Chapter 47

EP.47 Perfect Plan

Healer.

This term refers to a person in games who has the ability to heal injuries.

In the manga I've possessed, [Stardust!], there was also a woman with healing abilities.

Healing. It sounds like a heroic ability, but unfortunately, she was a villain.

If we had a healer on our side, it would be incredibly reassuring, but when the other side has one, it drives us to the brink of madness.

We beat them so badly that they couldn't move for months, and yet they managed to crawl away and escape, only to recover fully in just a day and return to cause more terror.

Our Stardust team was puzzled by how they could recover so quickly, and it was later revealed that a female villain named 'Exsaint' was healing them.

The main culprit behind increasing the difficulty of defeating the already tough villains in the later part of the original story.

If we can take her out, the later part will be much easier.

So.

I need to win her over.

"So, Oppa, there's a girl who becomes a limited saint dedicated to healing villains later on?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't it be great to have just one person like that on our side?"

"Ha... How do you know that? Is it just a fantasy, or can you really see the future?"

"Seo-eun, you're still young and don't understand, but when you grow up, you'll know everything."

"What does that mean... Sigh. Anyway, I get it. So where is she now?"

"Hmm..."

"Where is she?"

"In a back alley... probably pickpocketing?"

"Huh?"

Seo-eun looked as if she had just heard something absurd. Hmm... How do I explain this?

"Wasn't she a high school student?"

At my words, Seo-eun's face became even more incredulous.

Hmm... How do I explain this?

***

Lee Ha-yul.

She lived as an orphan from a very young age.

Enduring harsh abuse in the orphanage with her younger brother, they barely survived day by day.

The orphanage director discovered her ability.

A top-tier healing ability that could save even those on the brink of death.

Normally, it should have been reported to the association immediately.

However, the evil orphanage director kept it a secret.

And he planned to sell Lee Ha-yul to the wealthy.

Effectively planning human trafficking.

But Lee Ha-yul, who found out about this, escaped from the orphanage.

She stabbed and killed the insane director who knew her secret.

Thus, she and her younger brother began wandering the back alleys.

Living a life of petty theft and pickpocketing, barely surviving.

One day, her younger brother was killed by thugs right before her eyes.

Shocked, she eventually became corrupted.

She blamed the world for her condition.

She blamed the association for not recognizing and helping her, and the government.

Living bitterly, she eventually joined the villain alliance and participated in the project to collapse South Korea.

Looking at it this way, she and Seo-eun have many similarities. Both harboring resentment towards the world and eventually trying to destroy it.

In any case, the conclusion is to win her over and make her my ally.

She seems like a perfect fit as the first member of the egoistic villain alliance.

If I can gather them one by one, I might eventually have almost all the villains under my control, right?

Well, that's unlikely.

But the most urgent task is to win her over.

Of course, there's a problem because she fundamentally distrusts humans due to her experiences in the orphanage.

Approaching her with "I'll give you money, so be loyal to me!" would be a surefire way to get stabbed.

But still, if I can somehow shake her, it might work, right?

"Actually, I'll handle everything, so you don't need to worry, Seo-eun."

"But that makes me even more worried..."

Seo-eun giving me a disapproving look.

There's no need to worry.

I'm already confident that this method will work.

Because I used a similar method to become friends with you, Seo-eun...

***

Anyway, that's how I ended up here now.

Somewhere in the back alleys of Seoul, where there are no CCTVs, in the evening.

According to my memory, she was active around here...

While aimlessly wandering the alleys.

I received a call from Seo-eun through the earphones I had in.

[Oppa, there's a girl watching you from a hidden spot in the alley at 2 o'clock. It's probably her, right?]

Bingo.

My current attire is a black outfit without a mask.

I'm walking in a slightly clumsy but wealthy style, making myself look like an easy target.

Hmm...

Walking slowly,

Finally, a girl ran over from the other side.

She ran towards me, pretended to bump into me, and passed by.

I got a shoulder tap from the teenage girl.

Who would have thought that the once proud Egoistic would be living like this? It's truly a pitiful situation.

