I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With

Chapter 420

420 – His Story

I, Da-In. Simply a typical college student found anywhere.

And here I was, facing the greatest crisis of my over 20 years of life.

“Wait, so…”

All around me was white, a pure, blank space.

In that place, I stood rubbing my head in front of a mysterious blonde woman dressed in a white cloth that looked like it could have been worn in ancient Greece.

“…To sum up. So, the world I’m in now is from the comic I read, ‘Stardust!’, and you’re asking me to save it?”

“Yep, that’s the gist of it.”

“Ha… really.”

…At the words of this woman speaking to me so softly, I only sighed in disbelief.

Just yesterday, I was sure I was living a normal life, lying in my rented room after calling it a day.

…But when I woke up from sleep, I found myself lying unexpectedly in this strange space.

And the words I heard from the beautiful woman who approached me were exactly this.

This world is the one from the superhero comic [Stardust!] that I once read. This woman is the goddess of stars.

…To be exact.

‘I am spreading the story of this world to other worlds in various forms to find someone who can save this world.’

The comic I read in the first place was a true story, content created by the goddess of stars in order to find a savior from another world. He packaged it and spread it out as cartoons, movies, animations, novels, and so on to all sorts of worlds.

And.

The most appropriate savior they found from another world was….

“…Why is it me.”

It’s me.

…It was something that was just beyond my understanding. Me? A typical college student you can find anywhere, that’s me. I was just leading a quiet, normal life. Why on earth would it be me. There are probably many more comic experts than me.

Even more, the way I came across this comic was a recommendation from a junior who liked them. And the reason was such ordinary one: because the heroine was pretty. …Although the junior stopped reading eventually because the plot was so miserable. Only I read it to the end.

Anyway, that’s not the problem.

“…I don’t think, no matter how much I think about it, it’s me. And I don’t even want it to be.”

I refused outright.

Although my junior seemed to like the idea of reincarnation into another world… I didn’t like it. No, I haven’t enjoyed my world enough yet, so why another? What about my parents and friends? And what about that junior who has since joined our club and gossiped with me, he never mentioned it again.

…And even if it was a peaceful world, I still wouldn’t like it.

And what about the world in [Stardust!] Every day, villains wreak havoc and people die, and, in the end, isn’t it a crazy world where everyone except the protagonist dies? How could a regular person like me survive here?

At my words, the Star God lowered its head with a regretful smile.

“I am sorry. I am unable to return you back to your original world.”

“What did you say?”

“To be precise, there’s no method available to send you back. While it’s possible to make a one-way trip… There is no way that could return you to your original world.”

At this, my face completely hardened.

What? I can’t return?

“So, after kidnapping a person and casting them into this crazy world, now you’re saying I should try to save myself without any assistance? Being utterly powerless?”

“I will be granting you power. Teleportation and telekinesis. Two abilities.”

Of course, there would be some risks…

With that trailing off, the words of the self-proclaimed Star God were absurd.

The powers of teleportation and telekinesis might barely help to balance the broken power dynamics, only if one even survived. However, the more these abilities are used, the shorter the lifespan of the physical bodies continued to become.

Summing it up…

After abducting a living person and throwing them into a world towards destruction, without any consent. There’s no way of ever returning, and even the knowledge of the future and the abilities slowly eat away life. Then should I just save this world that’s heading towards doomsday?

Upon hearing this, I finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and blew up.

“Are you joking? What the hell are you trying to say?”

“I am sorry. However, there was no other choice.”

While my face was hardened and covered in rage, she explained with an apologetic expression.

“In reality, as you read in the story, this world once perished. However, I, being the God of Time, turned back the world’s time using all my power. That’s when I realized that this world is unable to stop the God of Existence, Helios… Hence, I had no choice but to create an external variable from a different world.”

“So, this is the last chance… Because of this, I couldn’t even grant you more advantageous abilities… But please understand.”

“No. If the person doesn’t want it, just find someone else. Why do you kidnap a living person…!”

“I’m sorry, but there isn’t much time left. Please, remember the story I’ve told you… Save this world. My child.”

