-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Day Arrives
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Weeks had passed since the last terror attack I carried out with Stardust.
"It's slowly starting to feel like winter..."
Standing on the balcony, I felt the wind, distinctly chillier than before, and mumbled to myself. The year's end was steadily approaching, and plot-wise, the original story felt like it was moving well past its midpoint. It had been several years since I'd landed in this world, making it one of those afternoons that just made you feel a bit sentimental. It had also been quite some time since I'd truly begun my villainous activities.
"Whoa!"
Lost in thought, I lowered my head when I heard a sound from below. Looking down, I saw Seo-eun on a mechanical contraption. It looked like she'd been training in the forest and bounced all the way over here.
"Oh, Oppa!"
Just then, Seo-eun, who had been looking around, spotted me and waved her hands wildly. I returned a slight smile and waved back. After a brief grin, she dashed off to resume her training. Oh, right, our newly recruited Shinryeong was probably overseeing her training at this very moment.
As I watched Seo-eun run off again, I found myself lost in old memories.
...Seo-eun was still a middle schooler when I first met her. In just a month or two, she'll be a high school senior. Time really does fly. Seo-eun, who once seemed like such a child, now looked considerably more grown-up compared to before. And if I only counted from when we started our terror activities together... it was already approaching three years.
"Hoo."
Since becoming Egoistic and choosing the path of terror, I had somehow made it this far. Recruiting the Ego Stream members, helping Stardust grow, even traveling overseas to meet villains from other countries. So much had happened.
In other words, it meant the world was slowly approaching its 'hardcore' phase. Frankly, it was already strange that it hadn't collapsed yet. There were far more villains than heroes, and each villain possessed incredible abilities. At least they were all concentrated in America, which was why other countries were still relatively peaceful.
...And in fact, just looking at our own country, hadn't a colossal corporation already devoured everything from the nation's finance to its politics? I'd heard that Lee Seol-ah could change the prime minister with a single word. Of course, that chairman was also colluding with a villain. And naturally, that villain was me.
In any case, the conclusion was that it wouldn't be strange for something to blow up in this world at any moment.
And soon, that something would explode. A big something.
"Dain?"
"...Yes?"
As I was lost in my thoughts, a sound suddenly came from behind. Following the voice, I turned my head back to see Soo-bin, holding a cup of tea and smiling faintly.
"You'll catch a cold if you stay out in the cold like that. Have some warm tea."
"Ah, thank you."
I thanked Soo-bin and took the mug of tea into my hands. It was warm when I took a sip.
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
After handing me the tea, she leaned against the railing herself and posed the question.
"Oh, just this and that. What I should do next... things like that."
"Mmm."
Soo-bin, who had been silent for a moment at my words, then offered a faint smile and turned her head to me.
"Dain... still, don't push yourself too hard."
Soo-bin spoke in a warm voice. Hmm, did I seem to be overdoing things lately?
As I was choosing my words, Soo-bin continued.
"I know you know a lot, Dain, and that you work hard for this world... but sometimes, wouldn't it be okay to take a breather? If you get too buried in work, your efficiency might actually drop."
Soo-bin said, smiling gently once more. ...Hmm, I don't really think I'm overdoing it. Don't I take all my breaks and still get all my work done?
"That's true. I'll keep that in mind."
Still, the atmosphere somehow suggested I shouldn't argue, so I simply nodded amicably.
She smiled softly, then stepped back inside. Since it was getting chilly anyway, I followed her from the balcony back into the house.
And when we returned to the living room together, Soo-bin gave a faint smile and spoke to me as if making a joke.
"Well, no matter how unstable the world is these days, it's not like it's suddenly going to end tomorrow, right?"
"....Haha, right."
I forced a laugh at her words, and couldn't help but involuntarily glance at the calendar hanging in the hallway. Hmm, Soo-bin. It's true the world isn't ending *tomorrow*. But, actually, it's going to end once next week.
Of course, I kept my mouth tightly shut, unable to say such a thing. After all, what was the point? It would all be undone anyway.
***
The original work, [Stardust!], was incredibly bleak until its midpoint, yet there were still quite a few readers who followed it with a glimmer of hope.
There was the early hint that Stardust possessed a unique power, unlike anyone else's. And even the author's explicit mention that the source of her power differed from other heroes.
Because of that, even while watching Stardust constantly struggling among villains, readers clung to hope. "Yes!" they thought. "Someday Stardust will suddenly awaken a hidden power and beat up all the other villains!"
