Being a Villain is My True Calling

“Aaaahh!!!”

“Kkyaak!!”

The researchers’ resistance was utterly feeble.

The protective measures guarding the research facility were obliterated without a trace by a single shot from the Plasma Buster I created using the Instructor’s ‘Knowledge Sharing’ ability.

“It’s a raid! A raaaid!!! Wahehhet Wahehhet!!”

“Hi, Hik…!”

All that remained were the feeble researchers themselves.

“Oho? Judging by the stacks of your thesis materials, you seem to have invested quite the effort! What sort of thesis is it? A Master’s? Or perhaps a Doctorate~?”

“No, don’t!! Take my body instead!!”

“Shut up!! Your pitiful body is worthless compared to money!!”

They lacked the power to overcome Eclipse’s trained members.
Hence, the researchers being overwhelmed was only natural.

“Please! Please!! At least spare my thesis!!”

“This is a prototype I painstakingly created! Please return it!!”

“This is state-of-the-art equipment I purchased penny by penny out of my own funds! No!!”

Please, have mercy…!
They resisted as best they could, but such futile resistance was ultimately meaningless.

“Your thesis? Prototype? Advanced equipment? Aah…’This’ is what you mean.”

Kwajik!

“”Kitsaaamaaaaaaahh!!!””

In the end, the researchers were trampled by a vast malice.

‘…They’re having a blast.’

Beating, smashing, pillaging, tormenting.

“I love this! I’m so happy!!”

Seeing the members, normally so composed and taciturn, in such an exhilarated state was somewhat unfamiliar.
As if a screw had come loose, their demeanor was utterly devoid of any semblance of sanity.

‘…Fair enough. This system was created for precisely that purpose – stress relief.’

I diverted my gaze towards a nearby corner.
There, a man immediately came into view.

Ppeuk.

“Kkuaaaaaahk!!”

Kkuuuuuuuk.

“Aaack!! Kkuaaaaaaahk!!”

Kkuuk. Kkuuk. Chwaak!
Treating a person like a toy, the man stabbed them with a knife, then pressed it deeper or twisted and sliced in various manners, subjecting them to diverse tortures.

“42. What are you up to?”

“Ah, Maker. You’re here.”

The man’s identity was 42.
Having personally collaborated on missions with him, he had even helped coordinate my outfit for the Moonless Night party a few days ago.

“While I was aware of your participation in organizational missions, I didn’t expect to encounter 42 during a Purge Day operation.”

“Ah…Well, I need to vent stress too.”

42 scratched the back of his neck sheepishly as he withdrew the knife from the researcher’s body.

“Initially, I intended to simply extract some useful information, but before I knew it, my methods became rather rough.”

He then nonchalantly wiped the bloodied knife clean.

“Still, it’s been fun wielding a knife again after so long…Reminds me of my part-time job at the butcher shop…”

Hmm.
Seems he’s not quite sane either.

“…Please feel free to indulge and pillage, 42.”

“Yes. Thank you, Maker.”

Leaving 42 with a parting nod, I departed from that area.

‘I should check if there’s anything else worth pillaging.’

A few hours later…

“We should move on to another location soon. We can’t spend the entire day here.”

“”Yes!!””

Once I felt we had acquired everything worthwhile, I gathered the members to relocate to another research facility.

“Let’s go!!”

Kiiiiing-!

“Oooooohh!!!”

“Waaahhhh!!!”

“Kkyaak!”

“What are those things?!?”

And the pattern repeated itself.
With the Instructor’s assistance, I created a Plasma Buster, breached the protective measures, and infiltrated.

“Shiiit–!! It’s massacre time–!!”

“Move and you die! Struggle violently, I dare you!! Wahehehe!!”

Thereafter, the members ran rampant, decimating everything within the research facility.

“J,Just who are you people?! What’s your purpose for suddenly appearing in masks and doing this?!”

Ah, as a side note, we were currently wearing masks.
Not to conceal Eclipse’s involvement, but rather to obscure our individual identities.

‘Eclipse’s responsibility for raiding these facilities will inevitably become known eventually.’

Since Z-Biotech is no small player, and they had dispatched agents towards us just the day before their facilities were struck, they would most likely deduce our culpability.

While the primary focus would be on the Eclipse organization, some attention might also fall on individuals.
To prevent any potential retaliation against specific individuals, we donned masks to conceal our identities.

“Rest assured.”

“…?”

In this manner, we could indulge in consequence-free pleasure under the mantle of Eclipse’s name.

“We’re merely ordinary raiders.”

“So hand over everything you’ve got.”

“…??”

Echoing my statement, Pollia followed up.
However, I gently corrected a slight inaccuracy in her phrasing.

