Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace

The area around the Gate, which had been empty until just a few days ago, was now filled with temporary containers.

Interest in the first S-grade Gate to appear in Utah was that explosive.

Well, even for an S-grade Gate, it wouldn’t have received this much attention if it was an ordinary Gate. The reason this Gate in front of them was receiving such explosive interest was because it had transformed from a mere C-grade to S-grade in just a few days.

And while emitting tremendous black magic power at that.

Somehow hearing the news, scientists researching Gate-related phenomena in America all flocked here.

Some of those containers even had temporary laboratories set up in them.

A few radical scientists were raising their voices saying a conquest team should be sent in for additional experiments.

The situation was better when agencies blinded by the S-grade Gate intervened. These scientist types were stubborn walls that couldn’t be persuaded.

Golden Day’s agency repeated the same words to the scientists with a tired face:

“As I’ve said, the conquest rights to this Gate belong to ‘Golden Day’.”

“But that Golden Day could have died in there. You said they were just a C-grade mercenary company, right?”

“But it’s only been two days so far and…”

“It’s already been two days! Logically, a C-grade mercenary group can’t conquer an S-grade Gate! This Gate is special, I tell you. We don’t know what might be happening in there even as we waste time like this. It could become an SS-grade Gate overnight! A Break could occur!”

The scientist trying to persuade Norman soon went on a rampage lost in his own thoughts. Eddie made a disgusted expression watching the scientist who was grabbing Norman and spouting why they needed to research this Gate.

As expected, he didn’t want to mingle with scientist types.

Even Eddie who was eavesdropping on this conversation from afar felt this exhausted, so how must Norman feel after being harassed by those scientists for days?

In just two days, Golden Day’s agency had become thoroughly worn out.

It seemed he hadn’t even washed properly as his hair was greasy, and his clothes were all wrinkled. He probably hadn’t slept either as his complexion was dark and his eyes were bloodshot.

It means that many people had harassed that innocent agency that much.

At this point, he could honestly just pretend to give in and transfer ownership to someone else, but Golden Day’s agency was guarding the Gate loyally like a house-protecting dog.

‘It doesn’t seem like he’s acting this way because he’s scared of the threats he heard then.’

Eddie narrowed his eyes.

-You’re my agency, right? So don’t let anyone in until I die. Right, one week. If I don’t return in one week, transfer ownership. But until then, it’s ours.

The words Golden Day’s leader had said before entering the Gate were quite vicious, but even so, he’s someone who has already entered the Gate.

It had been two days since Golden Day entered the Gate, and most people here thought they were already dead.

There were many who mocked Norman for keeping a promise with a corpse. But some said Norman must have seen something about Golden Day. That as the agency who had been closely attached to them, he must know some secret about Golden Day that others didn’t.

It was a reasonable suspicion.

Without something like that, he couldn’t be this loyal to a C-grade mercenary group that entered an S-grade Gate.

‘Is there something else to believe in?’

Eddie dug up information on Golden Day. Using Norman to dig up information was a failure. Norman had firmly shut his mouth with incomprehensible loyalty.

But no matter how much you try to hide it, crumbs always fall around cookies.

Even before this incident happened, rumors had started spreading about them as a mercenary group that handled C-grade Gates at an amazing speed.

Hadn’t Eddie also gone to find their container after hearing those rumors?

Name Golden Day. Total of four members. All 5-star grade hunters from Korea. Ah, there was also one 4-star grade hunter among them.

Average age 28.

The name of the person in charge as leader was Lee San-ho.

A mercenary group that conquered C-grade Gates at an unbelievable speed.

This much information wasn’t too difficult to find out.

But somehow Eddie felt like all this information was probably false. And Eddie’s feelings like this tended to be quite accurate.

‘He certainly didn’t seem like someone who would stay at 5-star grade.’

