Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

“We need to complete the base before winter arrives.”

The tent Han Seo-hyeon and I had been using as accommodation was long past its prime. Well, it hadn’t been intended as a permanent residence in the first place.

It was now late September. The term ‘late summer’ could no longer aptly describe the current season. Just last week, the daytime heat had been sweltering enough to induce perspiration, but now outerwear of considerable thickness was required to ward off the chill.

Winter’s arrival would be swift.

And in this uninhabited mountainous region, the cold would only intensify.

Hence, we needed to construct the base beforehand.

The issue was its sheer, excessive scale.

“With only three of us, isn’t this overkill?”

I grumbled that complaint to Ray. Not without reason, for the foundational size Ray had specified was utterly preposterous.

—Didn’t I tell you already? This is all because you’re so lacking. Inscribing mana circuits is an immensely arduous task. Even more challenging than that is compactly condensing those mana circuits.

Ray’s lecturing bombardment continued unabated.

—And with your lofty demands! Completely concealing all traces, shielding any disturbances, and the facilities – they must be perfected like some high-end hotel resort!

“Well, it is meant to serve as a long-term base.”

—Exactly, it’s all because of your excessive greed. So stop complaining and just get it done!

Exhaling a deep sigh at Ray’s words, I supposed it was a relief he hadn’t outright declared it impossible.

In any case, following Ray’s specifications required constructing a base nearly matching this cavern’s immense size. At the very least, that scale would be necessary to properly engrave the mana circuits.

Han Seo-hyeon, the skeleton, and I diligently mixed and produced the bricks.

While only I could bake the mana stone components, anyone could assist with the other aspects.

I had tried involving Kim Jae-ho as well, but he simply fled into the forest.

Seeing that, it was only natural for Han Seo-hyeon to throw a tantrum.

‘I won’t lend you Rat anymore!’ or ‘I won’t treat you like a hyung anymore!’ Despite his supposed curses, coming from him they sounded more like adorable petulant outbursts than actual threats.

“It’s strange, just a few days ago our auction heist seemed so impressive.”

At Han Seo-hyeon’s lament, I remarked:

“They say even swans, as elegant as they appear on the surface, are furiously paddling beneath the water to stay afloat.”

“Is this really comparable to that?”

“How is it different? The point is, tremendous unseen efforts must always be invested to create a single performance. Or did you intend to turn down such unglamorous tasks?”

Han Seo-hyeon fell silent after that.

—Did you use your talents on him?

‘I don’t need any talents to handle a childish tantrum like that.’

Perhaps feeling guilty upon seeing our disheveled states, Kim Jae-ho did occasionally assist with the work, but only briefly. As soon as he had carried a few loads of soil, he would vanish into the distance once more.

Seeing that, Han Seo-hyeon would leap about in frustration, but Kim Jae-ho never returned.

For an entire week, we did nothing but eat, sleep, bicker, and produce bricks.

Over that span of roughly one week, the three of us – myself, Han Seo-hyeon, and the skeleton who didn’t require sleep – had churned out nearly 200,000 bricks, manufacturing one brick every six seconds, excluding rest periods. Well, the skeleton likely produced even more without needing sleep breaks.

“I can’t do this anymore…”

Leaving those words behind, Han Seo-hyeon collapsed backwards and immediately began snoring. For someone with his frail stamina, this had truly reached his limits.

I glanced at the skeleton standing beside the unconscious Han Seo-hyeon. As if guarding him, the skeleton remained unmoving by his side.

“Alright, I guess it’s just me now.”

In solemn silence, I began stacking the bricks atop the outline I had previously sketched on the ground.

The bricks blended with mana stone powder clung together like magnets. Infusing them with mana solidified their structures into an extremely sturdy form. There was no need for additional insulation or heat dissipation measures – this base constructed from those bricks would essentially become a colossal artifact itself.

As I meticulously stacked the completed bricks, I began engraving mana circuits upon their surfaces. My mana bracelet vibrated, unleashing its power.

Simultaneously, a sizzling sound akin to roasting flesh reached my ears.

I gazed dispassionately at my seared forearm.

‘Hmm.’

Despite the visibly charred skin, I felt no pain.

The maximum number of talents – in other words, mana circuits – I could activate simultaneously was two.

One for channeling mana from the bracelet.

And the second for engraving the circuits into the bricks.

Which meant I lacked the capacity to enhance my fire resistance and protect my arm. Over the countless bricks that required superheating, I had silently sacrificed that limb.

While I did boost my regenerative abilities after each work session to heal the damage, repeatedly drawing upon my mana before the wounds could fully recover had led to this state. I had lost most sensation in that area. But it wasn’t too bad. Better than enduring that excruciating agony, at least.

—Until you acquire Super Regeneration, your arm will remain in that condition.

“How many strokes was Super Regeneration again?”

—Three. Realistically, you’d need four strokes to properly utilize it, but I’ve simplified it as much as possible to that level.

“I see.”

Brute-forcing increased mana output wouldn’t suffice, it seemed.

In any case, once more time passed and Ray’s capabilities were further unlocked, or my own processing power improved, I could likely restore this mangled arm.

“Is there even a need to heal it? As long as it remains functional…”

—You really are… speaking like a grizzled war veteran who has spent decades on the battlefield. Your body in your previous life must have been perfectly intact.

