That’s How They Became Villains

# 6. A Perfect 100-Point Villain -3-

Kim Seok-ho was the only enhanced human among the employees of the restaurant .

It had already been a year since he started working at this damn restaurant.

At first, he definitely seemed to have joined because they said they were hiring for the kitchen.

“One potato salad and pasta here.”

“Yes, coming right up!”

Before he knew it, he had been demoted to waiter and was serving people.

No one gave a proper answer about the reason for the demotion.

All he heard were occasional comments from staff like ‘Aren’t enhanced humans dull-witted and unable to cook?’ or ‘Even if the customers are all enhanced humans, there’s no one who would notice if the taste of the food changed, right?’

Kim Seok-ho, being a veteran who had worked in the food service industry for over ten years before becoming an enhanced human, could not comprehend such an outrage.

However, reality was truly unforgiving. As they said, even when the chef changed, the popularity of the restaurant never diminished, and opinions that the taste had changed would quickly disappear as if someone had manipulated them.

“See, what did I tell you, Mr. Seok-ho.”

“Mr. Seok-ho, maybe it’s because you’re an enhanced human, but you really lack an eye for these things.”

Thus, Kim Seok-ho had to forcibly endure and accept the sneers of those he once considered colleagues.

Even if they couldn’t be grateful to the customers visiting the store, they would curse right in front of them as if wanting them to hear.

Even if they were arranging contracts with other suppliers after breaking contracts with existing food suppliers just to increase quantity rather than quality.

He had to endure. The restaurant was running extremely well, and under the massive flow of societal atmosphere, he was just a small citizen.

No, perhaps even less than that.

Something less than a citizen, someone who had even the will to resist taken away by the nanomachines implanted in his brain.

That’s what enhanced humans were in this city.

“If it was that difficult for you, didn’t you ever think about quitting the restaurant?”

Kim Seok-ho opened his eyes.

In front of him, a middle-aged woman with a beautiful smile was sipping a highball with a faint blush on her cheeks.

His mind was hazy. He couldn’t remember why he was drinking and talking with this woman.

But if one thing was clear, it was that this moment of clinking glasses with her was extremely comfortable.

To the point where he wanted to pour out all the thoughts and complaints he had been keeping inside for a long time.

“I always think about it. That I want to quit.”

“There must be a reason you can’t, right?”

“My younger sister is sick.”

Kim Seok-ho tilted his glass. Was it because of the alcohol? His insides felt like they were burning.

“We originally had a house in Unhwa, but I moved to Cheongang because of my sister. For her treatment.”

With a thud, Kim Seok-ho put down his empty glass. As if to comfort him, the woman poured more alcohol into the empty glass.

“But the doctors said there’s no way for her to live except becoming an enhanced human.”

Kim Seok-ho drank that alcohol as if it were an appointment. Maybe because the beautiful woman poured the drink, this time, it went down as smoothly as water.

“At first, that was the purpose. Yes, it was the purpose, but…”

Gurgle, the glass filled with alcohol again.

“I wonder if this is the best for my sister. If she receives the enhanced human procedure, will she have to live being treated like this too?”

“What do you want to do?”

Kim Seok-ho hesitated, looking at his glass for a moment.

“I wish people would recognize us. That we are just the same people as you. That we’re not beings to be treated like this.”

“Then do it.”

Ting, the sound of glasses clinking rings.

“You tell people directly. That you, who was once human, and your sister, who will someday not be human, are all the same people.”

“Do you think that will work out well?”

Kim Seok-ho looked down at his face reflected in the swirling glass.

“It’ll be fine.”

And then he swallowed the alcohol that would put an end to all his worries.

“Because you have the right to do so.”

And what followed was peace. As if liberated from the chains that had been binding him for a long time, Kim Seok-ho felt freedom.

Now it seemed like everything would work out well. It felt like he could smash the heads of those who had been looking down on him all this time.

‘Don’t do it.’

Someone’s small hand tugged at Kim Seok-ho’s sleeve. It was his younger sister’s.

However, Kim Seok-ho walked toward the path bathed in red light, as if he couldn’t see that small hand.

*

Blood splattered, and fragments scattered.

If I were to briefly describe the scene I’m witnessing now, that would be it.

Han Cheol-ho was desperately trying to subdue the rampaging enhanced human, but it was impossible to block the impact spreading around.

“Kyaak!”

A partition torn from the tile crashed into the ceiling, creating a hole.

As debris from the ceiling collapsed, it began falling toward the edge of the restaurant where people were gathered.

“This…!!”

Simultaneously, a blue-glowing barrier appeared, protecting people from the falling debris.

Han Cheol-ho’s barrier ability seemed like a quite useful ability but it was still too early to relax. The situation hadn’t improved at all.

