I’m Not That Villain

96 – Change (6)

Time is fast.

But that doesn’t mean it is merciful to people.

For time was what made people weary as it passed.

The Hundred Eyes’ boss.

Black Mamba, Baek So-yeon, forced her weary eyes open.

“…Coffee.”

Caffeine. Needed. Anything would do. Just needed to hammer something, *anything*, into her skull.

She couldn’t sleep. Normally, she’d take it easy, but the situation…it wasn’t normal.

Two beasts were eyeing her, sizing her up. Normally, she’d have crushed them underfoot by now, but…

Both of them were sizable.

Not the kind you could simply step on.

No. That the enforcement agencies would ally with a crime syndicate like Baekhand… What kind of crazy talk was that? Downright insane b*stards.

And with the latest intel…

The looming war. There was a high possibility they’d combine forces and push in together.

“…b*stards.”

She hated the thought of losing what she had.

She wanted to grasp everything she could get her hands on. The Hundred Eyes organization, too. It was an organization she built herself. Her own moneymaker, a means to prove her existence.

She wasn’t that little girl anymore. She could do anything. She’d proven that with Hundred Eyes. She’d virtually raised this vast organization single-handedly.

So she couldn’t lose it. This was her home now. And on top of that…

There was now someone she truly didn’t want to lose.

“……”

Baek So-yeon glanced around the empty office.

She turned on her phone. Checked a secretly taken photograph.

The content was simple.

The moment she’d gone to see him, thinking she’d wake herself up…

She’d found him slumped over his workbench.

And she’d taken a picture, as if possessed, without even realizing it. But hey, she couldn’t help it.

He was sleeping like a puppy, how could she resist? She’d even desperately held back from wanting to pet him. So this was… self-defense. Yeah, definitely self-defense.

“…Hehehe.”

Modern technology was such a cheat. Baek So-yeon grinned. How could a photo like this even exist in the world? It felt sinful.

But she liked it. She liked that sinfulness. Just looking at this secretly taken photo made her fatigue melt away.

Was this why people kept pets? No. He wasn’t just a pet either.

“Well, if you really wanna push it… uh… b-boyfriend…”

“Ugh, what was that! Argh! So annoying!”

Baek Soyeon clutched her phone, rolling around on the sofa. She’d look at the picture, thrash about, then abruptly sit up.

Someone was outside the door. How long had they been there? A quick glance upwards met the gaze of Darko, the organization’s second-in-command.

“……. “

“……. “

Baek Soyeon stuffed the phone away. She sat properly on the sofa.

“You saw it?”

He opened the door and stepped inside.

“…I saw nothing, Boss.”

“Saw nothing? Of what?”

“In any case, I saw nothing.”

“…There’s a reason you’re Number Two, isn’t there?”

“I also do not comprehend what you mean, Boss. I heard nothing either.”

“Good. That’s how it should be. Keep it that way.”

Baek Soyeon desperately tried to maintain her composure, smoothing back her hair. She tied it back loosely, twisting it up in a casual bun, then planted her feet on the desk.

“So? Why are you here?”

“I came to give my report, Boss.”

“You did that during the day, didn’t you?”

“This pertains to the workshop. Boss.”

“What are you doing? Don’t just stand there.”

“…Yes, Boss.”

Darko sat down. He righted the calendar that was barely clinging to the edge of the table.

“Two months have already passed since that day. The deadline Mr. Lee Seo-joon promised is only a month away. The deadline for delivering custom equipment for one hundred men, a promise he made so confidently.”

“Ah. Whatever. What if the deadline slips a little? In my eyes, Lee Seo-joon is the kind who delivers. It was an impossible task to begin with, wasn’t it? Just look the other way if the deadline is a little late. Pretend you don’t notice.”

“…You are very generous to him, Boss. The preferential treatment is obvious, and… dare I say, I find it unsettling.”

“Why? You want some too?”

“Is that so, Boss?”

Baek Soyeon yawned expansively.

“Would it be?”

