Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

Eddie standing in front of the hospital swallowed hard. Taika Cooper was the most famous person in this country. Of course, people always swarmed around Taika Cooper.

But for the past few days, the area around Taika Cooper coming in and out of the hospital was clean. Because no one dared to go against Taika’s opinion that he wanted to spend his vacation comfortably.

Thanks to that, it was easy for Eddie to approach. What he didn’t expect was that Taika Cooper wasn’t alone.

[I brought a list of Gates to conquer next…]

[Aren’t I still on vacation?]

Eddie, hiding behind a bush, frowned looking at Oh Seung-woo standing next to Taika Cooper.

Damn it, why is that person here? A hand popped out from Eddie’s shadow. Eddie slapped that hand.

[Stay still. This is different from the plan. Damn it, I thought he was always alone, but why of all times…]

Eddie shook his head.

[Well, okay. It won’t work today. Let’s come back tomorrow. When that guy isn’t around, yeah, we’ll wait for when he’s alone.]

Just as Eddie who muttered like that was about to step back, the hand that popped out of the shadow grabbed Eddie’s collar and threw him out of the bush.

[Damn it.]

Eddie who was thrown into the middle of the walking path behind the hospital got up. His eyes met with the two people looking at him with surprised faces.

Eddie raised both hands.

[Hey.]

Oh Seung-woo, who examined Eddie’s face with furrowed brows, said in a surprised voice:

[Eddie? Why are you here…]

Eddie immediately cut off those words.

[Don’t misunderstand, I didn’t come here to talk with you.]

Since it’s come to this, I might as well finish what I was going to say quickly.

[You, Taika Cooper!]

Eddie called out to Taika directly.

[Can we talk for a bit?]

Taika pointed at himself and said:

[Me? You have business with me?]

[Yeah.]

Eddie looked at Oh Seung-woo and said with a frown:

[Not here. Can we talk just the two of us separately?]

At Eddie’s words, Taika tilted his head.

[Well, I don’t like that. If you have something to say to me, say it here.]

It was an unreasonable proposal even to himself, but to be rejected so bluntly. His face heated up. Maybe it’s because Oh Seung-woo is right next to Taika Cooper.

To think he has to say this in front of Oh Seung-woo of all people. Eddie who licked his lips opened his mouth.

The most important thing now is to finish the conversation quickly before Kim Jae-ho hiding in his shadow moves.

[You may not believe it, but I’m with a Golden Day mercenary group member right now.]

[Really? I don’t see anyone in my eyes.]

Yeah, I knew I’d be treated like a crazy person. Eddie pointed at his shadow with his hand.

[He’s here.]

[In that shadow?]

[Yes.]

Taika slowly approached. Taika who lowered his head and turned his gaze towards Eddie’s shadow tilted his head.

[Well, if my eyes aren’t wrong, I don’t see anything here.]

Just as Taika was saying that looking at Eddie, a dagger sprang out from between shadows. Eddie’s eyes widened hugely seeing that dagger.

For a moment, the whole world slowed down. The dagger flew so fast that Eddie didn’t even have time to use his ability.

Taika’s pupils blazed yellow as he discovered the dagger flying towards him. A black dot appeared in the air and tried to suck in the dagger, but the dagger’s speed was too fast and its force too strong. Eddie’s pupils blazed red. He absorbed as much energy imbued in the dagger as possible, but neither Eddie nor Taika could completely change the dagger’s trajectory.

One dagger finally grazed Taika’s cheek as it passed by.

Eddie who blankly watched that scene gritted his teeth. Taika’s cold eyes turned towards him.

[You just attacked me, right?]

Magic power seethed from Taika’s body. For a moment his hair stood on end. Tremendous magic power rushed into the black dot that had appeared in the air. If he stays like this, he’ll be sucked into that and turned to powder.

[No, I didn’t attack…]

This is all a misunderstanding! But there was no time to say it was a misunderstanding. One returning dagger grazed Taika’s side as it passed by.

[Ugh.]

The shirt Taika was wearing tore and red blood spread. If the dagger’s trajectory had dug just a little more inward, a hole would have been punctured in Taika’s side.

All color drained from Eddie’s face as he watched that scene up close.

[Damn it.]

It was a situation where anyone could see Eddie had perfectly launched an attack towards Taika.

Taika’s golden pupils turned towards Eddie. All expression disappeared from Taika’s face. Slowly Taika’s magic power moved and began to gather in the black dot floating in the air.

There’s only one answer.

Run away for your life.

Reluctantly, Eddie drew up magic power. His red-dyed pupils stared at the black dot. All the energy gathering towards the black dot suddenly evaporated. The black dot that had been sucking in its surroundings fell silent, and Taika blinked in surprise at that phenomenon.

The power hadn’t disappeared. It had all been absorbed by Eddie.

But even this ability of Eddie’s wasn’t invincible.

[Kuhuk.]

Indeed, it was tremendous magic power. Even though he had barely absorbed just a portion, it felt like his body would burst. Blood trickled from the corners of Eddie’s mouth.

Damn Taika Cooper. The name world’s strongest hunter wasn’t for nothing.

Just absorbing his power for a few seconds and it’s this much. Eddie sprayed the energy he had absorbed forward.

[Ugh!]

The well-paved walking path flipped over and its fragments flew towards Taika. Taika waved his hand and caught all the fragments flying through the air with magic power.

When the fragments settled and he looked ahead, Eddie was already gone.

Taika blinked looking at the empty walking path.

He had prepared to properly fight since they picked a fight, but to just run away immediately.

Why did they rush at him if they were going to run away like that?

[It turned out lame.]

Taika calmed his magic power and extinguished the black dots that had been ready to terribly suck in everything around.

Oh Seung-woo who had turned pale belatedly approached Taika.

