That’s How They Became Villains

#30. Forewarned Terror -4-

<(Information) Today is the day of the terror warning>

Got popcorn and cola ready

-> Seated completely

-> Seated completely 2

-> 3

-> 45678910 ding

-> You’re not a kid born in the 90s, why are you playing the ranking game

-> Royal Roader << Those bastards received warning letters but didn’t think about changing the departure time

-> Those guys even put the date in a more visible place haha

-> Legendary power play

-> Absolute “will” to fight

-> Ah haha let them try to terrorize if they want to haha

<(Breaking news) Fire at Cheongang Pharmaceutical Company No. 3>

They say all the stored medicines were stolen

-> No way

-> What curse has that neighborhood gotten

-> Cheongang is really having a legendary number of accidents this year

-> That’s typical of a parachute company

-> The fact is that accidents never end because the city infrastructure is poor

-> Come to Unhwa, lots of pretty women

-> Pretty women (Vitaloids)

-> Looking at it this way, humanity has no future

Someone once said.

What is the difference between an airship and an airplane?

Without going too far, airships rise with buoyancy while airplanes rise with lift.

Airplanes, which rise with lift, need a runway to gain enough power to take off, but airships, which rise with buoyancy, can ascend vertically from one spot.

However, in reality, it was the airship that was abandoned, not the airplane.

Why? Simply because the airship was too big.

Being big means having high air resistance.

High air resistance means you can’t freely increase the speed of the vehicle, and it’s greatly affected by weather.

This leads to financial problems.

The huge size creates high maintenance costs and the slow speed results in low cost-effectiveness.

When astronomical costs are required just for management, but the money it brings in is insufficient…who would make an airship?

But conversely, if the money problem is solved, all the existing disadvantages are completely offset by advantages.

Therefore, in Minos, airships were like a high-class hobby for those with excess money and time.

Here, those with excess money and time mostly referred to the Royal Roaders.

How nice would it be? Standing in a high place looking down, everything at your feet seems trivial.

This is probably why Royal Roaders don’t manage the criticism from lower-class people floating around the internet.

In their eyes, those people looked like small ants crawling at their feet.

“Sigh…”

In front of the massive airship, Chae Yu-ha, crouched like a small ant, let out a sigh.

It was a tense moment.

Even raising her head to the limit, she couldn’t see the top of the body, not even the ridge below it.

Next to Yu-ha, who was overwhelmed by the imposing size, more than a dozen people walked by in a line.

They all seemed familiar, likely influencers sponsored by the Royal Roaders.

Among them, some deliberately pretended not to know Yu-ha or bumped into her shoulder as they passed by.

Yu-ha just lightly thought, ‘Are they idiots?’ and followed them to board the airship.

“Welcome. You’re guests invited by the Royal Roaders.”

“Others, including the Royal Roaders, are waiting for you in the hall inside.”

“Please spread your arms to the side and pass through the scanner room in front of you.”

Upon entering the airship, the first to greet Yu-ha were dozens of Vitaloids dressed in sleek black suits.

They welcomed Yu-ha and the other invitees with angular postures, as if recreating ancient court etiquette.

“Ms. Chae Yu-ha, confirmed. From Unhwa Station through Seolhwa Myeonggok to Royal Road, we wish you a safe and comfortable journey.”

Yu-ha swallowed an empty breath inside.

Without even entering the hall yet, a scene completely isolated from the outside began to unfold.

Red carpet paths and gold-decorated statues, pure white furniture and brightly shining chandeliers.

Behind her, purple neon signs and a forest of buildings were still visible, yet the interior of the airship was nothing short of a royal palace or banquet hall.

With a ‘clunk,’ the door opened, and entering the hall, she could see many people already gathered in groups exchanging pleasantries.

The sounds were mixed so she couldn’t understand what they were saying, but judging by their clothes, she could guess they were having high-class conversations incomprehensible to ordinary citizens.

“Where is the host?”

“Why are there so many people…?”

With this, Yu-ha and most of the invitees lost their bearings.

According to the plan, she was supposed to meet with colleagues who had already infiltrated in an invisible state, in a room on the 4th floor.

But she couldn’t find even common elevators or stairs, let alone the room, so this was truly a mountain of humans, a vast sea.

At that moment, the figure of Jin Hyun sitting alone in a corner caught Yu-ha’s eye.

Excited to see someone she knew, Yu-ha tried to approach him.

However, Yu-ha couldn’t easily approach Jin Hyun as she had hoped.

The reason was a robot about 3 meters tall blocking the way between Yu-ha and Jin Hyun .

Robot?

No, it wasn’t a robot.

It was a walking suit with a design similar to a bipedal mobile combat unit from a certain manga.

Yu-ha remembered seeing that design somewhere.

‘Athena!’

Yes, it was Athena blocking the way between Yu-ha and Jin Hyun.

Before the question “Why?” could even arise, Athena looked carefully at Yu-ha’s chest area through the hatch, then pointed a finger somewhere.

There was a half-paralyzed girl in a wheelchair, Mary, and her butler, Alfred, attending to her.

She had pointed the way by looking at the number tag on Yu-ha’s chest.

After that, Athena continued to block invited guests who were lost and point them in the right direction. After all, this was an S-class hero. It seemed like doing good deeds was ingrained in her.

Yu-ha lightly ignored Athena’s guidance and approached Jin Hyun again.

“What are you doing here alone?”

To this, Jin Hyun, who had been closing his eyes as if concentrating on something, revealed his blue eyes and answered.

“…Ms. Yu-ha? Why are you here?”

“I messaged you the day before yesterday.”

“Ah, so this was the job you mentioned where you needed protection.”

