The Novel’s Villain

56. Everyone lives in the same place. (4)

Jin-woo extracted a lot of information from Pierce, who suffered while on the verge of death. This way, Dullahan’s condition wouldn’t be satisfied.

Its resentment was too deep to be satisfied with this.

It needed his death.

‘Should I tweak his settings a bit?’

Opening the encyclopedia, Jin-woo looked for Pierce’s settings, which he could change using his power and mana. If he didn’t have any rank, he could change his source from scratch as well.

‘Implementing it requires dimensional gold coins, though.’

The power, mana, and dimensional gold coins it required rose exponentially according to the target’s rank and the changes to be applied. This was how the Emperor of Settings exhausted her power.

Jin-woo gave Pierce [D]Body Regeneration. Its power had been slightly reduced, but its recovery rate was fast enough not to be considered useless. Just as he was about to die, he began to heal up.

Dullahan quietly waited for the process to finish so he could make him suffer again until its grudge had been resolved.

‘This should be enough.’

With this, it would be able to claim the principal and interests of its hatred. Forgiveness and mercy were nothing but luxury.

This was Jin-woo’s way. It didn’t matter if it was excessive or cruel.

After Pierce had fully regenerated, Dullahan and the skeletons walked over to him, making him go through yet another hellish experience.

He screamed, reliving his pain.

Jin-woo recalled the information he had extracted from him.

‘Black Hound…’

The group that took the children.

Unfortunately, they apparently left the city after completing their transaction with White Skull, which happened before he arrived. Moreover, even in this post-apocalyptic world, they were as armed as the National Army.

When Pierce had completely lost his mind, Dullahan blew his head off.

Its resentment had finally been resolved.

Approaching Jin-woo, it knelt down and bowed.

Slurr!

Blue flames enveloped its body, turning it into specks of light that shone beautifully like fireflies.

They all gathered in front of him, creating a small fire.

He used the Magic Eye of Information on it.

[D] Freed Souls

Souls liberated from Hades.

With the Great Emperor’s power, they finally escaped eternal suffering.

They may now rest in peace.

‘Hmmm…’

Hades.

It was a familiar name.

Jin-woo wondered if it had a symbolic meaning or connection with the World of Death.

Either way, this dimension certainly was far from the ordinary, and its Emperor was definitely out to kill him. He had to know everything before that happened.

[The liberated souls praise the Great Emperor, considering him a god.]

[Your rank is high enough to be considered a deity.]

*[S] Shinhwa

Faith is the foundation upon which gods gain strength.

The more believers they gain, the more they can compensate for their weaknesses. Even their lower-ranking abilities will increase in strength according to their overall rank.

Jin-woo tilted his head while looking at the information.

He had been praised as a god several times already, but this was the first time he had seen something like this.

‘Did I become a god?’

According to the description, that seemed to be the case.

Even so, he didn’t really look like it. Even Goddess Luna seemed normal to those unaware she was a deity.

Jin-woo raised the power of God, causing spark-like white orbs to bounce off his fingers.

It was far too weak.

It seemed to be a slightly different concept from Emperors, whose rank was determined by strength. In any case, acquiring this ability itself was great. With this, doing something good would bring him blessings.

A message appeared in front of his eyes.

[Your follower is praying.]

Jin-woo thought about who it could be, but he couldn’t even make a guess.

He immediately checked their file.

Believer: Lee Jae-mi

Status: Hungry, Confused

Prayer: ‘Great Emperor, if you’re out there, please help me!’

Unique Traits:

*[A] Trolling

A natural trouble maker.

However, he might prove useful under the influence of the Great Emperor.

Lee Jae-mi?

It was a familiar name, but he couldn’t quite remember where he heard it from.

He decided to help them.

According to his condition, he was hungry. Jin-woo thought of the ramen in his subspace. Wouldn’t it be okay if he gave it to him?

When he took it out, a message popped up.

[Would you like to give it to your follower?]

[D] Delicious Kimchi Ramen

Due to its nutritious ingredients, this ramen will heal wounds, restore stamina, and provide warmth once consumed. When provided to a believer as a gift, consuming it will also increase their faith.

Jin-woo bestowed it to Lee Jae-min.

As soon as he did, light enveloped it, disappearing along with it. He blinked, watching the scene blankly.

The universe was full of mysteries.

‘I have to go back for now.’

The shopping center should be in danger.

Jin-woo made his way back to base, finding the people in it desperately holding on. Looking at the invading zombies, he obliterated all of them with a simple wave of his hand.

The clean streets made him feel refreshed.

Jin-woo entered the building through the roof.

More undead waited for him inside.

‘They did a good job.’

They built barricades around the residential area, blocking the zombies’ advance. Since their opponents weren’t intelligent, their defenses proved effective.

But they also seemed to have reached their limit.

“Damn it! I’m out of bullets!”

“Stop them! Don’t let them reach the residential area!”

Even though they were injured, Alex and Rachel also fought while Judith and the other civilians prayed in the living room.

“Savior, have mercy on us!”

Jin-woo shook his head flutteringly.

How would such a prayer help them?