“……”

“So? How much longer do you think we need to extend the deadline? And why didn’t *he* come? Why you?”

“He’s busy. Mister Seo Jun is very… busy. Uh. Boss. Before the report, there’s something I must say.”

“What is it?”

Darko sighed, a weary sound.

“I don’t know where or how the boss met Mister Seo Jun, but… this much is certain.”

“Spit it out.”

“We have to hold onto him. However we can. If it looks like he’s going to another organization, even if we have to lock him up.”

“…Huh?”

“Look at this first.”

Darko hefted the briefcase he’d been carrying onto the table. He opened it, revealing its contents.

Baek So-yeon’s eyes narrowed slightly. She reached out, picking up one of the objects.

“…This is?”

“A prototype. The workshop—no, we should use the official name now—the ‘Obsidian Workshop’’s first piece. One of the mass-produced pieces of specialized equipment that was completed the fastest.”

No.

He really churned out specialized equipment in just a month or two?

Baek So-yeon gingerly lifted the equipment. Its shape resembled a short dagger, a karambit.

She grasped it lightly.

“…The grip is excellent, isn’t it?”

“Could you examine it as though Mister Seo Jun hadn’t made it?”

“Hey. I am, alright? It’s brilliant. Truly. Even as a simple object… the quality itself is outstanding, isn’t it? And these design elements…”

Baek So-yeon stroked the karambit’s blade. She quietly examined the ornate patterns.

She held it up to the light, catching the gleam. Not a single scratch.

“…It’s almost a work of art, isn’t it?”

“Since specialized equipment shows its true effect when wielded by a talent holder, the owner of this particular piece is waiting outside…”

“Oh? Call him in. What are you waiting for?”

“…Ahem. Yes.”

Darko tapped on his phone. An operative, who seemed to have been waiting at the end of the hallway, entered and bowed respectfully.

“Boss! Pleased to meet you! I’m Nino Manfredi, and—!”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s enough. Stand in front of me.”

I do not know the names of each and every member of the organization.

Merely using them as tools.

Baek Soyeon brought him forward. She lightly inquired, watching him stare with greedy eyes at the specialized equipment in his hands.

“Have you used this before?”

“Yes! I have!”

“Impressions? Tell me transparently, without hiding a thing. Everything. Including your ability.”

“…Uh… then Boss… first, may I have it…”

“Here.”

The ability-enhancing device was tossed to him, landing in his hands. He grinned brightly, as if he’d recovered a lost treasure.

“F-First, may I introduce myself properly, Boss!”

Baek Soyeon glanced briefly at Darko. He gave a short nod.

Baek Soyeon waved her hand dismissively.

“Briefly.”

“Yes, Boss! My name is Nino Manfredi! I came from Italy, and I have always admired the Boss’s reputation…!”

“Brief.ly.”

“Y-Yes! My ability is Shadow Stride! Lightly stepping into shadows, a stealth-type ability that allows me to hide within!”

He set the specialized equipment down on the table. Stepping back a pace or two, he abruptly began to sink his body into the shadows.

But something felt off. His pace was slow. Why so slow? It was like watching a person slowly being swallowed by a swamp.

A stealth-type ability. That’s about it, it seemed. Suitable for concealing oneself, perhaps, but hardly effective for ambush or combat.

Above all, the speed of entry and exit was inherently sluggish.

“…Not a candidate for Executive, are you?”

“No, Boss.”

“I see.”

Purely intelligence-gathering, then. Confined to that role. The potential of his ability wasn’t particularly high. Baek Soyeon waited with her legs crossed until he had slowly clawed his way back out.

“Can you move within the shadows?”

“No!”

“So, all you can do is enter and exit? In place?”

“Yes! That is correct!”

The member, now fully emerged from the shadows, smiled radiantly.

“But! Now the story is different! I shall prove it with pre-calculated figures, starting now!”

“…Ah. Yeah. Go ahead.”

Baek So-yeon wasn’t expecting much.

How different could it really be?