[A-are you okay?]

[It just grazed me slightly.]

Taika said as if it was no big deal, but the amount of bleeding wasn’t small. Oh Seung-woo was startled and shouted at the blood flowing down Taika’s leg.

[Oh no! You’re, you’re bleeding!]

[Compared to injuries in Gates, this is really a light wound. By the way, that guy is funny. To suddenly rush in and attack.]

At Taika’s words, Oh Seung-woo said with a complicated expression:

[…It’s someone I know.]

[You know him, Mr. Oh?]

[I’m afraid this is because of me.]

[What?]

Oh Seung-woo looked at Taika with a complicated face. And at the same time, people rushed out from all around.

They were paparazzi who had been following Taika around while holding their breath. At the sight of them now taking photos without even trying to hide, Taika frowned.

Oh Seung-woo stepped forward.

[I’ll control the situation from now on. My words mean, put down those cameras now.]

[Normally we’d listen to Mr. Oh’s words, but this is big news. Even Mr. Oh can’t stop this, right?]

At the words of the paparazzi pressing their shutters in succession, Oh Seung-woo rubbed his face. Taika, who had been watching this whole scene, shrugged his shoulders and said:

[My left face is prettier, so take photos from the left.]

A ruffian’s attack, and Taika’s injury!

Tomorrow’s headline, no, the headline of the breaking news that would come out this evening, flashed through his mind.

This has become troublesome.

* * *

The news of Taika Cooper’s attack wasn’t surprising. He had been fluttering around too carelessly for being the world’s strongest. His movements being too predictable was a problem too. Anyone with ill will towards Taika wouldn’t have missed this opportunity.

There was no separate contact from Taika, but information poured in to the extent that there was no need for contact.

“Is it because of an inferiority complex? Wandering hunter’s attack targeting Taika Cooper.”

“Taika Cooper, minor injury. Treated by top medical team. Quick recovery.”

“Assailant’s identity revealed as Edward Sihelis. Several years of history confirmed.”

“Edward Sihelis: The man who became a wanderer, migratory bird, and monster.”

As expected of a superstar. All kinds of media were talking about Taika Cooper.

Taika went to receive treatment from his private team, not the hospital where we were admitted.

As his movements were clearly read and he was attacked, it seems he plans to protect himself without even a hair showing from now on.

In place of Taika who completely hid his appearance, Oh Seung-woo stepped to the forefront. As a witness to this incident and the agency protecting Taika Cooper, he actively used the media.

The reason the culprit was revealed at the same time as the news that Taika was attacked was because Oh Seung-woo already knew who the culprit was.

I couldn’t help but twitch my eyebrows the moment I saw the face of the person who attacked Taika Cooper.

‘It’s that unpleasant guy.’

It was the guy who came to see me and just spouted incomprehensible nonsense before leaving.

Name, Edward Sihelis. 24 years old this year. Commonly called migratory bird, self-proclaimed albatross. A B-grade mercenary who has gone through dozens of mercenary companies so far, with quite a unique ability.

Being able to use the opponent’s power…

‘It’s said he used his talent to escape at the scene too. Using Taika Cooper’s power.’

It was certainly an uncommon talent. Though the drawbacks were clear, it could exert infinite power depending on how it’s used.

—You seem very interested.

‘As I said, it’s not a common talent.’

To injure Taika Cooper and escape safely himself. This was a direct hit to world’s strongest hunter Taika Cooper’s pride.

Maybe that’s why. Oh Seung-woo went into full-fledged ‘Edward Sihelis’ smear campaign.

Oh Seung-woo’s interview was sensational.

“He attacked Taika Cooper out of resentment for not being able to contract with him…”

That was Edward’s crime motive according to Oh Seung-woo, and the media created and screened a script following Oh Seung-woo’s scenario.

—Do you really think that Edward guy committed this act because of resentment?

‘If he really touched Taika Cooper because of such an inferiority complex, it doesn’t explain why he ran away without properly fighting. Oh Seung-woo probably knows that too.’

—If he knows, why did he give such an excuse?

‘To protect Taika Cooper.’

—Isn’t that guy already safe? I heard he was just stabbed in the side a little.

‘I don’t mean physically. Taika Cooper is no different from a huge industry. Taika Cooper is the golden tower Oh Seung-woo built up. The most brilliant and valuable. This time, that golden tower cracked. And dozens of paparazzi photographed that scene.’

There’s no perfect way to block paparazzi in America. Hunters are no exception. Sensitive hunters beating up paparazzi chasing them appears in gossip magazines often enough.

At least Taika Cooper has a good personality, so he usually let them be as long as they didn’t appear directly.

So paparazzi always followed him around, and it was the same on the day he was attacked.

‘This time it seems they broke the rules and continued filming openly.’

—They just took photos when someone was hurt?

‘Because it makes money.’

Choose between negotiating with dozens of paparazzi to keep this completely secret, or deflect the arrow elsewhere.

Between the two, Oh Seung-woo just chose the latter.

‘Actually, negotiating with paparazzi is almost impossible.’

He might have been able to compromise with one or two, but since the number of people at the scene at the time exceeded thirty. It would have been impossible to negotiate with them in a short time.

It would have been more reasonable to lure them in by saying he would provide information he knew.

‘The story of an awakener who attacked a hunter to take revenge on an agency that rejected him in the past and chose another awakener.’

It’s certainly material that the media would go crazy for.

Maybe that’s why Edward depicted in the media had become a very wicked person. A criminal who had been preparing and planning this attack for weeks, and deliberately induced Taika Cooper to let his guard down before pouncing on him.

But I know the truth of this incident.

Edward Sihelis is innocent.

“Jae-ho.”

The moment I saw the dagger springing out from the shadow captured in the photo, I clutched my head.

What on earth did you do!