The Novel’s Villain

[The test run didn’t work out that great, will give it one more chance, hopefully, it does better this time around.]

53. The Real Bad Guy (3)

Jin-woo first removed all the obstacles in his way.

He didn’t annihilate all of the Holy Union players, though. Disrupting the balance of power between the factions too much would prove more detrimental than beneficial.

Hence, he focused on destroying the ships that looked reasonably expensive instead, allowing the rest to warp.

Jin-woo approached the battleship where Serra was kept.

It wasn’t difficult to find her. All he had to do was watch Bread Jam’s broadcast. After that, he just removed their spacecraft’s engine entirely before he entered to prevent it from warping.

He didn’t go through the entrance. Rather, he went straight into the Main Bridge, clearing all crew members in his path and lowering the vessel’s barriers to force the players to rally up.

In doing so, he’d spend less time dealing with them.

As expected, when he went to where they holed up, he found Serra among them.

Due to the broadcast, he killed as many as he could to solidify his presence as the Dark Emperor, saving Bread Jam for the finale.

Jin-woo was the type to hold grudges.

‘What a tragedy.’

Bread Jam’s stream gave him enough information to understand what was going on. Serra had lost her memory and now strongly antagonized Latica.

Killing the Dark Empire players around her played a big factor in this outcome, and the same could be said for Latica being the Pirate Queen. All the commoners close to her little sister suffered heavily due to the Pirates Union, which was why it was only natural for her to hate her and the people she led.

As far as she knew, she was now also one of their prisoners.

‘Well, should I call this karma?’

If it weren’t for her previous organization and crimes, this would’ve turned out differently. This would’ve been the last time he’d deal with Bread Jam.

“Don’t move! If you do, I’ll cut her!”

For a moment, silence dominated the room. Bread Jam was holding Serra with a dagger pointed at her neck.

Jin-woo almost admired his actions.

“Ugh!”

Her face turned pale blue, and Latica’s expression became indescribable.

From Serra’s point of view, he was the worst, even among villains.

When he invaded with Latica, formerly known as the Pirate Queen, he turned a fan signing event into a massacre, killing some of her closest friends. He also kidnapped her and now even held her hostage.

‘Won’t they think of him as an enemy for the rest of their lives?’

That would be the most likely result.

He couldn’t understand exactly what he meant, but it was clear Bread Jam was torn between Latica and Serra. With Jin-woo remaining still, he smiled and looked at his accomplice.

“Hurry up and run away!”

Hajimaruyot: I know he means well, but with the current situation, I doubt she’d do it.

Han Young-ki: Is he a complete idiot?

Lalalalal: Serra… ㅠㅠ Please stop trolling.

Daenggangman: The Guild Union must be heartbroken now. Their expensive battleships have all been destroyed.

Just killing Bread Jam would be too dull.

Thinking about it for a while, he decided to send Prof. Kim Dae-jin a message to put on a great spectacle for the viewers watching his broadcast.

With a snap of his fingers, black flames devoured Bread Jam’s dagger, melting it completely.

“Huh?” He faltered.

Noticing that gap, Serra bit his hand. He didn’t feel any pain, but it startled him enough to accidentally let her go.

She immediately ran towards Jin-woo.

“Serra!”

Latica grabbed her, but she pushed her away, causing her to collapse on the floor helplessly. All she could do now was dejectedly watch her own little sister walk away from her.

Burying her face in Jin-woo’s clothes, Serra began to weep, allowing her emotions to finally explode.

He didn’t know how to comfort her. This entire situation suddenly turned into a bad drama.

‘This is troublesome.’

Still, he felt sorry for her. Letting out a small sigh, he patted her gently.

According to the setting, she was supposed to be his favorite anyway. This much display of affection should be okay.

Jin-woo stretched out his hand again, causing Bread Jam to float and move towards him ever so slowly.

Jinwoo folded his fingers one by one.

His arms and legs were bruised and broken. As the reporter cut off his spine, he was completely immobilized.

He talked to Prof. Kim Dae-jin once more.

“Professor, I’ll be bringing a useful test subject to you. Feel free to experiment with him as you see fit.”

[Yes, your Majesty! I’ll create a great masterpiece out of him!]

Oh God: Hmmmm, Bread Jam as a test subject?

Billboard: Awesome! His broadcast won’t be turned off.

Book Burner: This is going to be so much fun.

Bread Jam just rolled his eyes, unaware it would be far easier for him to just die now.

A transport ship boarded the battleship Jin-woo was in, deploying T1s right behind him.

When he threw his opponent on the floor, his soldiers dragged him away and disappeared; the viewers enjoyed how he was treated so lowly.

With no audience around anymore, Jin-woo took off his mask. Serra already knew his true identity, but she kept it a secret from the others.

“Are you okay?”

“Sniff… Master… Uncle…”

“Don’t worry. Death for them isn’t eternal.”