He seemed like he would be several grades higher than that. 6-star grade? Nah, you can’t enter an S-grade Gate that confidently with just 6-star grade. 7-star grade? Even 7-star grade seems a bit…

Could it be 8-star grade?

Though it was his own thought, he immediately laughed. There’s no way such a person would have come here disguising himself as a member of a C-grade mercenary group, and even if he did, there’s no way he would have been going around handling mere C-grade Gates.

‘But if he really entered there intending to conquer an S-grade Gate, I guess that’s not completely impossible either.’

Eddie felt like he was going crazy with curiosity. Whether Golden Day could really conquer that Gate, or if they had thrown away their precious lives on a reckless whim after all.

Even as Eddie’s thoughts continued, the battle of words between the scientist and Norman was still ongoing.

“That Golden Day or whatever might be regretting entering this by now! I don’t know if they entered out of greed, but isn’t it a miracle if they’re even still alive until now!”

“But according to the agency contract, I need to protect this Gate and…”

“You know Taika Cooper is here right now, right? Taika Cooper himself said he’s interested in this Gate, but you’re going to throw away that opportunity to keep the word of a mere C-grade mercenary company?”

Eddie folded his arms listening to the voice heard from afar.

Right, that’s the problem.

The fact that that Taika Cooper is here of all people.

* * *

It was two days ago that Taika Cooper came out after conquering an S-grade Gate.

As it was right after finishing the conquest, he normally would have rested, but after hearing from Oh Seung-woo about the Gate in Utah, Taika Cooper willingly boarded a private jet and rushed here.

“I told you about the situation here to ask for understanding that it might be a bit late, not to tell you to come rushing here right away?”

At Oh Seung-woo’s words, Taika grinned and said:

“But how can I stay cooped up in a hotel room after hearing such an interesting story. It’s amazing enough that a C-grade Gate became an S-grade Gate, but a C-grade mercenary group claimed ownership and entered?”

I can’t miss out on a spectacle like this. Hearing Taika’s muttering, Oh Seung-woo said with a disgusted expression:

“So you’re going to waste all your precious vacation here?”

“It’s my vacation, what’s wrong with using it how I want.”

Taika spoke as if it was no big deal, but each day of his, the top hunter in America, was truly worth its weight in gold. Taika Cooper’s time was too precious to waste here watching Gates.

Moreover, Taika had just come from conquering an S-grade Gate. When he should be recovering his body with the best medical team, he flew here recklessly saying there was an interesting spectacle to see.

The more he spoke, the more it made him sigh. But Oh Seung-woo knew Taika’s personality. By nature, Taika had to do whatever he wanted to do no matter what. It means unnecessary nagging would only hurt their relationship.

Not knowing Oh Seung-woo’s burning feelings, Taika smiled brightly and said:

“Aren’t you curious, Mr. Oh? Whether those people will really clear that Gate.”

“The possibility is slim though.”

“But if those people come back alive, it would be huge, right?”

At Taika’s words, Oh Seung-woo silently rolled his eyes.

“Certainly, if that happens, it would really be huge but…”

If that C-grade mercenary group returns alive, that alone would be a movie, a drama. Oh Seung-woo’s eyes sparkled.

“If they really come back alive, I’ll have to make a contract with those guys by any means necessary.”

“Right, that’s why we need to be here. Just in case those guys might come back alive.”

“Haah…”

Oh Seung-woo sighed. He felt like he had been outsmarted by Taika again today, but it couldn’t be helped. It’s not like anything would change even if he opposed anyway.

If really, by some chance, they conquered the Gate and returned alive, there would be nothing as huge as that.

“By the way, what happened with that guy you said you wanted to make a contract with?”

At Taika’s words, Oh Seung-woo smiled bitterly.

“Well, seeing as I’m here alone, it’s obvious isn’t it.”

“You mean you were rejected?”

At Oh Seung-woo’s words, Taika made a surprised expression. Oh Seung-woo was an extremely skilled agency after all. If Taika was considered the top hunter in America, Oh Seung-woo was one of the most successful agencies that could be named in America.