Then came the issue that completely shattered those readers' mental states: the world-ending episode, which suddenly unfolded in the middle of the story with no prior foreshadowing whatsoever.
The episode's content was simple. Suddenly, associations and governments from various countries around the world, along with all the super-powered individuals, began attacking the world. Nuclear bombs rained down, cities burned, and heroes went mad, tearing down urban landscapes.
It was an episode that depicted the world's instantaneous collapse. It appeared out of nowhere, an abrupt, sudden development. The narrative focused on Stardust, who for some reason remained unaffected, struggling alone in a world rapidly falling into ruin.
Naturally, readers went wild. The process of the world collapsing in a single day was covered in three chapters, and since one chapter was released per week, the episode ran for a whopping three weeks for readers. During that time, all sorts of rumors spread, from the author going crazy to various other theories. While there had been hints about the world's destruction before, such as the Moonlight Cult's dimensional experiments and the existence of 'God,' this sudden collapse had no relation to them whatsoever.
Fortunately, after three weeks of suffering, all of this ended in the final episode. X-Machina, an S-class American hero who was the only one capable of time manipulation, regained his sanity and sacrificed himself to turn back time, preventing the destruction. Thus, all those events became 'undone,' and the episode concluded. Naturally, almost everyone, including Stardust, didn't remember it. The world regained peace.
'.....Anyway.'
That shocking episode was about to begin very soon. In fact, there was nothing I could do. I had no idea what the trigger was. I could only guess that an S-class villain with a twisted ability that caused chain mental corruption probably emerged, leading to this. However, since the original comic thoroughly progressed that part almost entirely from Stardust's perspective, there was no way to know for sure.
Anyway, in conclusion, as the saying goes, if you can't avoid it, enjoy it. I decided to take advantage of this situation.
After time was reversed in the destruction episode, for some reason, the identity of the time manipulator X-Machina and his death were revealed and reported worldwide.
And I used that to my advantage, announcing X-Machina's information in advance at the Cathedral, the S-class villain meeting. Right now, everyone would be half-believing, half-doubting, but once official information came out later, they would finally believe my words. That's how I would gradually expand my influence.
Honestly, there wasn't much else I needed to prepare besides this.
Anyway, all of this would become 'undone,' and I too would just spend it like a normal day. Of course, I would experience the destruction, but time would reverse, and I'd forget everything anyway.
So, until then, I spent my days normally. Coaching each of our PMC Ego Squad members, agonizing over preparations for the next terror attack and selecting information to release at the Cathedral, choosing villains to deal with in advance, and helping the members with their training. Such ordinary days.
Of course, I had made minimal preparations besides that. ...Although no one would remember this world destruction, it was still something that would happen, technically. And in the original, Stardust, unaware that time would eventually reverse, struggled with tears, trying to stop the collapsing world by herself.
...I had no intention of recreating that scene. What? It's an event that no one will remember anyway, an event that will be deleted from the timeline? That's not important. Even if it's just for my own satisfaction. I can't bear to see Stardust suffer again. Even if I can't stop the destruction with my own power, I can at least do that much.
So, I had gradually prepared small things. What do you think was the reason I told Stardust we'd meet again soon at the end of the last terror attack? It was precisely for this day.
Anyway, as I did all that, time flew by in an instant. And before I knew it. Finally, that day came.
"Oppa, what are you doing?"
It was morning in the living room. At that moment, where everyone was gathered, I was intently watching TV.
[At this hour, the United States is still celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Branch Association in front of the Statue of Liberty.]
The image of the Statue of Liberty appeared on screen with the anchor's words. I was watching it intently.
Yes, five minutes left. The beginning of all this destruction. [[The head of the Statue of Liberty suddenly exploded, and the tragedy began.]]
Yes. If the head explodes right here, all the events of destruction will begin.
However, if it didn't explode, it would mean the destruction had already occurred, and time had been reversed thanks to X-Machina's sacrifice. It would mean I had already experienced all the destruction but time had reversed, leaving me sitting here without any memory of it.
So, will it explode? Or not?
I watched the TV intently. And at the moment the minute hand pointed to the hour. *BOOOM-BOOOM-BOOOM!* [Screams!]
On screen, the head of the Statue of Liberty exploded, shattering into pieces.
"Oh, what, what's happening?"
At that moment, as our Ego Stream members were also flustered. "Tsk."
I stood up and naturally pulled out something I had prepared from my pocket. It seemed I had landed in the timeline where I had to clean up the mess.