Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have made that bastard Park Se-woon tell me no matter what had happened inside here.

Who could have predicted things would unfold this way!

“Damn it, he just said he luckily gained the ability.”

Was it a mistake to come here based only on those words?

But I couldn’t pass up an artifact that could grant me a talent, no matter what.

“Kweek.”

The artifact that had burrowed into my body was emanating a ferocious energy, scorching me, while the trap kept pouring in water, as if trying to drown me.

I was out of my mind.

But if I lost my senses here, it would be the end.

I summoned all the mana in my body.

If I could subjugate this aggressive energy that seemed capable of burning my entire body and make it my own, I might be able to escape this situation.

The artifact’s energy began coalescing in one spot to resist my mana.

Although my talent was mediocre, my awakening rank was B. The amount of mana flowing through my body wasn’t insignificant.

“Wait! Hi, just…”

The moment I drew out my mana, the pain in my body vanished. As if realizing I was trying to suppress it with my mana, the artifact’s energy stopped burning me and began fleeing instead.

Whenever I tried to grab its tail with my mana, it would shed its energy like a lizard and flee.

Although I was slowly devouring its energy, its core was nimbly evading my mana.

In the meantime, the water had risen to my thighs.

No time.

This energy wreaking havoc in my body also seemed to realize that fact. Instead of attacking me, it was just stalling and fleeing from me now.

Chasing after its tail wouldn’t work.

I delicately divided my mana.

My mana control was exceptionally skilled.

Being able to visualize my talent already put me at an A-rank level, let alone anything else.

I had ended up like this from trying to somehow use my talent offensively, but in this situation, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

If it wanted to play hide-and-seek, so be it.

Back in the academy days, I had been the quintessential loner.

To have endured such hardship only to die playing tag with some lowly being like this?

I scattered my divided mana throughout my body, trailing after it without letting it notice.

I began herding the artifact’s energy toward that scattered mana.

And finally.

The moment my mana clung to the artifact’s energy, a transparent window appeared before my eyes.

“What’s this?”

What had appeared before me was the transparent shape of… a lock.

Like when I used my ‘Lie’ ability, I frowned at the visualized lock.

Didn’t this only work on people?

In any case, now that a lock had appeared, it was my specialty. How many locks had I picked in my life?

I forcefully thrust my sharpened mana at the lock.

Left, right. Click click, the mana lockpick I had created probed the lock’s openings.

No time. The water had already risen to my chest.

“Damn it, damn it.”

Just how had that guy tamed this thing? I wildly shook the mana lockpick. The lock’s keyhole trembled.

No matter how confident I was in my mana control, it seemed my skills had deteriorated from neglecting them after graduating from the academy. My body started to twitch from the excessive mana movements.

But I wasn’t without any progress.

“Huff, got it open!”

With a clicking sound, the unmoving lock finally opened.

So was that it?

Just as I was about to feel relieved, something happened.

—How dare a lowly being like you!

A voice thundered in my head like a lightning bolt.

—Burn, burn to death!

And the entity’s energy, which had been still until now, began piercing into my body again. What the hell was this all of a sudden!

“Stop, stop! I don’t know what you are, but stop! Let’s resolve this through dialogue.”

At my words, the pain subsided once more.

—Resolve through dialogue? Haha! What a laughable notion. A worm who treaded here despite the warning now tries to wiggle his forked tongue?

At first I thought I had imagined it, but I wasn’t mistaken. This artifact was clearly speaking to me.

“You’re an artifact?”

I had thought it was a disposable artifact that simply granted a talent and disappeared, but did it actually possess a self?

—How dare you refer to me as such a thing!

For an artifact, it had an extraordinarily arrogant sense of self.

Even though I had unlocked the lock, this artifact still refused to submit to me. Rather, it was showering me with curses instead.

—You are utterly unfit to be my master! With such a measly talent, what could you possibly do? Just die quietly here. I shall remake the world with your body.

The moment I heard those words, I realized why this thing was rejecting me.

That hiker who had first discovered this place, Park Se-woon, had been born with an S-rank talent in luck. Unlike someone like me lacking any combat abilities, his vessel itself must have been different.

But I was merely B-rank.

My lips unconsciously curled upwards.

“You won’t accept someone of a low rank?”

So you’re going to simply kill me without giving me a chance?

I was well aware of how extraordinary awakeners with high potential could be. How many times had I witnessed them growing into powerful beings capable of upending the world right before Seol Rok-jin’s eyes.

The word ‘potential’ was used, but it was an absolute metric. Awakeners with high potential grew rapidly. But in the opposite case, no matter how much bone-grinding effort they put in, they often ended up as mediocre hunters at best.

I definitely belonged to the latter.

But still.

Didn’t I at least have the right to struggle and try to live?

It wasn’t just for my own sake, but to try and save this world, in my own way.

“Can’t you give me a chance?”

My words did not change the voice’s mind.

—There is no need to give you a chance! You are insufficient!

Fine, so be it.

Even if you refuse to give me a chance, you will have no choice but to give me one, no matter what.

Against an entity that could speak, it would be even easier. Another lock appeared before my eyes.

Unlike the crude shape from before, this one had an elegant design adorned with antique patterns.

It was working.

Now that words were effective, I didn’t need to blindly probe its closed lock with my mana.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“No, I am your only chance.”

