THE VILAIN
: Strange Villains
W. Gpeum
3 days, just 72 hours.
"To be exact, it's been two days now. About 48 hours?"
"Oh, the more I think about it, the more excited I get."
Han Yeo-ju grumbled as she donned the special gloves, which were heavily laden with chemicals. Inside the underground training facility of the building used as BTS's dormitory, the sound of Han Yeo-ju and Kim Seok-jin nodding to her words as they relaxed resonated through the air.
"That's what the center does."
Kim Seok-jin's voice, which at first sounded calm, was laced with a faint tinge of irritation. After all, with a three-day departure schedule that sounded like a crazy mission, and a mission of such absurd difficulty, it would be nearly impossible to completely conceal the anger seething within him. It was understandable to be annoyed. Han Yeo-ju, who had been flexing her gloved hands a few times, sighed.
"They're like annoying old ladies, so I'd appreciate it if you could go and beat them up."
"If we're going to do it, let's do it with the whole team."
"Well, we were already fugitives, so what kind of treatment could we possibly expect? If we just leave them alone, they'll win the war on their own, so what's so bad about that?"
"You're just going to leave it alone? It seems like you're really going to get it out of Jeon Jungkook. The catch was that he promised to give you whatever you wanted."
"That's something to be taken out on the young master, so it should be left out of the discussion. The higher-ups would probably know such details in the first place."
"If I had known, I wouldn't have ended up on such a high-level mission. I'd have heard it several times already, even if I could live in your room."
That's right. They're the kind of people who cling to even the smallest bit of power within the center, desperate to relinquish it. Those who Han Yeo-ju finds most pitiful are these types of people. They're the ones who would be the first to oppose any suggestion of changing the center for the better. They're the ones who desperately resist change because they have something to gain from the current center.
That's why Jeon Jungkook couldn't exert any influence within the Center. Even if Jeon Jungkook's support was far greater than that of Director Hyun, those who held the core power within the Center still supported Director Hyun. Therefore, no matter how many sides he had, he was essentially losing on principle. Therefore, Jeon Jungkook's ability to do anything was inevitably limited.
"I thought you'd reject it though. We're basically under Jeon Jungkook's direct control, so strictly speaking, we can't say we're completely under the center, right? It doesn't really matter that Jeon Jungkook is under the center, but isn't it enough to turn a blind eye to it?"
"Refusal isn't difficult, but what happens after that is the problem. They might try to get us to do something, or they might even give us a mission several times more dangerous than this one. And you, Young Master, can't completely stop that. Eventually, you'll have to play along with those higher-ups at some point."
"If we're going to do it, wouldn't it be better to play now?"
"Well, let's say it's like taking the initiative. In fact, if we just succeed in our mission, it's not a big deal. Your position will become much more solid, and perhaps even some of the higher-ups will side with you. It proves that your abilities are quite decent."
"so?"
"Then our situation will naturally improve. We're not even staying for a day or two, so we can't just go around enduring trouble every day."
Kim Seokjin recalled Han Yeo-ju, who had recently left a clear fist mark on the faces of three Espers for saying dirty things to Taehyung (and had Jeon Jungkook grab their ears for it. It was quite shocking and lingered in his memory.). And if that weren't enough, it had only been three days since they'd been called dirty runaways, and only yesterday had they been called unlucky brats.
Kim Seokjin didn't even feel the need to respond to each and every one of these complaints, so he didn't even think about dealing with them. But Han Yeo-ju wasn't one of them. He hoped that life at the center would be peaceful and comfortable. Of course, this wouldn't apply to Han Yeo-ju and Kim Seok-jin forever, but Kim Nam-joon and Kim Tae-hyung, who were new to center life, might feel differently.
It was a kind of habit. It was about envisioning a distant future, one that might never arrive. That's why I hoped Kim Taehyung and Kim Namjoon would have fond memories of the center. Later, when Jeon Jungkook had a decent center in his hands, I hoped it would become a kind of home, a kind of vague home, for them. Just because Kim Seokjin and Han Yeojoo weren't stuck at the center, it didn't mean they had to wander around.
"Anyway, as long as you succeed, that's all that matters."
"The problem is that success is difficult."
Kim Seok-jin said, sitting down carelessly on the training ground. He sat cross-legged, his chin resting on his hand, and looked up at Han Yeo-ju.
