Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

The shuttle seemed to have ground to a halt. The driver standing before us announced:

[The shuttle has sustained damage rendering it inoperable. But do not worry. Its armor plating remains intact.]

At those words, everyone aboard the shuttle erupted into profanities.

[That’s not the problem, is it? What was the monster that attacked us?]

[Exactly! You should be telling us what the hell hit us first, shouldn’t you?]

The people swarmed the driver, bombarding him with threats. Cowering, the driver stammered:

[It was a lateral attack, so I couldn’t see clearly either. Everyone, please just remain seated for now!]

Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Han Seo-hyeon shot me a worried glance.

[I’ve called for support units, so please remain calm. I repeat, please remain calm and wait…]

“He’s telling us to stay put since he’s called for backup.”

As I relayed the situation to Han Seo-hyeon, the shuttle violently shook once more – this time with enough force to pitch our bodies forward.

[I don’t want to die here! Dammit, are we just supposed to sit here like canned meat for some unknown monster?]

[Yeah! You want us to just sit tight and get crushed in this tin can?]

Another jarring impact sent those standing tumbling to the floor. Some massive entity seemed to be restraining the shuttle, pinning it down.

Creeak, creeak. Screeeeech.

The harrowing sounds of rending metal reverberated, shrill and grating against our eardrums.

[Fuck!]

[Aaargghh!]

As the shuttle’s hull ruptured, gusts of sandy winds began whipping inside. Kim Jae-ho, who had silently materialized beside us, swatted away something hurtling in our direction.

“Dammit.”

It was the dagger belonging to the man seated beside us, likely dislodged by the turbulence and propelled towards me.

“Thanks.”

In response to my gratitude, Kim Jae-ho merely sneered, positioning himself protectively at my side while surveying our surroundings with vigilance.

As the jolts subsided, the occupants exchanged tense glances – some consumed by terror, others simply stunned by this unfolding catastrophe, while a few remained remarkably composed. Yet the realization dawning upon their expressions was unanimous:

We’re screwed.

[I can’t take this anymore.]

Several hunters seated toward the front retrieved the weapons slung across their backs.

[What are you doing? He told us to stay put!]

[Like that announcer asshole is even still alive to give orders. Do you hear his voice anymore?]

Indeed, the voice providing status updates had fallen ominously silent – likely a casualty of the earlier impacts.

Coupled with the ominous noises indicating encroaching monsters from the surrounding area, the cumulative strain was evidently fraying human nerves.

Placing a reassuring hand over Han Seo-hyeon’s, I also gestured a subtle signal towards Kim Jae-ho.

Before we could initiate any actions, the confrontation erupted from the front:

[I’m getting the hell out of here.]

[Are you insane? That’s suicide!]

[If there’s something out there powerful enough to wreck this shuttle, what then? You want to be crushed along with this metal deathtrap? At least outside we can assess the situation!]

[The backup is on its way. It’s better to just stay put for now!]

[By the time those backup shits arrive, we’ll all be fucking corpses!]

Bang! Even amidst this heated argument, the shuttle continued shuddering from the relentless impacts.

The monster responsible for disabling the shuttle was undoubtedly continuing its assault, determined to breach our metallic refuge.

In such dire straits, decisive action became inevitable – one hunter taking the plunge.

[Get the hell out of my way. I’m going topside whether you pussies like it or not!]

Brandishing his blade, he carved through the already compromised hull in a single stroke, disappearing through the newly created opening.

[Are you crazy, trying to go out there?!]

[Well I’m not sticking around in here either!]

[We’ll figure something out!]

Without further discussion, the hunters began pouring out one after another, fleeing through the rent in the shuttle’s exterior.

Those who had initially advocated remaining within merely watched their departing comrades in resigned silence, resuming their seats.

“What should we do?”

“Did you want to go outside as well?”

“Those monsters are still relentlessly pounding on us out there. If we stay put, won’t we just die trapped in here?”

“Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Thud, thud, thud.