There was an enhanced human who had lowered all emergency exits and shutters so no one could escape, and was repeating indiscriminate destructive actions.

Kim Seok-ho had been an employee at this restaurant for almost a year, right? He seemed to be fighting quite intelligently against an A-class hero.

Contrary to the famous slogan, people with something to protect tend to become weaker.

“Kuhek…!!”

But that was just for a moment.

Hit by Han Cheol-ho’s huge fist, Kim Seok-ho flew and crashed into a glass wall.

He fought well. Even a rotten croaker is still a croaker, but it seemed too much to handle an A-class opponent.

“T-that’s right…!! Smash him!!”

A civilian shouted. Then, as if a dam had broken, the cries of civilians began to pour in.

“Make it so he can never move again!! Turn him into powder!!”

“Why are you just watching!! He’s catching his breath!!”

-Crunch…

I could see Han Cheol-ho’s fist trembling.

He would certainly not like this situation because he knows that if people’s perception of enhanced humans doesn’t change, things like this will continue to happen.

Looking around, other enhanced humans who were in the restaurant were just watching this current situation, blending in with the civilians.

He understood. Enhanced humans have no obligation to protect civilians, only not to harm them.

That doesn’t mean they want to join Kim Seok-ho either. They don’t want to fall out of society’s good graces.

It was a desperate situation.

For now, it might look like Han Cheol-ho has subdued Kim Seok-ho.

But from a distance, neither civilians, enhanced humans, nor anyone wanted to resolve this situation.

In that sense, Han Cheol-ho, this guy, could be said to be barely passing on my internal hero radar.

“Stop, don’t get up anymore. Why on earth are you doing this?”

“Cough…!! Huh… Are you asking because you don’t know? Do you really not know how those guys over there have been treating us all this time…?”

Talking to such a villain full of malice and seeking a peaceful way to resolve the issue is not a bad approach.

However,

“Let me ask you the opposite. Why are you stopping me? When you wear a hero rank, do the nanomachines in your brain brainwash you to protect people who aren’t worth protecting?”

“That’s…”

Being logically outmaneuvered by a villain was grounds for hero disqualification.

Even I can see that justice in this land seems to lie with that side, but one must uphold their beliefs without wavering until the end.

Heroes, after all, make their living with their mouths, like entertainers.

As expected, taking advantage of Han Cheol-ho’s hesitation, Kim Seok-ho took something out of his pocket and inserted it into the back of his neck.

‘That’s…Winter Dead?’

Winterdead was a stimulant specially made for enhanced humans.

There are a total of four: Spring Hand, Summer Work, Fall Down, and this one is the most effective and has the worst side effects.

It’s a dangerous drug that can lead to death even with a small injection for civilians, so it’s impossible to obtain except in the black market.

Now I see, this guy has a bad background too.

“Let’s fight again, hero-complex.”

Kim Seok-ho, with his blood vessels grotesquely bulging all over his body, made a threat.

Han Cheol-ho was wary of Kim Seok-ho, who had changed as if he were a different person.

However, he couldn’t keep up with Kim Seok-ho’s speed, which was several times faster than before, and allowed an attack.

“Brother!!”

It’s the opposite of before. This time, Han Cheol-ho was thrown and flew toward the glass wall.

Hmm, that’s not good.

Even from a distance, I could see that the core on the right side of his chest was severely dented.

Well, for someone without abilities, fighting just with physical capabilities to that extent is pretty good.

If there were no people to protect, this would have ended with Han Cheol-ho’s victory long ago.

-Rustle.

The form of the barrier disappeared, and Han Yu-jin caught Han Cheol-ho with both hands.

Black liquid, either blood or oil, flowed from Han Cheol-ho’s mouth, which wasn’t a pleasant sight.

“Oh, he’s coming…!! That guy is coming!!”

With the barrier gone, Kim Seok-ho, who no longer had anything to hold him back, came thumping toward the civilians.

-Thunk.

However, Han Cheol-ho, who had barely survived, desperately spread a barrier that enveloped the civilians.

“Damn it, open this right now!!”

-Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!

Kim Seok-ho started repeatedly pounding on the barrier.

Accordingly, the building shook as if there was an earthquake, with dust rising.

“Kyaak!!”

“Uwaak!!!”

The screams of civilians grew louder.

“…….”

For some reason, I was irritated.

The one who lets his guard down in front of evil, the one who has power but only stands by, the masses who have no power to resolve the situation but have loud voices.

Everything was so irritating, it was maddening.

When is Last coming? It should be about time.

“Excuse me.”

I whispered to the middle-aged woman sitting next to me.

This won’t do. Should I stir up the situation a bit more?