Although a Villain, My Wish is World Peace - Chapter 1: I Hate Destruction

The world was ending.

Looking down at the chaos outside, I muttered curses under my breath.

Monsters pouring out of gates had tangled with fleeing people and vehicles, paralyzing the roads completely.

Government awakeners had finally shown up to contain the gates, but all they could handle were the low-grade monsters at best.

The government awakeners were getting shredded by the monsters—pointless deaths.

With the very people meant to protect the citizens dropping like flies, there was no way the city could keep functioning.

I squeezed my eyes shut as someone who had leaped out onto the street to escape a road-covered monster got snatched up and torn in half.

Blood-soaked people were scrambling onto roads and out of buildings to survive the monster assaults.

Screams that shouldn't have reached this high up echoed in my ears anyway.

My office view—yesterday a proud symbol of success—had become prime seating for watching the apocalypse up close.

I stepped back from the window.

But no matter where I looked, the fact remained: this world was doomed.

I couldn't bring myself to turn off the TV, even though it was the thirtieth repeat. If the noise stopped, the 'end of the world' would feel all too real.

Damn, damn, damn.

How the hell did it come to this?

I knew the answer better than anyone.

Seol Rokjin and I had crushed the saviors who could have saved this world.

We'd eliminated them before they could grow strong enough to fix these gate breaks.

The reason was simple.

Seol Rokjin figured it was better to kill off any dog he couldn't put a leash on.

Why did we do it?

'We didn't know the gates would open like this.'

We didn't know! That the world would end like this!

Unsafe gates had started popping up across ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠South Korea—and the whole world—just two weeks ago. The era of conquering gates, which everyone had boasted about managing stably, had crumbled in a mere fortnight.

Damn it, I couldn't die like this.

I hadn't clawed through hell like a dog just to go out this way.

Clutching my phone, I muttered like a madman.

But I still had one hope left.

How long had I waited?

Finally, the call I'd been praying for came through.

"Yes, Assemblyman."

Seol Rokjin.

My master, whom I served—and the man who'd played the decisive role in dooming the world.

Ironically, he was the only one who could save me now.

[Where are you right now?]

His voice was eerily calm, impossible to believe amid the world's collapse. My own voice trembled as I answered.

"I-I'm at the Yeouido office right now."

He wouldn't abandon me, would he? My nerves were fraying.

[Perfect. Grab the box from the safe and come to Pyeongchang-dong.]

"The box in the safe?"

[Yeah, the one we bid on in Egypt.]

I swallowed hard. There was only one box from Egypt.

It had taken several lives just to lift the curse on it.

Even after all that, Seol Rokjin hadn't opened it to check the contents—instead, he'd shoved it in his safe. He never answered when I asked what was inside afterward.

Why that box now, of all things?

"What's in that box that's so...?"

[Who knows? If things go well, it could be the perfect hidden ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠card to turn this mess around.]

If it was that important, why leave it in the Yeouido office instead of keeping it on him forever? Why make me fetch it at the end of the world?

I swallowed my retort.

[Bring it.]

"To the Pyeongchang-dong mansion?"

Crossing the Han River in this chaos? That was suicide.

As if reading my mind, Seol Rokjin spoke in a soothing tone.

[I'd love to send a chopper, but the skies over Seoul are monster territory now. Taking my car will be safer.]

Sure enough, aerial monsters dotted the sky visible through the window.

Were the roads any better?

Maybe holing up in the building's safe shelter offered better odds.

But it was an order from Seol Rokjin, and I had no choice but to obey.

I responded as always.

"Yes, understood."

After hanging up, I tore at my hair.

Refusing wasn't an option. His commands were absolute to me. Even if I hunkered down here, he wouldn't let me off easy.

Seol Rokjin terrified me more than death.

With a sigh, I stood before the safe. Fingerprint scan, complex password—finally, the heavy metal door swung open.

The spacious vault—big enough for several people—was crammed with treasures.

My eyes locked on a trident glowing blue: Poseidon's Trident, powered by a frost giant's heart. A divine relic. Zhang Weren, famed as Guan Yu's reincarnation in China, had sworn he'd trade anything for it.