Jin-woo handed her to the T1 Troops. Following them, she stopped momentarily and gazed back at him.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I… I will officially enlist in the Dark Empire army. The Holy Union must pay for this.”

“Hmm…”

He could feel it. Serra was filled with rage and hatred. Her eyes even became similar to those of the old Latica. After she exited the room, Jin-woo sighed.

Things got pretty messed up.

He approached Latica. Her eyes were dead, and she looked like she had gone mad.

How she felt was understandable. She dedicated her life solely to saving her sister and avenging her. However, losing her memories, she now hated her with every fiber of her being.

The problem was that she had no excuse.

It was the Dark Emperor who saved Serra, and she trusted only the people who followed him. Latica had no place in her life anymore.

“Let’s talk.”

“…”

She raised her head and looked at Jin-woo, showing no form of will or determination. It was almost as if she had lost her desire to live. Right now, she was nothing more than an empty doll.

He didn’t want to leave it like this. If the two were brought together, there should be an opportunity to clear things up.

Jin-woo liked happy endings.

He didn’t even watch classic movies with sad endings.

“I see you got yourself in trouble.”

“Serra… I… What should I do…”

Latica’s soulless eyes reminded him of desperation.

“Work for me. I’ll help you think about what you can do for your sister.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks. conversion.

This wasn’t something Jin-woo could solve alone. The best way to fix this situation was for her to stay around Serra until she recovered her memories.

That might prove a little difficult, however.

“Okay…”

Nevertheless, she agreed.

[Latica’s affiliation has switched to the Dark Empire.]

[Latica has acquired a new title.]

[B] Poor Traitor

A title earned by joining the Dark Empire.

All she has left is her heart for her younger sister.

If she works for the Great Emperor, there is a chance that Serra’s memories about her will return.

*She has become hostile to Count Lear.

*She has become hostile to the Holy Union.

* The Lainez Kingdom and the Space Federation are now enemies.

*Serra’s favorability: -60

[This is a really evil ending! Well done!]

[You have gained experience.]

Her title was so pitiful.

Jin-woo gently patted Latica’s shoulder in hopes of comforting her, but it just made her flinch and tremble.

‘I truly am the villain.’

* * *

Latica’s combat abilities were weak, but her ability to command a fleet was the best in the universe. Her aptitude for it was so high that she reached a level where she could catch up with Vanity with little training.

Jin-woo stationed her on the outer borders of the Delox Empire since the current status of both the Lainez Kingdom and the Space Federation was unstable, and the Cockroach clan couldn’t go into battle since they were preparing for biometric information

After entrusting her with the latest fleet and T1 Troops, she established a meticulous defense system. Moreover, she faithfully fulfilled Jin-woo’s orders, believing she would be by her sister’s side one day.

When it was time to meet her, she couldn’t step forward and could only watch from a distance, wearing a helmet that half-covered her face. Still, the players knew who she was.

[Title: Latica

I see her stalking Serra frequently.

I found it quite depressing when I found out about it, but these days, she seems a little less dangerous. The last time Serra ate a cake at a cafe, she genuinely smiled while watching her from afar.

It’s like she was saying, ‘you’re cute even when you eat, Serra,’ or ‘you seem to really enjoy coffee.’

From those alone, I already know her love for her sister is great. If Bread Jam didn’t troll around, she would’ve still had the chance to talk to her.

Rather than taking such extreme measures, she could’ve gone slow and steady in approaching her.

She was a pirate in the past, and her younger sister hates it.

That caused her mental health to deteriorate.

Bread Jam was the root of it all.

He flirted with Latica and persuaded the Guild Union to raid Dark Eye, causing everyone tremendous casualties and damages.

And just like last time, he caused quite a lot of team kills.]

Comments: 7,321

Slong: I’m never following Bread Jam again.

Carral: Wow, so Latica joined the Dark Empire? She was the most popular NPC in the Holy Union…

Coincidence: I agree, and she switched sides because of Bread Jam.

Strall: Latica is sweet. I hope she gets along with Serra. She’ll have trouble achieving that, though…

Anmyeonnaemyeon: The Dark Emperor is a gentleman. He even gave them a chance to reconcile.

Choosuk Jam: Guys, look at Bread Jam’s broadcast. He’s in a really funny situation right now.

Not only the Holy Union players but also the Dark Empire players felt sorry for Latica. Once Han-son learned of her situation, he exerted great effort to serve as their mediator.

Time would solve this problem.

After all, its nature was familial.

‘Latica…”

She was currently in the middle of a war, defending against the Lainez Kingdom’s invasion. Through her necklace, Jin-woo observed her situation with Se-yeon and Yoo-na, who were sitting right next to him.

Analyzing the data of Latica’s robot, Se-yeon was greatly impressed.

“She has great talent. Her proficiency with her mecha has increased, and she’s now capable of pushing its abilities to the limit. I guess she’s gotten used to mana.”

Latica’s red robot easily destroyed the Lainez Kingdom’s robots.

