I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With
chapter-409

Chapter 409: Old Friends

It’s been a few days since I was confined to the hospital.

“Hey! Hahaha, Egostic. Are you feeling okay?

“Da-in!!! I missed you so much, hehe.”

“Haha. It’s been a while. Hi Ariel.”

While I was lying in bed, many people came to visit me.

This time, Atlas and his daughter, Ariel, came to my room.

“I know you must be busy, you could have called.”

“Haha! How could I be ungrateful, especially with Egostic? My daughter was crying her eyes out and asking me when I was coming to visit you.”

“Hah…Da-in. I was so worried…”

Ariel mumbles as she buries her face in my body, her blue hair untangled, and rests on the side of my arm. I smiled bitterly and stroked her as she lay on the bed.

Ariel once lived with us in the Egostream but ever since she was sent back to her home by Atlas to be trained as heir, she’s been in touch.

…She must have been very surprised, especially after this incident.

I thought to myself as I comforted Ariel in my arms.

Ariel, by the way, looks more mature in many ways than before, no doubt due to rolling alongside Atlas.

Now she could truly be called a sea princess knight. She’s a bit taller, too.

…But more than that, I feel a little awkward having Ariel in my arms in front of her father.

“Hahaha! You look much better now, though, so I’m relieved. The people of Cathedral are very worried about you, too.”

Atlas, of course, didn’t seem to mind. Rather, he smiled cheerfully.

…He must have liked me a lot, because he still jokes about me being his son-in-law from time to time. Or maybe Ariel gaslighted him…

Anyway, with that thought in mind, we had a pretty pleasant after-hours.

Of course, at the end, when Atlas was dragging Ariel away because it was time to go, there was a bit of a fuss because Ariel didn’t want to go…But in the end, it didn’t end with Ariel being dragged away crying.

However, I agreed to let her live with me again once the Sun God thing was over, so I guess that was that. Judging by the way Ariel smiled quietly behind me as she cried afterward, I think that was enough…

Anyway, after that, many people who had a long history with me came to visit.

“Mr. Egostic, how are you feeling?”

“Mr. Egostic, you seem to be in good shape.”

Our friends from the East Asian Villains League, Katana of Japan and Li Xiaofeng of China, also came.

“…Master. Are you comfortable?”

“Master Da-in! Hmph, I was worried!”

“…Master Da-in, are you feeling okay?”

“Teacher, don’t be sick…”

My first-year PMC students, the four members of our ego squad and, for now, the Association’s A-list heroes. Lee Se-gum, No. 1, Seo Chae-young, No. 2, Heo Da-hee, No. 3, and San-sua, No. 4.

Maybe it’s because they’ve been on the front lines, but they’ve all grown up from when I was teaching them, when they were still quite young. Of course, they are now the leaders of a lot of second-, third-, and fourth-year students below them.

Of course, for some reason, they still call me by my old name, Master.

Besides that,

“Hmmm… Boss, it’s been a while.”

“Red, what have you been up to lately?”

I haven’t seen Red, Blue, and Yellow, members of the Reprise, in years. They flew off to find some place after the events of the Moonlight Gate.

They wandered while wearing bunny helmets, and soon found themselves with nothing to do, until they encountered the angels, who freaked them out and they fled across the world…all over the world.

They said they were too ashamed to come back to Korea and were surprised to hear that I had fallen this time.

“No….”

What the hell did you do with that big, fancy airship?

Anyway, I told them that they should just stay with us. The Association would give them housing and everything, and they were very impressed.

The next person who came was Cha Yun, the younger brother of our healer, Ha-yul.

“Brother, are you feeling well?”

“Yes, yes. Cha Yun, I’d rather ask you. It’s dangerous these days, and I told you to come home, not stay in the dorm.”

“Haha, I’m in high school now, how could I?”

Cha Yun smiled at my words and said that.

He was so small when I first saw him, and now he’s so big.

It seems like yesterday when he first saw me in that slum, his eyes lit up and he said, “Mangostick!” It was amazing.

…No, it’s actually the Korean Ministry of Education that’s the most amazing thing about the SATs.

Of course, Cha Yun’s school is a Yuseong Foundation school with the best facilities and security, so he should be safe… but I still felt uneasy. Cha Yoon is a big boy, but he’s still a kid.

Anyway, he took the time to come with his sister.

…He looked at me with a determined expression and confessed his desire.

“…Brother. Do you know what my dream is?”

“What is it?”

