did, fans of Mango Stick from all over the country were quite satisfied when he turned on the broadcast, even though the broadcast time hadn’t been more than a few minutes. Experts had already taken gifs from the video and created numerous memes and shorts, which had been uploaded. Especially because Egostic only appeared once every three months or so and only four times a year, fans were more excited, even though it had been turned on early this time.

Because of that, no one expected it. Egostic, who had only recently turned on the broadcast after several weeks.

[?????????]

[Is this for real?]

[Wow, seriously? Mango Stick turned on the broadcast after only 2 weeks?]

[Kya, this is it!]

[Mangtaeshik is back!]

[King God Hwangostick <= like if you’ve believed in him]

[Where did he get the confidence to mess with the number one villain in South Korea? I have no idea.”

[There’s nothing to say if you get smashed first hahahaha]

*

...In an instant, Scream Maker had become the crazy guy who dared to mess with Egostic, and I expressed mock sympathy towards him. Of course, I didn’t actually feel sorry for him.

In any case, I had successfully obtained a justification. Now, everyone would understand why I was going after Scream Maker. This should put an end to any talk of me randomly hunting down other villains like some Dark Hero.

So, I could relax and face the showdown.

With that thought in mind, I confidently entered the front gate of the penthouse.

“Come here!”

Thud.

I gave the door a kick, and it shattered. Of course, it was using telekinesis, but anyway...

I entered Scream Maker’s headquarters, the penthouse, without any bloodshed.

The inside of the house was tidy and organized. More accurately, it was so clean that you might doubt if anyone lived here, with the exception of a thick layer of dust.

*

[Huh, what is it?]

[Did he come to the wrong place? It seems like no one lives here.]

*

“Hmm... He must be here though.”

As doubts from the viewers circulated, I approached one of the walls in the relatively small penthouse. I groped around and pressed a switch.

And then...

Buzzzzzzzzzzz

Accompanied by the sound of machinery in motion, the wall above me opened upward like a garage door. As the surprising sight of the sloping gray corridor inside the hidden wall was revealed, I couldn’t help but chuckle while observing the bewildered reactions of the viewers.

“As expected, I knew it would be like this. Secrets are always hidden.”

Now that I had cleared the path to the villain’s hideout, it was time to start preparing.

I was sure the villain had also noticed the presence of an intruder by now.

I turned away from the camera with these thoughts in mind and naturally adjusted my mask into a gas mask.

“All right, let’s go in.”

With that, I spoke and started walking towards the secretive corridor. The moment of the upcoming battle was drawing near.

***

“Hmm...”

Shin Haru.

She woke up in the morning, stretching and yawning, then headed to the fridge to grab some water. After drinking the cold water, she sat down with a dazed expression, attempting to fully wake up.

While doing so, she turned on the TV out of habit to catch up on any news from the previous night.

As soon as the TV screen lit up, she saw Egostic.

[It looks like some kind of laboratory, doesn’t it? Quite dark. It seems villains these days favor this style.]

Egostic was making light-hearted comments while walking down a dimly lit corridor. Next to him was a [LIVE] mark...?

“....?”

Suddenly, Stardus’ mind snapped to attention.