Chapter 50

EP.50 Lie

"Phew."

That's how I instantly teleported to the underground base in one go.

Shit... I feel like I'm going to collapse after bringing two people this distance.

While I was holding my throbbing head and swaying, Lee Hayul and her younger brother were looking around warily.

What they were seeing were the white walls glowing with LED lights.

I don't find it particularly exciting since I see it all the time, but it seems different for them.

Of course, the younger brother... was his name Lee Chayun? Chayun was looking around with sparkling eyes, while Lee Hayul was scanning the surroundings with a wary attitude, holding her brother.

I grabbed my dizzy head and said to them,

"Ah... I feel like I'm going to die. Kids, stop looking around and follow me. Ah..."

As I swayed and headed forward, the kids followed me hesitantly.

They were still following cautiously with a wary attitude, but at least they were following.

While I was groaning and walking down the white corridor, Se-eun and Su-bin came out from the other side.

"Brother! Oh..."

Se-eun, who was heading towards me, slightly paused when she saw the kids behind me.

She seemed a bit tense seeing the siblings appear suddenly behind me.

"Ah, yeah. These kids are in a bit of trouble, so I brought them here. But first, they need to clean up. Take them to the shower and get some spare clothes."

Se-eun seemed a bit flustered by my sudden words.

Fortunately, Su-bin, who was behind her, stepped forward.

"I'll guide them. Kids, will you follow me?"

Su-bin stepped forward with a friendly smile. Yeah, among us, Su-bin seems the most kind. Turns out she's the face of the operation...?

When Su-bin gently asked them to follow, the siblings hesitantly followed. Well, once they were here, they had to follow our instructions.

Still, Lee Hayul looked more relaxed following Su-bin than me. Well, from her perspective, I probably look like a crazy guy who turned all black and killed people with a gun... and Su-bin is a woman too.

But the younger brother didn't seem to feel that way. He kept glancing back at me while walking. Hey, why does he like me so much? Do elementary school kids these days like me this much?

Anyway, after getting rid of the kids, I shuffled over to the fatigue recovery machine.

I could easily use telekinesis, but the last teleportation was a bit too much. Bringing three people was a bit too much...

"Brother... you finally put on that hat?"

As I swayed, Se-eun, who was behind me, followed and walked alongside me.

"Ah, yeah, this one."

I fiddled with the black wizard hat on my head.

"How does it feel? I plan to keep wearing it from now on."

"Ah... Well, if Brother likes it, that's fine."

What does that sigh mean?

Anyway, I finally made it to the fatigue recovery machine.

Lying down and activating it, I felt a bit better.

While I was lying there recovering, Se-eun, who was sitting in a chair next to me, asked,

"So, what are you going to do with those siblings?"

"Ugh... those kids?"

Originally, I should have gradually built up and recruited them, but things got complicated. But...

"The younger brother really likes me. I think it will work out somehow?"

"Really? That's surprising. Is he a Mango Stick fan or something?"

"Seems so. Man, I didn't expect my past efforts to pay off like this."

"Haha... Brother must be a real idol."

"Could be. But, did you finish installing the teleportation device?"

"Yup, finished yesterday. But are we really moving?"

"Yeah. After being trapped in this underground place for three months, I realized it's not good. People need sunlight."

"Hmm... I like it here."

"Well, now that we have the teleportation device, it's practically as close as a basement. Don't worry."

After a bit of chitchat, the door to this room opened after a while.

First, Su-bin came in, followed by the siblings hesitantly.

They all seemed to have showered and changed into clean clothes.

Oh, they look completely different after cleaning up.

They looked quite ragged before, but now they look much better with clean clothes. Especially Lee Hayul, she is as beautiful as depicted in the original work. Does this world even give villains a beauty boost?

Anyway, as they came in,

I signaled Se-eun and Su-bin to leave with a glance. They left the room quietly, reading my expression.

Now, in the spacious room, only the siblings and I remained.

"Kids... pull over some chairs and sit down."

Still lying in the fatigue recovery machine, I said this, and they hesitantly sat down.

Hmm, where should I start?

While I was thinking about what to say, Lee Hayul spoke first.

"Why did you help us?"

She suddenly blurted out. Looking into her eyes, I saw deep-seated distrust. As mentioned in the original work, she seems to trust no one except her younger brother.

After looking at her for a moment, I opened my mouth and spoke.

"I used to have a younger brother like you."

She frowned at this sudden and irrelevant story.

Regardless, I continued.

I used to have a younger brother, but he was killed by thugs due to my negligence.

While tracking who stole my wallet, I saw you.

Seeing the thugs attack you reminded me of how my brother died.

