"What should we do, Marmo-nim?"
"Tch, where the hell did that crazy bitch even come from?! Did you idiots do exactly as I ordered?!"
"Y-Yes! Of course we did!"
"Damn it...!"
He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the CCTV footage.
He’d just been planning to kill time in the hideout, living it up, but now some insane bitch had ruined everything.
He hadn’t even worried about being discovered.
No, actually, if there had been the slightest sign of being found out, he would’ve bolted immediately.
When it came to running and hiding, he was confident in his skills.
That single talent was what had gotten him to his rank as an executive in the Weaver Men.
...Fine, he’d admit it. The hideout’s location *was* risky.
But it had been the only choice to feed hundreds of people.
To keep all those mouths fed, this had been the best option.
A place no one liked—the ruins of an old dungeon.
And even there, the most remote of the outer edges.
He’d even falsified it as private property to prevent anyone from accidentally stumbling in.
There was no way someone could’ve wandered in by chance.
No, they’d come here with a clear purpose.
But how had he not noticed?
If there had been even the faintest hint that someone knew the location, he would’ve known.
What the hell was going on?
"Uh, she’s moving at insane speed! At this rate, she’ll be here any second!"
"Shit—!"
A chill ran down his spine.
He was the weakest among the executives. Which made sense—he specialized in hiding and running.
But he was still an executive.
He prided himself on being on a completely different level from the rank-and-file.
And yet, he didn’t think he could win against that woman.
She’d turned dozens of people into cube steaks in an instant.
Her ruthless efficiency sent shivers down his spine.
She was wearing an Academy school uniform and doing *that*?
Ha, even if Academy students turning traitor was a social issue these days, there was no way someone like *that* existed.
She wasn’t some Academy student.
She was a villain.
"Is she a spy from another villain organization infiltrating the Academy...? Tch, we’re running! Get ready! We don’t have time!"
"That might be difficult."
"Difficult my ass! When I give an order, you—"
Wait.
...That voice.
That wasn’t the guy he’d been talking to.
Who the hell was it?
"Nice to meet you. You must be the one in charge here. Am I right?"
"...!"
-Sliced.
"Hahaha, you’re a passionate one. I like that. Quick to act. As expected of an executive. You pass."
What the fuck, she didn’t even blink?!
That had been his all-out surprise attack.
The dagger he always carried on him, reserved for emergencies.
I poured mana into the dagger and fired it.
The intruder was completely off guard.
Leisurely movements. Careless inattention, not even looking at my hands.
Every sign screamed that this was the perfect ambush.
…In the blink of an eye, the dagger shattered.
And the moment I realized the ambush had failed and tried to flee without looking back—
I saw mana gathering in that crazy bitch’s skirt.
"Shit! That’s the attack! Everyone, brace yourselves!"
One of my subordinates shouted.
No, that’s not it.
That’s not some indiscriminate massacre—!
By the time I realized the truth, it was already too late.
Threads had unraveled in an instant and coiled around my subordinates’ necks—and mine.
D-Damn it. I was too tense from seeing her chop people up like vegetables…!
"Don’t move. You might get hurt."
"M-Marmo-nim! G-Grraah, die!"
"I-I said don’t move."
CRUNCH.
A chilling sound of flesh and bone crushing echoed through the air.
Hah, haha…
What the hell was that?
That guy was definitely a body reinforcement Ability user.
I remember him.
He was usually at the front lines during missions.
A guy who could get his whole body bitten by a beast and only come away with scratches.
And he just… dies like that?
The threads around his neck tightened in an instant, and—
In the blink of an eye, with a horrifying sound, his neck twisted.
I didn’t need to check.
He was dead. Killed by that woman’s hand.
Cleanly. Without a hint of hesitation.
Like a butcher slaughtering a pig in an abattoir—her emotionless touch had snuffed out a life.
"Mmm, I *told* you not to move. It’s dangerous."
Chills ran down my spine.
Anyone who saw that would feel the same.
After all, a man’s neck had just been torn apart like that.
Even among villains, it’s rare to find someone who kills without the slightest hesitation.
She’s a proper crazy bitch.
She didn’t even see people as people.
Even the most battle-hardened villains here had given up on resisting.
Life was precious, after all.
Picking a fight with someone who didn’t see others as human was just hastening your own death.
Now, no one here could move freely except for her.
That bitch’s threads were wrapped around *everyone’s* necks!
Cold sweat dripped down my back, my stomach churned, and I instinctively touched my neck.
The sensation was as soft as a baby’s smooth skin.
Disgustingly smooth.
It felt like touching the finest silk, but I couldn’t enjoy it.
Under normal circumstances, I’d be teasing and toying with that lewd body of hers.
But that was impossible now.
The image of his subordinate turning into a cold corpse in an instant flashed through his mind.