That was just the start. Seol Rokjin's weapon collection filled the entire vault.

S-grade monster remnants crafted into weapons—meant for front-line hunters—rotted here unseen.

I passed the graveyard of arms and pulled out the box he'd mentioned.

A so-called Pharaoh's relic, its curse lifted at the cost of a 7-star shaman's life. Whatever fit in my palm, I had no idea.

All that mattered was Seol Rokjin wanted it.

Heavy in my hand, I sighed again.

* * *

This Yeouido office, built on gate byproducts, was holding strong even as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the building shook.

Now I had to leave its safety and walk into hell.

"This is insane. Totally insane."

Edgy, I muttered like a lunatic. But my body obediently headed to the underground garage where his car waited, following orders.

Can't argue with 'mouth says no, body says yes.'

The empty garage—unlike usual—drew a hollow laugh from me. Still surreal as I drove out.

But as the underground exit opened to the street, hell unfolded before my eyes.

I slammed my eyes shut at the sight of scattered corpses.

Earth hounds—mid-to-low-grade monsters—locked onto fresh prey.

"Fuck."

Grinding my teeth, I floored the accelerator. The mana engine, fueled by premium mana stones, roared, rocketing the car forward.

Thud, bang. Thud.

The flexible, reinforced body shrugged off the earth hounds. I yanked the wheel hard. The car spun half a turn, barely avoiding the wall, leaving skid marks.

"Hah, huff."

As I caught my breath, the hounds recovered, baring teeth at me.

Fine. I'm out. Rot here.

Eyes shut tight, I punched the gas.

Yelp!

Leaving the pitiful whimpers behind, I sped away from the Yeouido office.

This custom car—built by artisans for Seol Rokjin's schedule—could withstand monster attacks, even if not designed for this.

So trust it. I'll make it to Pyeongchang-dong alive somehow.

But like from my office view, the roads were jammed. Abandoned cars tangled with corpses of desperate strugglers—no path in sight.

And bigger monsters loomed everywhere—earth hounds seemed laughable now.

Damn, damn.

No time to waste out here.

I shoved other cars aside, forcing a path. My leg cramped from stomping the pedal so hard.

Cars crumpled like paper under my onslaught. No drivers left, right? Had to be. Ignoring the bodies, I gunned it.

Boom. Every monster in my path—eyes shut, grip white-knuckled. The tank-shell-proof windshield held firm.

But blood smeared across it with every hit—no stopping that.

Each time, my heart pounded wildly.

My back was soaked in cold sweat.

This is insane. Insane.

A bitter laugh escaped. I'd crushed dozens of 'speed bumps' already.

I ignored people waving for help—even families with kids. But still...

'Hesitate even a second, and I'm monster chow.'

My hands shook violently. My mind wasn't steel-tough enough for this carnage.

'What's an S-grade mental passive good for when my mentality's tofu-soft anyway?'

I laughed hollowly. How long had I driven like a maniac?

I reached Mapo Bridge. But there was a problem.

"Goddamn it."

A massive monster from a giant gate beside the bridge had smashed it in half. Seeing the severed span, I sensed death.

Cut-off bridge, jammed roads, desperate escapees—'doom' stabbed into my brain.

Yeah. This was doom.

No escape, throat crushed tight.

Kaboom!

A rear-end collision jolted me forward.

"Ngh."

Glancing back, the car that hit me had its front crumpled. Blood on its windshield—I bit my lip.

No time for prayers; my own neck was on the line.

The crash drew nearby monsters' attention.

Feeling their piercing glares, I threw it in reverse—but the jammed car wouldn't budge.

"Ah."

And 'that thing'—the one that snapped the bridge like a twig—turned toward me.

Staring at the dragon-like behemoth, death loomed. Thud, thud.

Cars and people under its feet pulped like overripe fruit. Trembling, I fumbled open the box on the passenger seat.

Seol Rokjin's box. There had to be hope inside.

Finally, my shaking hands revealed a massive ankh-shaped metal fragment.

Grabbing it, I could only curse.

"What the fuck is this...?"

My last memory: a colossal shadow over the car.

And the horrific pain of my body being crushed.