They’d have better chances of surviving if they all defended the place.

In Jin-woo’s eyes, it looked like they were committing suicide.

‘I can’t let them die.’

If that were to happen, he’d feel sorry for Rachel and Alex.

Jin-woo cast magic, aiming at the zombie-filled passage. The second-floor railing and floor shook violently until they collapsed, burying most of their opponents in debris and blocking the path to the residential area.

With all the zombies outside already dealt with, there was no longer any need for him to worry about other places.

‘Oh?’

Jin-woo blinked.

‘What’s that?’

He noticed something extremely strange.

* * *

Utilizing his Holy Power, Bread Jam healed the white man to some extent. His consciousness still seemed weak, however.

Surprisingly enough, he was fluent in English.

He introduced himself as Jerry.

He was quite an amazing storyteller, doing a great job laying out what happened for Bread Jam despite his dazed state.

“Argh!”

“… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’ve done nothing but help me. You’ve earned my loyalty!”

“Ugh…”

Even though he liked to troll around, Bread Jam was loyal to the bone.

His strange actions were counterproductive, but his viewers recognized his loyalty.

Supporting Jerry, they moved away from the zombies and made their way to the second floor of a ruined building. He seemed to have found a way to cross over to the other side.

“As expected!”

Bread Jam was a master of pathfinding.

It was hard to believe, but long ago, he was recognized as a great survivalist. After starting New World, he became a troller.

The senses he trained in the Maze shone here.

They had to circle around to dodge the zombies, but they managed to find their way back to the shopping center.

“Stay here. I’ll make sure it’s safe first.”

Bread Jam laid Jerry on the floor and proceeded cautiously upon hearing sounds around him that couldn’t have come from zombies.

Lowering his posture, he looked through the window on the second floor, immediately noticing a faint light.

Armed men surrounded the shopping center, vigilantly watching it.

It was the first time he met actual decent people here.

Finding them made him happy, but just before he could call out to them, he stopped himself.

“It’s too quiet. Are they all dead?”

“I wish they’d come running at us.”

“Same. It’s more fun to shoot people than zombies.”

‘It just has to be the bad guys, huh?’

Bread Jam gulped.

He could deal with zombies somehow, but he doubted he could defeat armed men.

‘We need to get out of here quietly.’

Bread Jam had a knack for escaping.

Tap!

When he quietly took a step back, the armed men stopped.

His foot had landed on a glass shard.

Covering his mouth with both hands, he put more attention to where he was stepping.

Crrrkk!

However, when he stepped on a crack on the floor, it began to grow and expand. He immediately maneuvered sideways to avoid it.

Boom!

A section of the floor collapsed, creating a hole in the middle of it. Bread Jam and the armed men made eye contact through the new gap, remaining still for quite a while.

“…”

“…”

The armed men rubbed their eyes and looked at her again.

“A ghost?”

“A woman.”

They slowly aimed their guns at her.

Bread Jam raised his hands, smiling awkwardly. In times like these, surrendering was the best way to survive a little longer.

“Excuse me—”

Bam!

Just as he spoke up, the wall next to his enemies cracked open and collapsed forward, revealing zombies beyond it.

They were heading to the shopping center, but they stopped abruptly.

Their attention then turned towards the men.

Whoa!

Naturally, they wouldn’t just let such delicious food go.

“What…”

“Zombies!”

“Argh!”

Bang!

They fired at the zombies rushing towards them, but there were far too many. They were swept away in an instant.

“No!”

“Aaaaahhh!”

Soak! Sooooo!

The undead horde grabbed their bodies, tearing them apart piece by piece. As soon as the bloodbath started, he turned his gaze away from the scene.

It was so terrifying he couldn’t even watch it.

“Ugh…”

Jerry staggered over. He had a concussion, but he could still move, albeit barely.

After watching the zombies feast upon their enemies for a bit, he turned his attention to Bread Jam.

“That’s unfortunate…”

Jerry was able to figure out the men’s identities, even amid the chaos. He was sure of it. The zombies wiped out nearly an entire Marauder unit.

“Ahhh…”

Soon after, he noticed the soft glow on Bread Jam’s body, caused by his Holy Power.

He thought she had just created a miracle.

“I didn’t believe in God before, but…”

“Yes?”

“Ahhh… The story was true… The savior… .”

Bread Jam sighed a little. Jerry seemed completely out of his mind.

That was understandable, considering he was suffering from a severe head injury. Although his wound had healed because of his ability, it was only natural for him to be a bit detached from reality.

He looked fine, but he was probably having a hard time.

He decided to do his best to help!

Bread Jam had already seen all types of crazy people while playing New World, so he just looked at Jerry with pity.

“Savior…”

“Huh? I’m not that kind of person.”

“If so, are you an angel?”

Bread Jam almost screamed at his words.

He didn’t like hearing such cheesy lines anymore. If he wasn’t his patient, he might have punched him already.

He decided to ask God, if he even existed, to save him from this predicament.

‘Great Emperor, if you’re out there, please help me!’

The only divine existence that Bread Jam was aware of was Lee Jin-woo.