She even came to the frontlines herself, all for the sake of defeating their opponents while minimizing casualties.

Count Lear communicated with her.

[L-Latica! Why are you doing this? Come back!]

[… I am not Latica.]

[Stop lying! There’s no way I won’t recognize you!]

[Retreat if you don’t want to die. Consider this my last act of mercy.]

Sobbing, Count Lear called out her name multiple times, but all Latica could do was bite her lips to suppress her soaring emotions.

“…”

“…”

Yoo-na and Se-yeon looked at Jin-woo at the same time.

He gently avoided their gazes.

‘I forgot Latica and Count Lear are friends.’

He only recently found out she saved her and her fleet by sacrificing herself.

“As expected of the Dark Emperor,” Se-yeon continued staring at him.

“… It couldn’t be helped, could it? I’ll try to believe you didn’t intend to do this.” Yoo-na did the same.

This event was tragic for Count Lear.

The savior of her queen, her people, and herself was alive, but she had been brainwashed by the Dark Empire and was now fighting against her and the Lainez Kingdom.

It was truly like a movie plot.

“Ah! Have you received the test subject?”

Jin-woo deliberately changed the topic and opened Bread Jam’s broadcast. He had been sent to the Dark Empire’s Mad Scientist Prof. Kim Dae-jin to be completely modified.

He had felt like his career was over at this point, but he gained an unexpected heyday instead. Since he had been abducted, he began pursuing extreme devilry in earnest instead of pretending to be the good guy.

Jin-woo put his broadcast on the screen.

He had so many viewers now that his stream was ranked 1. Even if Kim Gun-joo aired, there was no guarantee he’d be able to retake his throne.

[Khahahahahaha!]

Prof. Kim Dae-jin laughed mischievously as he stretched out his arms. He was well aware of the viewers at this point.

Why were all G&P researchers like that?

He looked so happy.

[Bread Jam! Your modifications are done. Enjoy your new power!]

[Ugh! I feel my energy overflowing!]

Bread Jam remained faithful to his new role. That was his way of life, after all.

His body was now completely different. His limbs had been mechanized, and multiple apparatuses ran all over his physique. As a result, he looked much larger than before as well. A small mana engine had also been attached to his chest.

[You are now on par with robots! From here on out, you will no longer be known as Bread Jam. From now on, you are to be called Dark Jam, the universe’s nightmare, the loyal warrior of the Dark Empire!]

[Khahaha! Weak Holy Union bastards… I will slay them all!]

Chopstick Fun: He’s gone crazy.

Space Trial: Completely mad.

Roman Spaceship: He looks demonic but cool. Did he just gain rocket fists?

└Lululul: His destructive power seems high. He probably can destroy a small battleship with one blow.

└Roman Spaceship: He’s now yet another example of why the Dark Empire’s technology is the best in the universe.

Under the Dark: The strongest human toilet, Dark Jam!

I’m A Fan: This is funny. He just keeps getting uglier and uglier. At this point, his hideousness is already out of this world.

Bread Jam became Dark Jam.

It was a great name.

After Prof. Kim Dae-jin appeared on the air, he became surprisingly popular.

He and Dark Jam made a good team, especially when it came to maintaining insane tension.

Moreover, he provided very useful information. Others couldn’t distinguish whether he was a player or an NPC, causing debates among the players about his identity.

Even then, he still remained a mystery.

Through Dark Jam’s broadcast, he hosted a show called ‘Professor Kim Dae-jin’s Understanding of the Universe.’

[Now! What kind of information are we going to explore this time?]

The wheel on the screen he pointed to turned until the picture of a red ore stopped under the arrow attached to it.

[An ore this time, I see! Well, this is ‘Redite’ from the Moairo planetary system. It temporarily increases mana engines’ output, making it quite useful in emergency situations! However, exceeding the mana engines’ limits will cause it to burn, which is why extreme caution is advised when using it.]

Villager: Noted, Professor Kim!

New Bride New Folder: That’s really useful information. It might be the difference between life and death during sudden evacuations.

Pure Mania: So that’s how it’s used…

Prof. Kim Dae-jin spoke as if he were talking to children. Taking out an actual Redite, he demonstrated its capabilities through experiments.

That garnered quite a lot of positive audience reactions.

Se-yeon watched his show in envy.

“Hey, can I do that too? I’ll dress up as a sexy evil executive…”

“I think you should focus on your work.”

“I know I’ll be able to succeed in it.”

“Patience, Se-yeon.”

Luckily, Yoo-na was there to stop her from acting upon her strange idea.

Setting that aside, Jin-woo looked at the results.

For such a tragic turn of events, it wasn’t that bad.

“We’ve done enough to stabilize the situation.”

They had also gained perfect balance between all factions.

Although there were still conflicts and sorrows, he decided not to care too much about them. He wasn’t nice enough to solve everything himself, after all.

‘I should go to sleep.’

He still didn’t know he was the worst of the worst in the entire universe.