After saying this, I took a breath.

By the way, it's all a lie. I never had a younger brother.

But to lower her guard, I had to tell this kind of lie. Yeah...

"Lee Hayul, Lee Chayun... while you were cleaning up, I learned about you. Lee Hayul, you ran away after killing the orphanage director, right?"

She was surprised when I said this.

Yeah, you didn't expect me to know that.

"Well, I'm not here to scold you. From what I found out, the orphanage director was a pretty crazy woman. I don't know why she was so harsh on you."

Here, I need to drop the hint that 'I don't know you have top-tier healing abilities~'.

If she knew I helped her because of that, she wouldn't stay quiet.

After saying this, I regained my composure and looked at them, speaking again.

"I can help you."

"With my abilities, I can manipulate the situation to make it look like someone else killed the director and you just took the opportunity to run away. I have that kind of power."

"I can also provide you with a home and money. Do you go to school? I can send you to school too."

"Just live and play freely."

"I'll support you."

My sudden, generous offer.

Her younger brother is already shouting 'Mango Stick, hooray!'...

But he's not the important one. Lee Hayul's decision is what matters.

As expected, she looked at me with a suspicious gaze after my sudden words.

"...Why are you doing so much for us? We just met today. It doesn't make sense."

She still had a suspicious look as she shot me a question.

But her body was slightly trembling. Yeah, it's not easy to speak to me like that when she knows I can kill her with a gesture.

To her, I smiled bitterly and said,

"Didn't I say earlier? Seeing you reminded me of my brother."

"Just think of it as finding a first-class lottery ticket on the street."

Even with my words, she still couldn't completely drop her suspicion, but I told her to go to bed and left for now.

Su-bin came and led them to an empty room and laid out futons.

Su-bin is surprisingly good with kids? She's good at cooking and cleaning, and she's good with kids... She's a professional housewife.

Anyway, after finally getting them to sleep.

The next day arrived.

***

"This is the house you'll live in."

The next day, the siblings' mouths dropped open as they followed me from the morning.

After having an awkward breakfast together, I told them to follow me, and we took the elevator to the upper level of the basement, where a normal house appeared.

When we got on the suspiciously advanced teleportation device, we ended up here.

A large three-story mansion nestled deep in the mountains, where no one can reach.

"Ah, no. This is a bit..."

Overwhelmed by the grandeur, even Lee Hayul, who had been looking at me with suspicion, was stunned.

"Of course, you won't be living here alone. We'll be living here too. I'll be on the third floor... I'll give you two rooms on the second floor, so you can live there."

To the still gaping siblings, I smiled and said,

"Didn't I tell you? I have a lot of money."

This is a money show.

Anyway, we entered the house. I introduced them to their rooms. Two rooms with a fridge, two beds, and everything they need, all prepared in advance.

Forcing the kids, who were feeling burdened, into the rooms, they seemed to adapt quickly, as living beings do. Telling them they can start school next week, they were even more stunned.

We spent some time together and got really close. Lee Hayul's tension towards me was clearly lessened. With her younger brother, I just answered a few of his questions, and we became close very quickly. He really likes me. He must be a real Mango Stick fan...

Anyway, to this extent, can we say I've successfully recruited Lee Hayul? She hasn't revealed her abilities to me yet, but still. If I'm on the brink of death, she'll probably use her healing abilities to save me, right?

Phew. I thought it was all over when the thugs suddenly invaded, but somehow it turned out well. Lucky.

Oh, I feel drained.

But I feel like I'm forgetting something...

What was it?

***

[Title] Is Egosstick really dead??

No, it doesn't make sense.

It's almost four months, where has he gone!!!

Come back, come back, come back, come back

=[Comments]=

[Egosstick hasn't come for four months. I'm spending the coldest four months in the world.]

[120 days without him? This is ridiculous lol]

[Is Egosstick really retired?]

-[Oh]

-[No way]

-[But if the villain retired, isn't that a good thing...? If the villain doesn't do terrorism, why are you sad?]

-[?]

-[?]

-[Special investigation]

-[You're a Star Dust fan]

-[Try being a Star Dust bastard]

*

"Hayul, why are you continuously tapping the cup? You seem restless lately..."

"Ah, sorry, sister."

Inside the cafe.

Star Dust, Shin Hayul, stopped tapping the glass cup, which she had been doing unconsciously.

Egosstick has been missing for almost four months.

Star Dust, who was burning with the determination to uncover the villain's secrets and plans, was getting restless.

No. This guy needs to be active for me to uncover anything.

'By now... it's time for him to show up...'

But today, she was just waiting in vain.