Jin Hyun nodded in understanding and closed his eyes again.

Huh? Is that all the reaction I get? I’m on an airship where a terror attack is about to happen.

Feeling needlessly spiteful, Yu-ha this time pushed her rear end onto the seat next to Jin Hyun and asked.

“Why do you keep closing your eyes?”

“I’m distinguishing sounds. This airship has been warned of a terrorist attack by a villain alliance called the Makers.”

“Terrorist attack?”

“Did you board without knowing?”

Jin Hyun opened his eyes briefly to look at Yu-ha. Because she was sitting unexpectedly close, he almost made a strange sound but suppressed it and continued.

“Don’t launch the airship scheduled to launch in Unhwa. If you ignore the warning, we will come personally and blow up the airship. Such terror warnings were broadcast throughout the city.”

What? He wasn’t unaware after all. But why was his reaction so lackluster?

Yu-ha pretended to shiver and swallowed dry saliva as if she were tense.

“…This was that airship?”

“You really didn’t know, I see.”

It was all a lie, of course, but to Jin Hyun’s eyes, she looked quite pitiful.

“Do you think you’re unfortunate because strange incidents keep happening wherever you go?”

“Don’t I look like it? Please worry a bit for me.”

“I’d like to tell you to go back, but there’s no perfectly safe place in Minos. I feel more at ease having you where I can see you.”

“…”

“And don’t you have things you need to do as well?”

“…That’s true.”

“Then I’ll just do my job.”

“…What job is that?”

“Protecting you.”

At the sudden intrusive words, Yu-ha’s pupils trembled slightly.

“Does this answer make you feel a bit more at ease?”

“…”

With that, Yu-ha left the place as if fleeing.

Jin Hyun watched her retreating figure until the end, then closed his eyes again and began to focus on sounds.

“This is the new item we’ve brought in. The effect is quite proper.”

“Put drugs in the drinks? Who ordered you to do that? …Royal Roader?”

“Haha, would that really be okay? You know what might happen to your small and insignificant building if you offend us?”

“Mmph!!”

“Boy, stay still. Should a person of my stature need to scold you?”

“In a while, there will be a surprise show. Yes, yes. You can look forward to it.”

There were too many concerning conversations…

It was impossible to know which sound to focus on.

Meanwhile, on the 4th floor of the airship, in room 407, four villains gathered.

‘Ugh… b-bomb installation complete…’

‘I’ve put drugs in the drinks!’

’10 minutes left until departure time.’

‘When is Yu-ha coming?’

All in an invisible state, they were sending messages to each other, waiting for their leader.

‘By the way, this drug won’t endanger lives, right?’

When Kim Seok-ho, with his arms crossed, asked, Nazha pasted a message she had copied, as if asking how many times do I have to tell you.

‘Just common mold.’

‘At most, it will end with symptoms like stomach pain or red rashes on the skin.’

‘It will heal automatically in about a day.’

‘Even this much is enough to cause internal confusion.’

‘…This is ridiculous. Becoming villains only to carry out terrorism that doesn’t harm lives.’

‘What are you saying, oppa! Villains? We’re doing good things! Did you see the people on the airship?’

‘Ugh…why did I have to see the image of a fat-bellied aunty devouring a young man preserved in drugs…?’

‘Be quiet, I can imagine it.’

While chatting casually, someone approached with footsteps.

The villains each held their breath and observed the approaching person’s demeanor.

‘It’s me.’

The owner of the footsteps was Chae Yu-ha.

‘Since the departure time is getting close, I came to switch.’

At Yu-ha’s message, the villains looked at each other and tapped where Agio was.

“Ugh…!!”

Pushed by the villains, Agio walked towards the changing room with no CCTV.

What came out afterward was Agio transformed into Yu-ha’s appearance.

“I, I really have to do this…”

Agio, looking quite dejected, spoke with Yu-ha’s voice.

‘Can’t you do it?’

“No, no…!! I just lack confidence, but I know I’m the only one who can do this…”

Yu-ha grabbed the shoulders of Agio, who was about to leave dejectedly.

“You can do it.”

She hugged Agio tightly and whispered in her ear.

Agio blushed and left the room with a broad smile.

She looked quite anxious, so Nazha and Kim Seok-ho asked if she was okay, but.

‘Trust Agio. She’ll show results beyond expectations.’

Yu-ha, acting as if she wasn’t worried at all, began preparing to turn on the broadcast through a temporary channel she had received from Park Seong-tae.

Agio, who had gone outside, walked down the corridor with a mix of fear and worry.

Although she had received energy from someone she admired, she was still uneasy all the same.

For a Vitaloid, performing unverified actions was very frightening. Moreover, she had transformed into Chae Yu-ha, whom she had always admired. What if she made a mistake and damaged Yu-ha’s image? This anxiety came in waves without rest.

Thinking this, Agio got into the elevator going down to the main hall. The elevator, of course, had a mirror installed.

Agio looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Sky-blue hair falling neatly to the waist with a glossy shine, half-closed eyes that looked mysterious when smiling, long legs and magnificent chest, and a black dress that fully supported this beauty.

Come to think of it, Agio had now transformed into the person she had always admired. At that moment, Agio’s heart area, the core module, began to beat explosively.

‘I’ve become Yu-ha Chae now!’

Was there such a difference between knowing with your head and seeing with your eyes?

As if the learning device had malfunctioned, excitement boiled and fear began to disappear.

Yeah, let’s just do it.

I’m very used to sending someone to the abyss while hiding behind a mask. Who am I? Three million Lexer Agio.

With that, Yu-ha’s characteristically arrogant and languid smile began to spread across Agio’s face.

Time until the terror: 00:30.