Just by looking, it was clear their ability usage was clumsy, their skill not significantly different…

To change this much just by swapping out a weapon? That’d be absurd. Yeah. Absolutely.

Of course, she knew Lee Seo-jun was something of a monster. But the specialized equipment he’d made for her, hadn’t he said he’d poured his heart and soul into it?

It couldn’t possibly be on the same level as the mass-produced stuff that punk talked about. Best not to get her hopes up too high, or the disappointment would sting that much worse…

Just listen politely.

“Hurry up. Don’t have all day. And keep your voice down. It’s loud.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

The subordinate fumbled, pulling out a report.

“Hoo… So, um… Let’s see… Physical capabilities… Yes. I’ll start with the report on changes to your physical form.”

“I said, hurry it up.”

“Yes, yes. Boss, well… Your physical strength limit has increased by roughly 33%.”

“…Huh?”

Baek So-yeon blinked.

Wait a second. So…

Physical strength limit.

That referred to the metric the workshop guys used when custom-fitting equipment, the one they quantified through comprehensive physical exams, right?

“Hey. Wait. You’re saying my physical strength limit increased by 33%?”

“Yes? Yes, that is correct…”

“That my body is 33% tougher than before? Just from switching to some hastily thrown together weapon?”

“Yes. Correct. Ah, well, if I could explain this portion first…”

“…No. Lay it all out. So? What else?”

“Ah. Well… Combat maneuverability increased by 34%… Biological endurance is comparatively lower. 23%…”

“Do you even hear yourself? You expect me to believe I’m getting that kind of efficiency from a slapped-together specialized weapon?”

Combat maneuverability was, literally, a measure of how quickly one could move in combat. Biological endurance referred to regenerative abilities combined with overall stamina.

But the thing was…

Those weren’t stats that jumped up drastically just by swapping out equipment.

Even wielding a masterpiece – an exceptional one at that – would only increase those stats by a measly 1 or 2%. And these stats jumped up by double-digit numbers?

Of course, he knew it was possible. Even just the gifted personal gear was an absurd weapon.

But that’s the thing.

Even if it’s a degraded form, shouldn’t it *not* be showing up the same way in hastily-made equipment?

“Are you feeding me a false report right now?”

“N-no, I swear! And the rest…combat skill increased by 33%. I think I could hit an even higher peak…I’m just not used to the equipment yet…”

“And the ability output?”

“I was just about to report that! Ability output increased by a staggering 36%! Furthermore, my ability…! It’s been improved!”

Energy waves, detectable when an ability factor manifests.

That was ability output. An increase in ability output meant a drastic increase in the ability’s own efficiency.

The member held up the karambit-shaped personal gear.

And, at the same instant, he was *sucked* into the shadows.

“……?!”

Fast. The dive itself was much faster.

Originally, it felt like slowly sinking into a swamp, but now it just felt like slowly slipping into water, didn’t it?

Moreover, the changes didn’t stop there. After a moment, he burst out from a shadow completely different from the one he’d vanished into.

Ability refinement.

The same kind of change as her personal gear.

Did the concept of mass-produced personal gear just become reality? In just two months?

“Look! Boss! My Shadow Step is so different it should be called Shadow Walk! Ability refinement! To think, it was really possible! I… I never imagined I could hold such a masterpiece in my hands! Thank you! Boss! That person…! The Master of the Dark Workshop is a god! A living god! Boss is my god too, and they’re *also* my god… Ah! I’m so glad I joined here! I’ll give my life in loyalty! Boss!”

“…….”

This quality of work…

In just a month or two?

Lee Seo-joon.

Lee Seo-joon.

Baek So-yeon pinched her brow.

She was preparing to just turn a blind eye even if he failed miserably…what *is* this…?

Just what kind of human *are* you?!

“…Hey, Darko.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Where is the Master of the Dark Workshop right now?”

“He’s working.”

“…Let’s go.”

Baek So-yeon shot to her feet.

“It’s better to talk face-to-face. That lucky son of a…!”