“I’m merely stating facts. Even if healed through Super Regeneration, the pain would persist, wouldn’t it?”

The ideal solution would be artifact enhancement, but I lacked that level of skill. And for now, I lacked the leisure as well. So it might be better to simply continue like this for the time being.

—I can’t tell if you’re being admirably positive or not.

Moreover, it wasn’t as if I had gained nothing in the process.

From recklessly expending so much mana, it seemed the mana circuit pathways within my body had expanded considerably. What had previously felt like a two-lane road now resembled a four-lane highway. Thanks to that, the volume of mana I could manipulate simultaneously had increased as well.

While the maximum number of talents I could activate remained two, I could wield those two talents far more adeptly now.

—Well, of course. The mana pathways engraved into your body can be trained, since they’re part of your physique. Although there are limits to your paltry growth foundation.

And there Ray went with the complaints again. Even after accepting me as his owner, he harbored quite a few grievances.

In any case, did this imply my talents could continue developing? Well, considering the myriad mana circuits etched into my body, further study did seem necessary.

The only mana circuit I fully comprehended was my initial awakened talent, ‘Truthful Lie.’ That one was so deeply ingrained that I had even managed to visualize it.

But the remaining circuits were different. While able to somehow manifest talents through Ray’s cheat assistance despite lacking fundamental understanding of mana circuits, it was a mere surface-level grasp.

True skill ultimately depended on how adeptly one could utilize their talents – in other words, the mana circuits etched into their body.

That was why even awakeners blessed with extraordinary talents often started off quite inept.

Which was why, unable to overcome this adaptation hurdle, quite a few awakeners had perished. Not those with A-rank potential or higher, of course – before talents of that overwhelming caliber, everything became meaningless…

‘Hmm, when was it that Yoo Seon-je and Bing Mary had died?’

Counting back in my mind, I confirmed there was still ample time remaining.

I would need to prioritize this pressing task first, then shift my efforts in that direction as well.

S-rank potential awakeners were precious resources. Not because of any innate virtue, but Yoo Seon-je in particular leaned closer to the positive side. Which meant he absolutely had to be saved.

I glanced sideways at Han Seo-hyeon, sprawled unconscious on the ground.

Saving Han Seo-hyeon hadn’t been part of my original plans. In my previous life, there had been no ‘Han Seo-hyeon,’ nor any instances of a Korean necromancer’s activities. So Han Seo-hyeon was likely… Well, whatever his past circumstances, they wouldn’t arise this time.

Enough idle speculation. I resumed engraving the circuits once more.

* * *

While I inscribed the circuits into the bricks, Han Seo-hyeon and Kim Jae-ho decided to undergo training. Or more accurately, Han Seo-hyeon was relentlessly attacking Kim Jae-ho in a one-sided assault.

Despite appearing completely inert, Kim Jae-ho had been artificially engineered into a human weapon through repeated physical modifications since childhood. Naturally, his very bodily composition far surpassed ordinary humans – likely on par with a 6-Circle physical enhancement awakener.

Han Seo-hyeon, who had only just begun doing sets of one hundred squats, stood no chance against such an opponent.

“Hiyaah!”

In contrast to Han Seo-hyeon’s sweat and soil-stained disarray, Kim Jae-ho remained pristinely neat.

Even when the skeleton joined the pursuit, they still couldn’t lay a finger on Kim Jae-ho’s collar.

Observing that scene, I returned my attention to engraving the mana circuits into the bricks. This damnable unending task – would there truly come a day when it was finally completed? Or would the world’s demise arrive first at this rate?

—Stop those pointless musings and focus. No matter how much I assist, if your mental concentration lapses, the strain will become unbearable.

“Understood.”

I minimized even sleep. By diverting mana to alleviate fatigue whenever I rested, a single hour of sleep per day was sufficient to function. The mental exhaustion was immense, but I endured and persevered.

Another week passed in that manner.

At last, the arduous task of engraving mana circuits into those interminable bricks had concluded. Relocating the plumbing facilities and bathroom from our previous campsite, along with basic furnishings, the skeletal framework of our dwelling was now in place.

Next, it was time to breathe life into this structure.

Gripping the Red Flame Mana Stone, I stood upright.

Gulping hard, Han Seo-hyeon asked me:

“Are you really going to use that here?”

“Yes.”

Despite its multi-billion won valuation, I unhesitatingly levitated the precious magic stone without a moment’s doubt.

“No matter what happens, don’t approach or interfere with me.”

“U-Understood.”

Despite his clearly reluctant expression, Han Seo-hyeon nodded obediently.

His gaze might have bordered on insolence, but he wouldn’t actually intervene. He was an obedient one who heeded my words.

With a faint smile, I regained my solemn demeanor and faced forward.

—Are you truly intending to proceed?

Ray’s doubting words attempted to dissuade me.

—This is a tenuous endeavor even for your capabilities. Rein in your ambitions.

‘Saying it’s tenuous implies it’s still possible, doesn’t it?’

—Even a slight misstep could twist all the mana circuits throughout your entire body. The mana pathways you’ve only just reinforced could be completely shredded apart.

‘I’ll do it properly, properly.’

Ignoring Ray’s caution, I extended my hands forward.

Whether it ended in life or death, I had no choice but to proceed.