—Nonsense. Die obediently.

“I guess that didn’t work. You see, I have no intention of obediently dying here. And I have some bad news for you too. I collapsed the cave entrance on my way here. If you don’t accept me as your master, no one will be able to find you.”

—What?

At my words, the voice raised its tone in bewilderment.

It seemed this thing had been waiting for someone superior to me. I was saying that I had completely taken away that chance.

“The cave entrance has completely collapsed, so unless the entire mountain is removed, no one will be able to find this gate.”

At my words, the voice screamed as if throwing a tantrum.

—That cannot be! I have a great duty to fulfill! I cannot remain buried here like this! I did not drift into this dimension just to take someone like you as my master!

“Haha, what can you do? It’s already happened.”

By now, the water had risen to my neck. I smiled.

“So choose me. I’m your only chance.”

My ability was to make any lie feel like the truth. Right now, I would appear more trustworthy than anyone else.

Meaning no matter how much they disliked me, they would have no choice but to believe what I said.

—A being with no abilities like you! With such a pitiful body! I will never take you as my master, never!

“Yeah, that’s right. And just rot here alone forever.”

—Damn you!

The artifact showered me with curses until the very end, unable to let go of its foul temper.

Just before the water reached my chin.

—Fine, damn it!

Finally, the voice uttered the words I had been waiting for.

—To have to accept such a being as my master! This is truly the worst, the absolute worst.

The voice echoing in my mind was unimportant. I gaped at the window that had appeared before me.

[???requests subjugation. Will you accept?]

The system message that was said to only appear for chosen awakeners, the so-called ‘Voice of God’, had manifested before my eyes – a window I had never seen in my previous life.

“Accept or not.”

The moment the contract with it was sealed, the mark of subjugation was etched onto the back of my hand.

The horizontally lying figure-eight pattern commonly referred to as the Möbius strip glowed red.

But the glowing pattern soon vanished from my skin, leaving no trace.

My joy at finally putting this damn artifact under my control was short-lived. It was too early to pop the champagne.

My face was immediately submerged by the water that had risen from below.

Gulppp!

Do something about it!

As if hearing my inward shout, an immense amount of mana immediately began flowing through my body.

And that energy soon laid the foundation for new paths within me. Just as roads were laid on barren lands and railways constructed, in an instant, thousands upon thousands of mana circuits were inscribed throughout my body.

Like new branches sprouting from a tree, the existing mana circuits in my body expanded, creating new paths.

The mana circuits that had branched out into dozens, hundreds of pathways presented me with a new vision.

The instantly inscribed knowledge felt like it would make my head explode.

‘Ughh!’

Gritting my teeth against the overwhelming migraine, I squeezed my eyes shut.

—You fool!

Then the voice showed me the way. In the maze-like tangle of paths, one section lit up.

I channeled my mana through the brightly illuminated mana circuit.

My fingertips hardened, and a strength that felt capable of shattering anything settled into my body.

‘This is it!’

I immediately plunged underwater and reached out toward the door I had entered through.

Condensing mana at my fingertips.

And release.

The usage of two talents that had been incomprehensible until now was now fully inscribed in my mind.

Now that a path to unleash my mana outwardly had opened, there was nothing to fear.

Bam.

My released mana left a dent in the wall as it exited my body. But that was it.

—Such pathetic mana! Utterly lacking, utterly lacking!

As if I didn’t already feel drained enough, it was just making disparaging comments.

Gritting my teeth, I released my mana a second time.

Crack, I left another dent in the door, but it still wasn’t enough to break through the wall.

Was it because I was out of breath? My vision gradually narrowed. Part of me wanted to surface and breathe again, but by now, this place was completely filled with water.

One last time.

Please, break.

Bam.

The moment my mana burst forth, the door shattered, and the water began rapidly draining out.

Naturally, my body in front of the door also began getting sucked out like the draining water.

Damn it, I didn’t expect this.

Being dragged away by the currents, I started choking. Having already squeezed out my last breath to muster that final burst of strength, my consciousness began fading.

—You fool! Gather mana in your airways! Breathe.

‘How is that even possible?’

—To think I have to save such a being!

As the grumbling voice rang in my ears, I was about to pass out… but a jolting electric shock woke me up.

‘What was that?’

It was this thing that had saved me from losing consciousness.

—I saved your life.

Ah, now that it mentioned it, I hadn’t felt suffocated for a while. Although I was still out of it from being swept away by the currents, it was better than drowning.

The currents roughly dragged me this way and that. Bang, bang. My body was repeatedly slammed against the narrow corridor walls.

Each time, my body was utterly ravaged.

‘I think my ribs are broken.’

Enduring the pain, I clenched my jaws. How long had I been dragged along like that? Finally, the currents spat me out onto the floor.

“Wheeeck.”

Rolling on the floor, I vomited up all the water I had swallowed. For quite a while.

Whuweeeeck.

As I barely regained my senses, that damned voice poured out again.

—So what will you do now? You said the exit was completely blocked! With your pathetic mana, it would take decades to break through that wall!

At those words, I let out a chuckle. That’s right, I had said that, hadn’t I?

“Don’t worry. The exit is already open.”

—Open, you say? You had completely sealed the entrance yourself.

“Ah, that? It was a lie.”

—What?

Ah, what a refreshing feeling.