“Why the hell am I your child… wait, hey!!! You’re crazy…”

When the Star God finished speaking, my vision faded, and I got thrown into this world.

Losing everything I’ve worked hard for, with no identity. Into the world of comics.

That was the start of my cursed life in this world.

…

Thus,

After Egoistic left…

The Star God, silently watching Egoistic’s departure, eventually collapsed and started coughing.

“Cough, cough, urgh…”

Then, black blood trickled from her mouth.

Wiping it away, the Star God muttered.

“Yes, Yes. However, our Da In will be successful.”

Actually, he wouldn’t have known.

Her words held a lie.

She’d said that he was in a world where the original story came true. That this was the second world after she turned back time.

In reality… this was the third world.

Because Da In had failed once before.

‘….Hurry… Brother… Get up…! Hurry… Sister… Try…’

‘…Can’t …I can’t… Not anything… not by my strength…’

‘Cough… Sorry…’

‘…Rob… third… Without me…’

I wonder where it all went wrong.

He had tried his best, but in the end, he failed.

Thus, she gambled her existence to turn back time once more.

This time, to surely redeem this world.

‘…Even though.’

Unlike the last round, her strength was insufficient.

And her powers were much less compared to the previous timeline. Although she could only convey things with risks.

…Even maintaining a physical form to talk with him was challenging. She couldn’t say much.

But this was her best attempt.

In reality, she knew.

How selfish she had been towards everyone, what she had done wrong to him.

…And, based on what she had learned through the last round.

In order to redeem this world, it was inevitable that she would know about his sacrifice containing her power. Even more so.

Due to this, she didn’t tell him.

‘Senpai, don’t… Senpai, are you okay?’

‘No… Don’t. Why!!! Get up, Senpai. Senpai. Senpai…!!!’

“……”

In reality, he was already dead in the original world.

…She had just purposely erased that memory… in reality, she had given him another life, similar to a gift to the dead. She didn’t say this either.

Because, according to the last round.

…It was better for him to resent her, thinking he had been kidnapped while alive and well, rather than blaming himself despairingly over his death.

Of course, his depression won’t easily subside for a while.

But still, he is everyone’s.

Although kind by nature, he is… a child.

The star goddess who found a hero suitable for this world across countless eons and numerous worlds.

Although, he does have severe obsessive-compulsive disorder… in fact, to an extent that enchants even her daughter.

In the end, the only person who can charm everyone and unite the world is him.

…Especially, as he was already dead, it made it easier to come to this world as a representative. She didn’t know if there was a manager in that world, but she was able to take his soul without any negotiation.

‘That’s right… Even though, I failed the last time.’

Definitely different from the first timeline, he awakened as Helios.

She realized that the power to oppose such a Helios ultimately comes from her abyssal strength.

Having sacrificed her existence to give him this power, she became virtually powerless due to the backlash of the massive time reversal, left with nothing but her spirit.

Because she had to start from the beginning if she wanted to erase his memory, including that of the sun god.

‘…Everyone.’

Please, save this world.

With that thought, she closed her eyes.

Hoping to hold onto her consciousness, at least until her daughter returned.

***

Two years had passed since I found myself in this accursed world.

“Ah… sh*t. Life is so damn… bullsh*t…”

Broader daylight, an alley.

Here I was, holding a bottle of Soju, staggering down a secluded alley with a flushed face.

Two years since a mad god had kidnapped me and thrown me into this world.

Nostalgia for my hometown, longing for my parents. Thinking of friends I missed… In reality, it was all because of the mad god who threw me, without an ID card, into South Korea of the 21st century with supernatural powers. I went through trials and tribulations. I was so destitute, I had to sleep under the bridge.

…After rolling in the mud to obtain false identification using the knowledge from the novel and even managing to make money,

Nevertheless, once I accomplished all that, overwhelming depression engulfed me, rendering me lackadaisical.

sh*t. What could I possibly do with this teleportation power that was draining my energy, and telekinesis that twisted my insides like cars?