[The Great Emperor has answered your prayer.]

“Huh?”

Light flashed and swirled in front of him.

Jerry looked at the scene in amazement, wondering what it was. He was just as surprised as Bread Jam.

Bread Jam gathered up the courage to touch the glow.

Whew!

The ball of light disappeared, revealing a white bowl with steam coming out of it in his hands.

“Ramen…?”

It was filled with various ingredients and even had chopsticks placed neatly on top of it. He stared blankly at it for a while.

What the hell did this mean?

There was no way mere humans could understand the will of the Great Emperor.

Jerry’s stomach rumbled.

“Do you want some?”

Bread Jam sat side by side with Jerry in the corner and shared it with him.

“Sluuuurp! Oh, woah!”

“This is delicious!”

The two burst into admiration at the same time.

The ramen was such a fantastic match with the slightly chilly evening weather. Eating it in a ruined building seemed to bring it even more flavor.

Its taste was out of this world.

Jerry’s dazed eyes gradually became clearer. Most of his wounds also began to heal.

Even the zombie bites on his body vanished along with the surging heat within him, which was a symptom of zombification.

It was a miracle.

A ramen-made miracle!

Bread Jam felt like he had fully recovered his stamina. After their meal, silence permeated for a moment.

“Let’s go, shall we?” Bread Jam spoke first.

“Huh? Ah… Sure!”

Jerry nodded and stood up, his gaze on him quite unusual.

This woman saved his life, and she even showed him a miracle firsthand.

He had become a complete follower of Bread Jam.

They soon reached the building close to the shopping center through the second-floor aisle, finding zombies crowding around their destination.

His expression became urgent.

“We need to help the people inside!”

They were able to get to the second floor of the shopping center through the roof of the building. The gap between it and their previous location was quite wide, but it wasn’t a problem. Bread Jam used his Holy Power, and Jerry had always been quite nimble.

“What a mess… Are we too late?”

He only planned to take Jerry to the shopping center before, but he realized it was in great danger when he saw the situation.

He had unusual abilities, but he couldn’t stop all of the zombies from coming.

After hesitating for a while, Bread Jam moved to the railing on the second floor. Carefully poking his head out, he looked down.

‘That’s a lot.’

Zombies were coming in from the passage just below him.

It was like watching the climax of a zombie movie. Jerry looked at him.

“Oh, do something, please…”

“Huh?”

“I believe in your miracles!”

He let out a sigh.

Ramen aside, he had no way of resolving this situation.

“As I said, I’m not that kind of person. How many times do I have to tell you that…”

Bread Jam sighed, putting his hand against the wall.

Crrrrkkk! Bam!

The wall on the second floor cracked and collapsed.

Terrified, he backed away from it. Not only the railings but also the floors around him began to crumble.

He had been in this situation multiple times in New World, but he was no longer in a game. He couldn’t just move crazily in real life.

‘Why do I always do this?!’

Whoops! Pujik!

The zombies underneath them got crushed by the falling concrete rubbles.

“Ugh!”

Bread Jam bumped into another wall, which then tilted towards Jerry, who was still staring at the scene blankly.

His expression twisted. He was truly a cancerous character!

“I hope this works!”

Bread Jam raised all his Holy Power and sent it to Jerry, destroying the wall before it could fall on him.

“Ughh… My body…”

The floor crumbled towards him. With his Holy Power drained, he could no longer move properly, much less dodge away from it. He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes tightly.

‘Is this the end?’

It was such a short life.

His life flashed.

He remembered stepping on traps in the Maze, causing multiple casualties, accidentally pressing the self-destruct switch on his robot, causing the destruction of an entire fleet, and many other things.

All of them were ugly.

‘It was a really insignificant and ugly life.’

He had already lost all his fortune, so he had no regrets.

Still, he made peace with his past. After all, he experienced what others couldn’t before he died.

“… Huh?”

Bread Jam was the type to give up quickly, but he opened his eyes again when he felt no pain.

The first thing that entered his vision was Jerry, who was staring at him with tears in his eyes.

He got down on his knees and put his hands together, which was quite disgusting.

Bread Jam turned his head to look at the first floor.

The armed men stared blankly at him. In the middle of them, an eccentric-looking middle-aged woman stood still with her hands raised.

Everyone just looked at him with their mouths wide open.

“Ah, hello, I am Bread Jam… of… TV…”

His introductory line lingered in his mouth, but the atmosphere didn’t seem right to say it now.

“A miracle! It is a miracle!” Jerry jumped up.

‘That idiot…’

Bread Jam badly wanted to punch him in the face.

‘So this is what it feels like to be trolled.’

For the first time, he apologized to everyone who suffered because of him.

His appearance was quite divine because of his body’s soft glow, caused by the Holy Power he used to save Jerry.

Jin-woo found this scene quite ridiculous.

‘What?’

Using the Magic Eye of Information on her, he was able to identify her.

Lee Jae-mi.

The new heroine that had been added to Shining Star.

‘Bread Jam? Why is he out there?’

It really was him, though.

‘Hmm…’

But he wasn’t too upset.

He was used to it now.