The girl disappeared into the darkness with a few quick steps.

Once she was out of sight, I finally checked my pocket.

As expected, it was empty. The wallet I had in there was gone.

"Of course."

Good.

The plan is working.

I smiled from behind the dark alley.

[What are you doing there? Come back now.]

"Sure."

I've laid the bait.

Now, it's up to you to take it.

***

"Huff, huff."

Lee Ha-yul, she ran and ran.

A successful pickpocketing after a long time.

She ran until the man couldn't find her, and only then did she catch her breath far away.

Once she reached a safe place, she took out the wallet she had stolen from the man with trembling hands.

A wallet with "E.S" embroidered on the outside.

Opening it carefully, she found:

"100,000 won?"

Ten 10,000 won bills.

This was a huge amount.

These days, people carry cards instead of cash...

"With this money... I can buy something other than ramen for Joon."

She muttered to herself, then walked home with a slight smile.

Of course, she felt a bit guilty about the man who lost money because of her...

'But what can I do...'

She and her brother had no money, no abilities, and no identity, so they had to live like this, trying to console herself as she walked.

Of course, the growing guilt was inevitable.

"Big sister, you're here?"

Entering the dilapidated shantytown, her younger brother greeted her.

Smiling wryly, she went inside and said to her younger brother:

"Big sister made some money today. Let's buy something delicious."

"Really? Wow!!!"

The elementary school-aged boy, still struggling to express his emotions.

Seeing him, she smiled without realizing it.

Yes, even if I can't eat, this child must eat well.

Patting her younger brother's head, she sighed.

We can survive with this for today and tomorrow, but what about the day after?

Like a dark night, her heart turned bleak.

***

[Title] When will MangoStick come back?

I'm cold...

=[Comments]=

[Found frozen to death ㄷㄷ]

[Deleted comment]

[?]

[???]

[What was it? I couldn't see it because it was deleted]

[It was something like 'Sorry, been busy, will be back in a few weeks']

[Why does the account not exist when I click on the comment? It's so scary ㄷㄷ]

[Is that comment really from MangoStick?]

[No way lol]

*

I'm a bit bored these days, so I'm playing around.

Going to my fan cafe and leaving a few comments on people's posts.

Of course, I delete them right away... but it's surprisingly fun...!!

If Seo-eun finds out I'm doing this, she'll probably look at me with pity... but...

Enough playing around, I need to think about my future plans.

A plan called 'Soaking Wet from a Light Rain'.

This time, I let her steal my wallet.

Next time, I'll change my clothes and let her steal my wallet again.

But this time, it will be a wallet with "E.S" embroidered on it.

After a few more thefts, she will realize that she keeps stealing from the same person.

She will notice something strange. Why does this person keep coming back to the same spot, even after being body-slammed?

And why does the amount of money in the wallet increase from 100,000 won to 200,000 won, then 300,000 won?

When she starts to wonder, I will appear in front of her house.

"Actually, I knew you pickpocketed me last time and was tracking you to catch you.

But seeing how you take care of your younger brother despite your difficult situation, I was deeply moved.

If you're okay with it, I'd like to become your guardian."

Of course, she won't listen to me because of her deep-seated distrust of people.

She'll tell me to go away, and I'll say I understand and quietly retreat.

Then, even though she rejected me, I'll keep coming to mind.

She'll realize I wasn't after her powers and that I didn't come back after leaving.

'She must have been a genuinely good person...'

I think she'll feel this way, and that's when I predict the incident will happen.

The gang's murder of her younger brother.

If I intervene just before her younger brother is killed and save him, and then ask to become her guardian again,

Will she finally trust me and come under my control?

"Hehehe... Perfect..."

In the depths of the basement, I let out an evil laugh.

Yes, my plan is perfect.

It can't go wrong.

While planning the next move with a 200,000 won wallet in hand one day,

Seo-eun suddenly burst into my room and shouted.

"Oppa! A gang or something just appeared! What do we do?"

Shit, why are they showing up already?