Looking forward to the events that occur at Han Group, Moonlight Bridge, the great escape from jail, the attack from the Sun God… How was I, who previously was just attending university, supposed to stop those?

Just living each day, waiting for death.

Thus, I was, in reality, going through a life worse than death.

Without any drive or will. Why should I even bother saving this accursed world? I didn’t long to see any of the characters from the novel. They all were meaningless to me.

Ah, life…

Such thoughts filled my mind as I staggered along.

Kwa-aaah

Suddenly, an alley wall next to me exploded.

My body, just like that, was hurled away.

“Cough…”

Recoiling from the impact, I consequently smashed into another wall and collapsed.

A shattered soju bottle. Blood was running from my head – I must have been hit by something. My head was spinning. Some arms and legs were surely broken.

During such a time, I could hear a hissing noise in front of me.

“Kerrr…”

I opened my eyes at the strange sound. What I saw was a humanoid reptile, its skin green.

… An A-class villain, Reptile. Ha-ha, it seems the novel was so ingrained in my mind that I instantly recognized him. The lunatic who feeds on human flesh.

It moved its head and flicked its tongue. It then locked eyes with me lying on the ground with a smile, and started to charge toward me.

Not knowing what to do, I automatically closed my eyes, snickered, lowered my head, and admitted defeat

‘…Yeah. Damn, there’s no need to save the world.’

It seems my destiny was to get caught by an extra villain off the street and die without seeing the end of the world.

I don’t feel bad about it. Just find it amusing.

Yeah. Might as well die now. What’s the point of continuing to live like this.

Just as I was closing my eyes to give up, not even considering using my teleportation ability, another loud noise echoed.

Kuuung

“Ahhhhh!!!!”

Suddenly, another big sound followed by the monster’s scream rang in my ears.

…What is happening?

At that thought, when I raised my head.

There she stood, a beautiful lady in a suit, her blonde hair fluttering in the breeze.

…The woman I knew better than anyone else.

Up until the moment I fell into this world, she was my favorite character in the fiction.

The hero, the protagonist of this world.

Stardust stood before my eyes.

“….”

Between the blood trickling down from my eyes, I faintly watched her.

…Ah, right. Around this time, she would have made her debut as a rookie hero.

Probably she is a Class A hero by now.

As I was absentmindedly lost in thought.

…Stardust, who had a tense expression, saw the villain, Raptile, escape after being hit by her attack and was about to run after him, shock evident on her face.

“Hold on… Ah!!”

Before she saw me, leaning against the wall, beaten and bloodied.

“Excuse me, are you okay?”

She hurried towards me, who was collapsed and bleeding.

Looking at her, who seemed somewhat clumsy, and more pure than the sophisticated and always tired character from the original work, perhaps due to her being a new hero.

I nodded and opened my mouth to speak.

“…I can’t move, but I’m okay. Shouldn’t you be chasing after that villain?”

“Huh? Oh, no, people come first. If you’re unable to move, I can lift you to a nearby hospital…”

…Strangely, even though we just met.

Looking at her, who was genuinely worried about me and wanted to help in any way she could.

I suddenly thought without realizing it.

…Ah, right.

This is why, I liked her.

I liked her because she was the altruistic person I could never meet in the real world.

…As I was lost in such thoughts.

I soon came to my senses, shook my head again and talked.

“No, I’m not seriously injured. Instead, I’ll call the association… Can you please catch the villain first? If we let him go, there will be more victims. I’m really fine.”

“Uh… Alright then, got it. If anything happens, yell out loud!”

“…hahahaha. Okay, I got it.”

“Okay. I’ll take off…!”

As she spoke and flew away, taking a fleeting glance back at me.

Unaware, I found myself smiling lightly as I lowered my head.

…And then, I realized.

This was the first smile I’ve had since I fell into this world.

“…..hahahaha.”

Yes. In this world, Stardust is real.

Such a silly thought crossed my mind, and I unknowingly thought to myself.

…If this is reality, and if the story I saw in the original work is the future that will all come true.

That it means the innocent and kind Stardust will continue to suffer from here on out.