For someone like him to come all the way to this backwater to make a contract with a hunter working as a mercenary was surprising enough, but he even failed at that contract.

“Who on earth rejected Mr. Oh? Unless they were shot in the head, there’s no reason to reject Mr. Oh.”

Oh Seung-woo shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m human too. I can fail sometimes.”

“Hahah, I’m curious what kind of person they are.”

Taika who said that brightened his eyes as if having a good idea and said:

“Then how about this? We tell them they’ll have the honor of becoming teammates with Taika Cooper, America’s strongest hunter. Even if they rejected Mr. Oh, wouldn’t it be different if I’m involved?”

At Taika’s wink, Oh Seung-woo made a disgusted expression and said:

“What teammates, at most you’d let them join in on conquering a Gate once. Besides, that guy doesn’t really like you.”

“Huh, why?”

Oh Seung-woo burst out laughing at Taika’s expression. Taika pouting with an expression of utter disbelief looked young unlike the man said to be the strongest in the world.

“Even being too good can make you an object of envy.”

“People who envy me don’t miss the opportunity to work with me when they get the chance though.”

Taika, who said that, rested his chin on his hand. Though he looked childish, Taika was someone who knew all too well how this industry worked. There were many people who disliked Taika, but no one would reject Taika. Why? Because the name Taika Cooper was that amazing!

Ah, he had been rejected once before. To be precise, the other party ran away before he could properly speak.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a law that pardons crimes committed in other countries if you become a hunter in America?”

At Taika’s words, Oh Seung-woo frowned from the start. Taika who has no interest in laws at all is reciting such a legal clause? Somehow he had a bad feeling.

“There is such a law but… why are you suddenly bringing up that law?”

“It just suddenly came to mind.”

Even at Taika’s words, Oh Seung-woo didn’t remove his suspicious gaze. At that gaze staring at him as if to stab, Taika rolled his eyes and said:

“I was just thinking if there was a way to bring over those Weltschmerz guys.”

At Taika’s words, Oh Seung-woo immediately exclaimed:

“I told you that’s not possible!”

“You said they were just petty criminals.”

“Do you know what those guys did recently? They tortured a congressman and hung him from a building!”

“Oh, are they anti-government? Or anarchists?”

“Whatever those guys think, the point is they’re dangerous people.”

“They didn’t seem that dangerous to me.”

At Taika’s nonchalant words, Oh Seung-woo raised his voice for once:

“What have you been listening to in my words! Anyway, those guys are not okay. Absolutely not! Even if dirt gets in my eyes!”

“Even if dirt gets in your eyes?”

“No, that’s just an idiom. Don’t actually put dirt in my eyes.”

“Haha, would I do that? I did consider it a bit though.”

Taika who said that shrugged his shoulders and added:

“And I don’t want to judge someone based on what others say. If I listen to what people say about me, I sound like a monster with ten eyes.”

While Oh Seung-woo was pondering what to say, the outside of the container became noisy.

“Wait a moment.”

Oh Seung-woo and Taika simultaneously turned their gaze towards outside the container.

Through the window, they saw the Gate wavering.

“Oh, my goodness.”

Oh Seung-woo blinked seeing that sight. Taika grinned and elbowed Oh Seung-woo’s side.

“Against all odds. It seems those guys beat those odds.”

Black sand started spreading thickly through the wavering Gate. Seeing that black sand, Taika tilted his head to the side.

That looks familiar…

“Oh.”

Taika’s eyes lit up.

“They’re out!”

The man who came out of the Gate was carrying a blood-covered man. The moment he saw the man hanging limply unconscious, Taika said:

“Let’s help those people.”

“What?”

“They’re talents we can’t miss, right?”

At Taika’s words, Oh Seung-woo nodded.

‘He’s right, but what is this uneasy feeling…’

Taika’s unusually deep smile seemed especially suspicious today.