The Reluctant Villain: Cheol-su Kim

Cheol-su Kim saw the date appear once more. Why this happened, he didn't know.

'What is this? I definitely killed someone.'

Without a doubt, he had committed murder. Though it wasn't by his will, he had taken a life. And as a result, he now carried the unwanted memories of that man.

Faust, the being Cheol-su had contracted with, had clearly stated that he only needed to kill within seven days. However, the contract's contents were different from Faust's words.

In truth, whether it was "every seven days" or "within seven days" didn't matter. Complaining about it now wouldn't change anything.

'Not like I had a choice anyway.'

What mattered now was that the contract had been forced upon him, and breaking it would mean the death of his family.

Once he organized his thoughts, he felt a bittersweet calm settle over him.

Oddly enough, Cheol-su found it reassuring that he at least knew what to do. If he had been left completely in the dark about how to protect his family, the situation would have been far more terrifying.

'That would have been the worst.'

Now, Cheol-su possessed powers beyond human limits. This meant that if he decided to kill someone, he could do it easily. The problem was making the decision to do so.

'But why did Faust bother deceiving me? He could've forced the contract regardless. What's his angle?'

Cheol-su pondered briefly before shaking his head.

"I don't know. Let's just wash up."

After cleaning himself up, he lay on his bed, feeling an odd sense of comfort.

"I can't fall asleep like this."

Cheol-su searched for news about the murder he'd committed. So far, there were no updates.

'Is it too early for it to hit the news?'

Even though little time had passed, his eyelids grew heavy, as if weighted with stones, and his mind became clouded.

Today felt like being endlessly tossed in a raging sea.

Fatigue pressed down on him, and his eyes slowly closed, leaving him powerless to resist.

The next day, as soon as Cheol-su woke up, he checked the news. Like any criminal, he wanted to know how things were unfolding.

'If I get caught by the police, I won't be able to fulfill the contract. If that happens, not only will I die, but so will my family. I can't let that happen.'

The crime he'd committed was already causing a stir online.

[Gruesome Murder: Where Is the Victim's Head?

Last night, a gruesome and grotesque murder occurred near the Cheongsol Town Office. The body was found severely mutilated, and the victim's head is missing, according to police reports.

Authorities are analyzing nearby CCTV footage to expedite the investigation. They suspect the victim may have crashed into the bus stop before the murder occurred. As a result, they are also investigating the possibility of drunk driving…]

'There aren't many CCTVs near the town office.'

Cheol-su's memory was foggy. After all, who goes around noting the location of surveillance cameras?

He scrolled down quickly to read the comments.

└ Justice served. └ The victim was a drunk driver? Then doesn't this count as deserved? └ A hero who saved future victims. └ But killing is still wrong, isn't it? └ Try losing a loved one to a drunk driver, then you'll understand.

The comments shocked Cheol-su. The reactions were unexpected.

'Why are there people defending me?'

Growl.

Despite having killed someone, Cheol-su was still hungry. A thought crossed his mind—perhaps this was his true nature.

'That's unsettling… let's eat something.'

Cheol-su went to the kitchen to find some ramen. The cupboard was empty.

"Oh, right. I meant to buy some yesterday."

He quickly changed into outdoor clothes and headed to the convenience store.

'Could anyone guess I'm a murderer?'

As he walked, he felt a peculiar tension in the glances he exchanged with passersby. It was hard to explain.

"Hello."

The store clerk, absorbed in a mobile game, didn't even notice Cheol-su's greeting.

The clerk's gaming obsession continued as he rang up the ramen.

Carrying the ramen, Cheol-su left the store. That's when he felt it—a strange gaze. He looked around but saw no one staring directly at him.

'Am I just being paranoid? No, nothing happens in broad daylight.'

He shrugged and resumed walking. Somehow, holding the ramen made him feel even hungrier.

Before he could take another step, an unfamiliar hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Don't make a fuss. Just come quietly."

The voice was sharp and irritable.

As Cheol-su started to turn his head, the hand on his shoulder tightened.

"I said don't look. You'll get hurt, old man."

Cheol-su froze and took a deep breath, trying to assess the situation. He counted the number of legs walking alongside him.

'Excluding mine, six.'

All he could do was comply and play along. It was clear they were taking him somewhere isolated.

'Getting mugged in broad daylight… what a world we live in.'

As expected, the thugs led Cheol-su to a deserted alley. Their steps were practiced and quick, as if they'd done this many times before.

Further into the alley, they stopped at a dead end. An old, worn-out sofa sat at the end like a throne.

'A tiny kingdom for these punks, I guess?'

Their antics seemed juvenile to Cheol-su.

Five more youths were lounging around the sofa. At a glance, Cheol-su knew they were part of the gang.

'Eight in total.'

He quickly counted their numbers.

"Money."

The tallest one among them flopped onto the sofa and spoke.

'So, he's the leader.'

Cheol-su handed over his wallet without a word, hoping to end the situation quickly. Truthfully, what consumed his mind wasn't fear or anger but hunger.

The tall boy laughed as he inspected Cheol-su's ID.

"Your name is Cheol-su Kim? Seriously?"

The leader's laughter made the others snicker.

"Who even has a name like that these days? Is your sister's name Young-hee Kim?"

Cheol-su sighed inwardly at their childish banter.

"I don't have a sister."

His response silenced the group. Even Cheol-su didn't know why he had bothered to reply.

"Old man, can't you take a joke?"

The leader frowned. Before Cheol-su could retort, the leader reached into the wallet again and pulled out the cash.

"Two thousand won? Seriously?"

The leader scattered the bills onto the ground and glared at Cheol-su.

'Who carries cash these days?'

Cheol-su thought the ordeal was over, but he was mistaken. The leader tossed the wallet to another boy.

"Take him to an ATM and make him withdraw cash."

'An ATM? Of course…'

Cheol-su was both annoyed and impressed by how resourceful the gang was.

"Let's go, old man."

Called an "old man" at twenty-eight, Cheol-su's pride stung. But accompanying them to an ATM was a humiliation he wasn't willing to endure.

"Let's stop here. You're going too far."

"Too far? We're just students who need some money."

The thug's smooth talk almost convinced Cheol-su.

'Kids these days look so much older.'

Taking a deep breath, he replied,

"This is a crime, you know."

The leader stood abruptly.

"And you're a nosy old man."

Before Cheol-su could respond, the leader swung a fist toward his stomach.

But to Cheol-su, the movement was slow, like a scene in slow motion. His body reacted instinctively, adopting a defensive stance. It wasn't a conscious decision—it was pure instinct.

Wham. Crunch.

The leader's head exploded like a watermelon under Cheol-su's punch.

[The deceased's soul has been absorbed.]

[The deceased's soul has been purified.]

[The deceased's "memories of life" have been stored.]

'So, this message appears every time I kill?'

"What the…?!"

Another boy charged at Cheol-su, his face red with rage. Cheol-su could have dodged but chose not to. He wanted to feel what it was like to take a hit.

The boy's punch never landed. Cheol-su's body moved on its own again, effortlessly countering.

Whoosh. Crunch.

'Again?'

The second boy's head burst as well. The messages followed like clockwork.

[The deceased's soul has been absorbed.]

[The deceased's soul has been purified.]

[The deceased's "memories of life" have been stored.]

'They keep attacking even after seeing this…'

Cheol-su found their courage admirable. In their place, he would have fled long ago.

The remaining boys froze in shock. Cheol-su regretted what had to come next, but he couldn't leave them alive. They had seen his face.

Wham. Crunch.

[Six souls have been absorbed.]

[Six souls have been purified.]

[The deceased's "memories of life" have been stored.]