Surviving as a Brainwashing Villain in a Hero World

Chapter 1

A world where people with magical abilities known as “superpowers” have begun to appear.

Some use their superpowers to live a more convenient life or to contribute to the advancement of humanity…

But on the other hand, there are those who use their powers to cause chaos and disrupt the world.

People called these evil superpowered individuals “villains.”

And the heroes who protect the city and its citizens from these “villains” began to be called “heroes.”

The heroes, represented by the “Hero Union.”

And a world full of tense conflicts between numerous villains and villain organizations.

Among the many villain organizations, “Dark Knights” was quite a notorious group.

—

Combatant No. 505 of the Dark Knights Combat Unit.

It’s such a rough and unremarkable name that it doesn’t even feel remotely cool to be called a villain.

With the grand dream of becoming a heinous villain who would shake the world…

It’s already been several years since I boldly joined this villain organization and received that name.

In a world where superpowered individuals with magical abilities are appearing,

To dream of becoming a great villain without even the most insignificant superpower…

All I have is slightly better physical strength and stamina than others,

And that alone makes it difficult to even face a single C-class hero.

It’s been a long time since I’ve resigned myself to just surviving each battle.

“Ah… I just want to go home on my day off and crack open a can of beer.”

Not that I can leave this villain organization whenever I want.

It’s common for low-ranking combatants to die within a year or quit soon after,

But I’ve managed to endure for several years without getting hurt, thanks to my strong body and resilience.

The organization wouldn’t just let a durable meat shield like me leave.

Of course, I do get paid more and treated slightly better compared to other low-ranking members…

But I didn’t join just to become the leader of these bottom-tier lackeys!

“Sigh… What’s the point of grumbling to myself like this every day?”

I just hope the organization suddenly collapses so I can be free,

Or that I miraculously awaken some power and become the villain I truly want to be.

I was sighing deeply, silently waiting for the next command, hoping for either to happen as soon as possible.

— Viiiinnnnnnnnnnng!!!

Suddenly, the siren blared loudly in the waiting room.

“What the heck? Ah…”

The members, who had been on standby all night without sleep, were startled and looked around.

Usually, when the siren goes off, it means there’s a deployment call or an emergency.

“It’s bad!!! The heroes are attacking!!”

“What?! Heroes?”

A combatant, clutching his injured arm, was running frantically toward the command room.

The other combatants, sensing the unusual situation, began preparing for battle,

And I, too, adjusted my combat uniform, awaiting the commander’s orders.

“All units, prepare for combat!”

The commander, who must have been informed by the combatant who ran in, burst into the waiting room,

And with a tense look, ordered the nervous combatants to prepare for battle.

“It’s a hero estimated to be A-class or B-class. Stay alert.”

This wasn’t the first time the heroes had raided the organization’s hideout,

But all of them had been B-class or C-class heroes.

A C-class hero can be dealt with by about three combatants like me,

And it takes a double-digit number of us to subdue a B-class hero.

But an A-class hero is difficult for even someone like the commander to handle.

An A-class hero’s appearance is certainly an emergency for the organization.

It’s not like the Dark Knights have no experience fighting A-class heroes before,

And if a commander-level figure steps forward, the odds of victory are quite high.

But that’s only when we’re prepared in advance, not in a surprise situation like this.

“An A-class hero! We’re all going to die at this rate, aren’t we?”

“We need to seal off the hideout interior immediately!”

At the mention of an A-class hero, the combatants pleaded with the commander in fearful voices.

‘Ah. We might really die here.’

Even I, who have been here for quite some time, felt the same fear.

“Are you saying we should abandon the organization and run away! Is the strength of the Dark Knights only this much!”

The commander shouted harshly at the terrified and demoralized combatants.

Sweat was trickling down the commander’s face, who seemed extremely agitated,

Which meant he, too, was not only confused but also quite scared despite his words.

The commander couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed the arms of a few combatants, dragging them out,

And in the end, the rest of us, including myself, reluctantly followed him.