Something massive seemed to be approaching from beyond, its tremors reverberating through the sandy terrain with each ponderous step. Swish, swish, the unmistakable sounds of some entity slithering across the sands.

Distinctly larger than the previous assailants, judging from the intensifying vibrations.

The remaining shuttle occupants collectively fell silent, holding their breaths in trepidation.

At that precise moment-

Some colossal force began quite literally tearing apart the shuttle. As the entire roof was wrenched off, hurled aside, I caught a glimpse of our monstrous assailant.

“Holy shit…”

What my wide eyes beheld was a towering behemoth – an immense crab-like creature, its pincers ruthlessly shredding and crumpling the shuttle like paper mâché.

A palpable chill raced down my spine as I confronted those merciless crushing appendages firsthand.

“Jae-ho, Seo-hyeon. Stay close to me.”

Channeling mana, I erected a defensive barrier encircling us. As the creature flung away the shredded shuttle remnants, it brought its claw swinging down upon us.

That single blow pulverized the entire shuttle, reducing it to an unrecognizable wreckage. Several hunters obliterated instantly in the process. Witnessing the spreading crimson stains beneath that claw, Han Seo-hyeon let out an anguished moan.

“Ugh…”

While unable to penetrate my mana barrier, deflecting that single strike had already depleted a staggering amount of my reserves. Gritting my teeth, I realized the decisive moment would arrive when it retracted that claw.

“Kim Jae-ho.”

In sync with my signal, Kim Jae-ho enveloped Han Seo-hyeon, propelling them both away from the impact zone with a forceful leap.

I don’t have to worry. The instant I released the barrier, I channeled mana into my legs, propelling myself skyward as well.

The claw slammed into the space I had previously occupied, utterly obliterating what remained of the shuttle into powder.

Though the sequence seemed protracted in recounting, this entire chain of events had transpired within a mere 5 seconds. When the dust settled, the number of hunters who had successfully evacuated, including us, didn’t seem to exceed even ten.

But our immediate relief was short-lived, for upon emerging we were instantly engulfed by an oppressively dense sandstorm, rendering visibility beyond a few paces impossible.

The clear weather forecast we had reviewed prior to departure offered no indications of any such phenomena. This raging sandstorm served as an unmistakable signal that formidable monstrosities lurked in the vicinity.

Monstrosities potent enough to conjure sandstorms of this catastrophic magnitude.

“That sandcrab might have been fleeing this very sandstorm, only to blunder into our shuttle along the way.”

If so, it would explain why such overwhelming monstrous numbers had swarmed our location, to the point of overpowering even an armored shuttle.

Turning to Han Seo-hyeon, I immediately instructed:

“Seo-hyeon, keep any summons prepared. Consider our situation akin to being inside an actual gate – no, worse than that, truthfully.”

Unlike gates hosting thematically coordinated monsters, this area likely harbored dozens, hundreds, potentially even thousands of rampant monstrosities that had spilled forth from those unchecked gates.

Survival took utmost priority under such circumstances.

Nodding in understanding, Han Seo-hyeon summoned Hound. A prudent choice, as the agile beast would fare far better than a skeleton in this treacherous terrain.

For now, the sandcrab posed the greatest immediate threat.

Towering at least 15 meters tall, the colossal sandcrab lumbered about after devouring the shuttle, its very footfalls causing the ground to quake ominously.

Confronting such a gargantuan monstrosity alone would be sheer folly for just the three of us.

“Our first objective should be locating any other survivors to join forces with…”

In the distance, reverberations of mana clashes could be felt – likely the hunters who had fled earlier engaging other monsters as well.

We weren’t the only ones who had sensed those tremors either. The previously stationary sandcrab had also detected the disturbance, beginning to lumber in that direction.

Should we attempt to rendezvous with those other survivors? As I contemplated that prospect, a man approached our position, a blond-haired individual donning sunglasses with blackened lenses.

[Are you alright over there?]

[Yes, we’re unharmed. And you?]