“No, Pollia. We’re not raiders who take possessions.”

“Aren’t raiders people who take stuff?”

“We’re people who borrow items. Just for an extended period.”

“Is that how it is? Then lend me some stuff. I’ll return it someday.”

“…???”

The researcher, previously raging at us, now regarded Pollia and me with utter bewilderment.

Bang!! Kwaaang!!!

“Wahahahahahaha!!!”

And so, Eclipse’s retaliation proceeded smoothly.

“Kkolok!! Kkolok!!”

“M,Maker…Are, Are, Are you, alright…?”

“…Ah, yes. Just a bit fatigued.”

Having raided the fourth research facility, I could palpably feel my body growing weary.

‘I may have overdone it a tad…’

The repeated use of my abilities to breach the facilities’ defenses seemed to be the root cause.

‘Expending mana is manageable, but the Instructor’s Knowledge Sharing is giving me a pounding headache…’

The Instructor’s Knowledge Sharing ability literally shares her accumulated knowledge with others.
While undoubtedly useful, the sudden influx of unfamiliar knowledge induced a considerable mental strain – a significant drawback.

‘And I’m only borrowing the knowledge temporarily, not fully acquiring it…’

By utilizing this ability to temporarily ‘borrow’ knowledge rather than fully acquire it, the mental burden could be minimized to an extent.

But it was merely minimized, not eliminated – the fatigue remained inevitable.

“Re,Repeatedly re,receiving complex knowledge must, be the reason…”

While it did take a toll, it couldn’t be helped.

‘To breach those facilities, a minimum level of firepower was necessary.’

By penetrating and invading swiftly without allowing them to respond, we could effortlessly overwhelm the researchers.
Considering that, enduring a headache was a tolerable price.

‘If only I could wield the Plasma Buster more conveniently…’

Unfortunately, its sheer weight and size hindered mobility – a significant shortcoming.

“…We should depart shortly.”

“Are, Are you sure, Maker…?”

“Yes, I’m alright. The night won’t last forever, so let’s demolish one final facility before returning…”

Tteup.
As I spoke, the Instructor, her expression concerned, placed her hand on my forehead.

“…Instructor?”

“You, You still seem, feverish…Your, Your cheeks are, flushed too…”

The Instructor withdrew her hand from my forehead and cupped my face with both hands.

“(Jeogi neomoo gakkabsseubnikka? / Isn’t this a bit too close?)”

As she began turning my head to examine my condition, the members who had gathered around us let out a collective:

“”Ooooh…””

Prompting the Instructor to immediately stiffen.

“Well, well…Our Instructor can make such expressions too…!”

“I didn’t know, did you?”

“Nope, I was unaware as well.”

Exchanging remarks as if uncovering a significant revelation, the members began teasing and mocking the Instructor with amused chuckles.

Whether due to the rapport built from her combat training sessions, the members all gleefully ganged up on her.

“I never expected our Instructor could be so aggressive.”

“Yeah, I thought she was only aggressive during combat training.”

“Grabbing Maker’s face to prevent his escape…Oh my.”

“Wh,Wh,Wh,What are you, saying…!!!”

Flustered by their remarks, the Instructor turned towards me.
Cognizant of her hands grasping my cheeks and the somewhat excessive proximity, she seemed to finally realize how this appeared.

“……”

The Instructor’s face reddened intensely.

“M,Maker! I, I didn’t, intend, anything by, by this!”

Belatedly releasing her hands and taking a step back, her moist eyes betrayed a hint of shame.
For a fleeting moment, a mischievous urge arose within me, but I ultimately decided to let it pass.

“Yes, I’m well aware you had no such intentions, Instructor. I also know you’re not the type to act with ulterior motives.”

“R,Right…? Of, Of course not!”

Upon hearing my words, the Instructor trembled slightly before a single teardrop rolled down her cheek as she embraced me.

“Oh dear.”

As the Instructor clung to me, her movement caused the chair to swivel, positioning my back towards the members.

“I, I really, didn’t have, any ill in,intentions…”

“Yes, yes.”

I patted her back reassuringly.
That’s right, the Instructor acting with ill intent?
I wouldn’t know about that. You’re such an innocent soul.

“Don’t be so overly aggressive, Instructor!! Too much and men will dislike you!”

“We really need to know how you usually treat us.”

“Instructor, are you perhaps burying your face in his body and sniffing right now…”

Whish- Ppeurreok!!

“……”

“……”

“……”

Any peculiar killing intent I might have sensed from her embrace, or the members’ sudden silence after their raucous chatter, was unknown to me.

And later, when a dagger was discovered deeply embedded at roughly average male head-height in a nearby tree…

That too was unknown to me.

Truly.