"That's not the only reason. You're not the kind of person who would risk your life for something like that."
"That doesn't mean anything good, does it? Isn't that too harsh of an assessment of me?"
"It's true, so what? What I said isn't wrong either."
"hmm,"
"What? A reason that can offset the ridiculous disadvantage of three days."
Han Yeo-ju, her eyes squinting, took a step forward. Her finger traced the large map hanging on the training grounds wall. S 201, H 1101. She tapped the red sticker affixed to the special coordinates used by the center. This was the destination of this mission.
"Don't you think the coordinates are quite ambiguous for a fortress that has been digitized?"
Kim Seok-jin tilted his head at Han Yeo-ju's words. Indeed, after hearing Han Yeo-ju's words, it was true.
The coordinate units used in the center are two: S and H, and M and R. S and H use relatively large coordinate values, while M and R use smaller values. This means that M and R, which use smaller values, indicate more precise locations.
So, when indicating a location with a relatively precise location, like a fortress, it's common to use M and R. Kim Seok-jin and Han Yeo-ju, having spent considerable time at the center, could not have been unaware of this. It was only natural that they felt suspicious that the coordinates given for the fortress attack were S and H.
There are two possibilities. First, the center's desire to annihilate Team BTS was so intense that they leaked information that could be even slightly detrimental to the team. Second, the reason wasn't so petty; there was simply a reason they couldn't pinpoint the fortress' coordinates as M and H.
"I thought about it. I thought maybe he was just trying to screw me over. But I've been looking around for information these past few days, and it turns out that's not the case. This fortress isn't that far from the front lines."
"Because it's the closest enemy fortress."
"So, from the Center's perspective, there's no reason not to occupy this place. If left alone, the Center's situation could become more precarious, and it's also quite a distance from the enemy headquarters. It's a bit odd that it hasn't fallen into the Center's hands yet."
"surely…."
"That doesn't mean the center has completely given up on it. Look at this."
Han Yeo-ju, who had been shuffling through a stack of documents, approached Kim Seok-jin with a few sheets of paper. "Look here," she said, laying them out on the floor. The papers were densely scribbled in Han Yeo-ju's handwriting. Kim Seok-jin, scanning each note, was impressed by the information, which occasionally contained crucial information.
It was just one day. Within just 24 hours of receiving the mission, it took just one day to gather this much information, distill it down to something useful, and then filter it down to something useful. It was truly an incredible feat. No wonder the center was so jealous of him, Kim Seokjin thought.
"I've sent teams more than ten times, and they've all failed. Even the elite teams. But look at this: failure, failure."
"The reasons for failure are all similar. 'Unable to determine the fortress's location'?"
"Right, so I think, the head of this fortress seems to have some pretty special abilities, right? So, for example,"
"……."
"A power that can hide the location of a fortress?"
Kim Seok-jin gaped. "It's hard to believe the center can find it." Han Yeo-ju smiled, the corners of her lips quirking. "Right? Even you think there's only one reason why someone could wield such power, right?"
"Spatial power. Perhaps an A-class? There are records from several teams saying, 'We've seen a few abysses that look like fortresses,' so it seems like they weren't able to hide it perfectly. It's definitely not an S-class."
“…I have a long way to go to catch up with you. It gives me goosebumps.”
"Don't worry, I was lucky."
A method of hiding one's fortress's location, completely concealing it. It was a method most people wouldn't even consider. Especially since spatial abilities, classified as "special abilities," were extremely rare, few possessed them, and almost none even knew how to use them in this way.
It's just that some members of Team BTS were exceptions.
Isn't this a familiar story? For those who have been on the run for years, twisting space to hide their lairs.
"Sister!"
"We're here, but the expedition is in two days?"
"Is everything alright?" As the training ground door opened, familiar voices were heard. Han Yeo-ju and Kim Seok-jin's gaze followed the training ground entrance. "Yes, two days later." Kim Nam-joon's eyes widened as he questioned Han Yeo-ju's answer.
"I heard the mission isn't easy. Are you okay?"
"Huh? Of course. When have you ever seen me overdo it with planning? This is a game we have to win."
Kim Seokjin chuckled. Kim Taehyung tilted his head, and Kim Namjoon looked puzzled. Han Yeo-ju's lips curled up as she watched.
You guys are A-class, right? We're S-class!
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