[Ah, I also managed to get out safely.]

The man added:

[Given the circumstances, it might be advisable for us to travel together.]

Scrutinizing this newcomer, Han Seo-hyeon inquired with a hint of wariness:

“Is he suggesting we join forces?”

While the man’s proposal held merit, Han Seo-hyeon’s guarded demeanor was understandable. Acknowledging his prudence, I still concurred:

“In situations like these, having additional allies, even just one more, is preferable.”

I said that to the man.

[I am Lee Seung-joon, the captain of the Ark mercenary group. These are my fellow mercenaries beside me.]

[Ah, a mercenary group! I’m Joseph Ramirez. This is my first deployment, so I’m rather flustered by this turn of events.]

[This is my first time too.]

An awkward silence lingered between us, Ramirez’s expression betraying his own discomfort with the situation as well.

Wonderful, inexperienced compatriots in the midst of this emergency, simply delightful.

Very well, then the decision was made: we would absolutely avoid that sandcrab’s vicinity at all costs. That area would soon devolve into utter pandemonium, so our priority was evacuating from this immediate location first.

[For now, we need to withdraw to a safer area. Returning to the forward base would be ideal, if possible.]

Ramirez nodded at my suggestion.

[Yeah, okay. But I noticed earlier that GPS isn’t functioning properly. This sandstorm doesn’t seem like an ordinary natural phenomenon.]

[Most likely, there’s an immensely powerful monster in the vicinity generating this sandstorm. If it’s a magically conjured storm, GPS signals would naturally be disrupted by the intermixed mana saturating the area.]

Unless we could dispel the mana-infused sandstorm blanketing this region, not just GPS but all electronic devices would remain effectively useless.

Mana-charged atmospheric conditions tended to disable regular electronics through ambient interference.

[For now, we should seek temporary shelter until this sandstorm subsides.]

Nodding at Ramirez’s pragmatic assessment, I relayed the situation to my companions:

“We’ll be joining forces with this man for now?”

“Yes, pooling our strength would be better for us too.”

This encounter had been accidental. While I lacked reason to place complete trust in this stranger, neither did I perceive any overtly hostile intent. Unlike those belligerents who had threatened us aboard the shuttle.

For now, our imperative was locating a relatively secure position to avoid this mana-infused sandstorm.

“Seo-hyeon, have Hound scout ahead for a moment to assess our surroundings.”

“Understood. But didn’t they say to remain stationary during emergencies like this?”

“That advisory assumes an absence of immediate monstrous threats in the vicinity. With all these corpses littered about, monsters are bound to converge soon. Putting some distance between us and this location would be wiser.”

“Ugh…”

The primary hindrance was this obscuring sandstorm, rendering any visual reconnaissance utterly futile. At that moment, Ramirez weighed in:

[Since it seems we’ll be proceeding together for now, perhaps we should share our respective talents? If I’m not mistaken, your smaller companion there appears capable of summoning familiars, correct?]

Nodding affirmatively at Ramirez’s inquiry, I continued:

[Yes, and I can manipulate wind. As for this other companion, he’s a physical enhancement type. What about yourself?]

[I’m good at dagger throwing. Targeting correction is my talent, you see.]

As if to demonstrate, Ramirez swiftly unsheathed a dagger from his belt, effortlessly skewering an insect flitting past with a single fluid motion. While his blackened lenses concealed any changes to his pupil coloration, the flawless marksmanship was undeniably impressive.

Yet ‘targeting correction,’ was it…?

I chose to overlook the man’s apparent deception for now. Considering our own lack of full transparency, I wasn’t one to complain.

Regardless, his rapid decision-making in evacuating that shuttle had already displayed commendable hunter instincts. Not that it would prevent me from swiftly neutralizing him if necessary, of course.

Han Seo-hyeon’s words caused me to halt in my tracks:

“There seems to be a monster ahead.”

Swallowing audibly, he continued in a grim tone:

“A big one.”