“Graaaaah!!!”

“Hyaaaaaah!!”

By the time we got out into the corridor, it was already a mess with fallen combatants everywhere.

“All units, charge!!!!!!!”

“Hyaaaaaah!!!!!!”

The commander ordered us to charge toward the A-class hero with orange hair,

And dozens of combatants, following him hesitantly, rushed forward all at once.

— BOOOOOOOOM!!!

“Graaaaah!!!”

“Haha! If you want to take down this hero ‘Ignition,’ then bring someone stronger!”

Spewing massive flames from his hands, he quickly incinerated dozens of combatants to a crisp.

Introducing himself as the hero ‘Ignition,’ he displayed a confident smile.

Of course. He’s an A-class hero. What could lowly combatants like us possibly do?

“This isn’t good. Combatant 505!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

The commander, who had been so determined, now looked flustered as he called for me.

“We’re in a difficult situation because of this surprise attack, and for some reason, we can’t reach the command room…

505, go directly to the command room and find out what’s going on, then request support.”

How am I supposed to know where the high-ranking officers are!

…is not something I should say.

“Could you tell me where the command room is located?”

“It’s on the 8th floor, in the very center. Take this and ask for help.”

The commander handed me his name tag and then ran toward the hero who was slaughtering our combatants.

—

“Huff… Huff. Why do they have to be so high up?”

Following the commander’s order, I climbed stair after stair, heading for the command room on the 8th floor.

Even though I’ve lived in this hideout for years, I’ve rarely ever been up to the 8th floor.

And even then, it was only to carry heavy loads or furniture to the command room.

“What the…”

Usually, there should be several members guarding the command room vigilantly.

But it was as if they’d all moved out; the door was wide open, and no one was there.

“Is anyone here? Commander! Leader!”

I opened the unattended glass door and went inside,

But all I found was the command room, turned upside down as if they’d fled in the night.

“They’ve already run away? The so-called leaders of the organization? Damn it?”

Expensive decorations and the Dark Knights’ flag lay shattered on the ground,

And the leader’s own large portrait was only half-packed, as if he hadn’t had time to take it.

It seemed they had noticed the hero’s attack and fled, abandoning their subordinates.

In fact, when I think about it, the Dark Knights’ leader, Kaiser, had never shown himself properly to the subordinates,

Always sending his voice through the commander or hidden somewhere else.

Perhaps it was only natural for them to flee by themselves in this situation.

Not that it’s natural to leave your subordinates to feel betrayed, like I do now.

But more importantly, I need to figure out how to escape and survive from here.

“These are all such expensive items. Should I grab a few and run?”

While considering escape routes and glancing at the high-priced items scattered on the floor,

Something caught my eye on what appeared to be the leader’s desk—a piece of jewelry.

Encased in a transparent glass case, a purple gem was radiating a rather dazzling light.

It looked beautifully crafted and quite large, suggesting it would be incredibly valuable.

“Were they buying stuff like this while making us do all the dirty work? Unbelievable…”

This gem alone would easily be worth hundreds of millions.

I couldn’t take the other items anyway—they were too big and heavy to carry while escaping.

‘Yeah. Let’s at least take this and get some payback for all the years of hardship.’

With the intent to sell it for a hefty price, I carefully placed the jewel in my pocket,

And kept thinking about how to escape quietly before the hero arrived.

I didn’t know how the commander and the leader had escaped,

But there was no secret staircase or passage leading directly to the ground.

“Wait, is that it?”

Just when I was about to head back down, I noticed a small hole.

A lid, camouflaged to blend in with the wall, was open, leading down a slope like a slide.

It seemed this was their escape route.

Just as I was about to excitedly slip into the hole,

“You didn’t think you could get away so easily, did you?”

“Ah.”

That confident, energetic voice I’d heard in the corridor earlier.

This voice… no way…

“Stay right there, or I’ll roast you where you stand.”

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