This woman is definitely threatening us right now.
She could kill us at any moment, but she’s choosing not to. That much was clear.
She was silently pressuring us—obey her, or die.
"…What do you want?"
"Ahaha. What do I want?"
"Cut the bullshit. You could kill us right now, but you’re letting us live. So talk. What’s your condition?"
Her smirk, as if she found this amusing, made his stomach churn.
Damn it.
Bad luck just had to cling to him.
"Same as the people who left earlier? If you attack and kill the students, I’ll spare your lives. How does that sound?"
"…No choice in the matter, huh. Fine."
"Wonderful! I’m so glad we see eye to eye! Now, hurry along!"
"…Tch. Let’s go, you lot. There’s a mountain lodge halfway up. Targets are three Academy students."
"Yes, sir!"
He’d heard there were four Academy students coming here.
Four, my ass.
There was one monster and three humans.
Fuck. Seriously. The Academy was useless as hell.
How much tax did he pay for them to not even catch one dangerous bitch?
"M-Marmo-nim, shouldn’t we run while we—"
"No, impossible. We’re already caught. She’s too thorough."
Of course he’d considered it.
She was already so far away that her figure was out of sight.
But it was impossible.
"Hey, do you remember her face?"
"W-Why? I-I can’t remember…?!"
Of course not.
There was no way he, of all people, had early-onset dementia.
That slut used her own clothes as a weapon, and she was meticulous.
…Her face… he couldn’t recall it.
He’d definitely been able to remember it when she was right in front of him.
But the moment he closed his eyes and tried to picture her again, it was like a fog had settled over his mind—her appearance just wouldn’t come to him.
All he remembered was that she was a slut in a leotard.
Where the hell did she get an artifact like that?
Each Ability User only had one ability.
If her ability was manipulating threads, then her face should’ve been visible.
Now he understood why she hadn’t used a hoodie.
That was the artifact.
"The thread around our necks hasn’t loosened either. It’s dangerous. For now, we’ll have to do as she says."
"K-Kuh…"
"Don’t worry. You know me."
"Y-Yes! Marmo-nim! We trust you!"
"Good."
He forced down the rising irritation.
How… how could he escape that slut’s grasp?
His mind began to race.
"Wow, that went better than expected!"
[Y-You think so? Hehe.]
"Mhm. I was starting to think there were only losers around, but if you’d just told me to add more conditions, I would’ve!"
[T-That... You seem really angry...]
Ahaha.
Why would I be angry?
Our author-nim went and gave 2,400 villains proper justification.
"So the reason they’re carrying guns is because they’re not superhumans, huh?"
Yeah.
Those idiots didn’t even notice the threads.
Turns out the author had quietly added another setting to explain why those losers were packing heat.
"Hmm, a solid Webermensch-esque setting. The entire human race becoming superhumans... Is that the shallow reason?"
[Y-Yes, yes! But I can’t spoil any more than that! Even if you’re a reader, I can’t say it!]
"It’s fine. I can accept it as is."
Yeah.
It made sense why there were so many villains who should’ve only been possible as superhumans.
The entire human race becoming superhumans?
Of course, it’s a cliché through and through.
So overused that you know the taste without even trying it.
But clichés are clichés for a reason.
People prefer the familiar—readers gravitate toward what’s already proven to taste good.
Trying to cook up something new just to be different is a surefire way to flop.
You might end up with mint-chocolate-pineapple pizza or kimchi pizza with sweet and sour pork, and barely anyone’s brave enough to try that.
Sure, there are people who take the risk, but the masses prefer the safe, reliable flavors.
That’s why tried-and-true classics like kimchi jjigae are so popular.
Of course, if you feed them nothing but kimchi jjigae, they’ll eventually get tired of it and look for something else... but that’s not my problem right now.
Better to serve kimchi jjigae and have them get a little tired of it than to force-feed them mint-chocolate-pineapple pizza.
The readers of the author’s novel would end up thanking me.
Yeah, absolutely. No doubt about it.
"Depending on the compatibility with the elixir, even ordinary people can become superhumans if their compatibility is high enough. I like it."
[Hehehe...]
"And if the villain organization needs a leader, having a goal worth betraying the organization for is a nice bonus."
[H-How did you—?!]
Because it’s a cliché.
You can tell without even seeing it.
Like I said.
It’s a taste you know without trying?
"Well then, shall we go? We should start keeping an eye on Yu Siwoo."
[Y-Yes! ...Just one more thing first.]
"Hmm? What was that?"
[A-Ah, nothing!]
Pathetic.
...And later, I’d regret not grilling the author about it right then and there.
Who knew they’d go and do something like that behind my back just to look cool.
Okay, fine, I’ll admit it was cool.
But still. That was going too far.