“…My sister and I have always been saved by you, Da-in, so I’ve always thought that I want to help you when I grow up.”

“…So?”

“So I decided… My dream is to join the Association.”

Cha Yun said that as if he was confessing a very big decision.

…However, I was rather confused.

“But Cha Yun, you don’t need to have such high grades to join the association. Aren’t you almost perfect in all subjects now? You don’t need to be that good.”

I said.

Cha Yun disagreed and told me firmly.

“No, hyung, I have to, because my dream is to be the president of the association.”

“….”

At his words, I was at a loss for words.

…The one who says he’s going to be the president of the association and be my support within the association. But if I do this, will everyone in high places in Korea, from Lee Seola to the government and business, will become my acquaintances?

Well, I thanked him and told him to do his best.

…However, I don’t think the Association will survive after I capture the Sun God, but I’ll still have a few more decades.

So many others came to visit me during my illness.

Finally,

“Da-in how are you doing?”

The busiest person in Korea right now…Lee Seola. She, too, came to see me.

“Uh, I’m doing fine, just stuck here, unable to get out.”

“…Mmmm. That’s good, Da-in needs to stay in one place, he’s always getting hurt.”

Looking at Lee Seola nodding her head as if it was a reasonable measure, I felt resentful.

Even you. Where did my credibility go?

Anyway,

“So, you’re still insanely busy?”

“Of course. There’s a lot to catch up on after this big angel raid, and we’re lucky that our country was spared…The others, ugh.”

She shook her head with a tired look on her face, then plopped down on the bed and continued.

“Especially… After Da-in collapsed, it was a real mess. People were protesting, government leaders were all over the place…You’re not even getting up, so I’m really worried.”

“Haha…But you were the one who kept me centered, right?”

At my words, Lee Seola looked at me in disbelief and said,

“What in the world do you think I am, Da-in, that you wouldn’t be worried about me? I still don’t know what I’ve been doing for the past week.”

“Uh…Sorry?”

“Haha…I’m glad I kept my hopes up because if I wasn’t there, it would’ve been a big problem, but Celeste kept assuring me that Da-in would wake up.”

“…Really? Celeste?”

“Well, at least the angel attacks have stopped now. It’ll take a long time to recover, but…”

“That’s true.”

I pondered that and talked to Lee Seola some more…until halfway through when she told me that visiting hours were over.

Anyway, just like that, the long, long rush of visits was finally over.

I went back to my peaceful life…confined to a hospital, under the watchful eye of the Egostream.

No. This is ridiculous.

‘No. What’s going on with Cathedral and the task force without me?’

‘Da-in, what the hell are you doing with that body? With how advanced technology is these days, we can do everything virtually…!’

‘Yes, Egostic. She’s right.’

My strategy of using work as an excuse to escape was effectively blocked by Seo-Eun’s tech-talk and Stardus’ acquiescence.

Thanks to them, I was currently trapped in the hospital, enjoying my confinement.

Actually, it wasn’t even a hospital as far as I could see. I woke up to find my room had changed. To a large, white cell.

…Well. It wasn’t bad. I insisted that humans need sunlight, so they made me a room with a big window.

Except that it only had one door, and it was guarded by a rotating cast of Egostream members.

“Kulk.”

I muttered to myself as I coughed.

…I suppose the fact that I’d gotten a little more hemorrhagic after that day also added to the hype factor. I tried to be as stealthy as possible, but somehow they knew. Did they install a bug in the room?

“…”

Well…Of course, I’ll admit it. My body seems to have weakened a bit since that day.

Still…I don’t know.

“Eh…”

I sighed and turned on the TV.

As I listened, I thought to myself.

‘…I wonder what my powers are.’

I thought to myself quietly, looking at my hands.

Like Stardus, I could emit light from my hands.

Except that light…It was too dark, and too turbid and sticky to be light, as if it were tainted.

But it was clear.

‘Clear, strong.’

It was a power of such magnitude that I could not have imagined.

Even though my body was ruined after using it, the moment I unleashed that black light, I wiped out the angels in a matter of seconds.

Why did I only get this ability now?

“…”

My guess is that it was the influence of the Sun God.

As the Sun God’s proximity increased the power of Stardus’ star against him, so did my power.

However, since the total amount of my abilities was weak as a result, I wonder if something forced the reaction and caused this to happen.

I can’t use telekinesis and teleportation now because I feel like I’m paying with my life.

The result was this confinement play.

“…..”

I sighed, thinking about that.

I guess I’ll have to stay here for a while.