Chapter 80
Chapter 80
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Villain and the Wolf
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Time flew by, and finally, it was Malkkangi's turn.
"Number 33, Himalaya Pink Retriever? Uh... it's the mixed-breed Malkkangi's turn! Let's give a big round of applause!"
"Kakhat! At last, it's this body's turn! Let's go, Malkkangi! Time to shock the world!"
At the MC's call, I headed up to the stage with Malkkangi.
The audience seats were filled with hundreds of people, and at the judges' table sat three judges, including the lady I'd met earlier.
"Foolish citizens of S City! Behold, the loyal subordinate of the great villain Grimoire, the most special and powerful being in the world—Malkkangi!"
The audience looked at Malkkangi with curious eyes.
"Is... is that really a dog?"
"Its fur... the fur looks kinda weird..."
"Do dogs even come in pink?"
I ignored the murmurs from the crowd. Soon enough, they'd all be amazed by Malkkangi's uniqueness!
"First, feast your eyes on Malkkangi's appearance!"
At that moment, one of the judges approached and tried to touch Malkkangi's fur.
Squish!
"Huh? Wh-what? What the heck is this?"
His hand sank right into Malkkangi's squishy body, like quicksand!
"Eeeeek! M-my hand!"
The judge yanked his hand back in panic. It was covered in sticky pink slime.
"Ahem! This is Malkkangi's special ability—ultra-elastic memory foam fur made with cutting-edge nano-tech! It wraps around you softly the moment you touch it, providing ultimate comfort! Impressive, isn't it?"
Then, perhaps from the tension, the lower part of Malkkangi's body—the spot where a tail should be—melted slightly, forming a small pink puddle on the floor!
"Wh-what is that?!"
"The dog's melting! Is it a liquid monster?!"
"It's a monster! A monster's appeared! Call the Hero Association now!"
As the mood turned hostile, I quickly moved on to the next part.
"No! Malkkangi is a special dog! Now, witness Malkkangi's amazing talent!"
I signaled to Malkkangi. It hesitated for a moment but then curled into a ball...
Roll roll— tumble tumble—
And rolled across the stage like a ball.
"Ooh!"
"How is that possible?"
"Is it really a dog?"
"Next up, body control! Malkkangi, grow big and shrink small!"
Malkkangi slowly expanded to fill the stage, then shrank back to soccer ball size.
"Woooow!"
The audience cheered, but the judges' faces grew darker.
"Hey, this clearly isn't a dog. This kind of freakish creature violates the pet contest rules!"
One judge declared firmly.
"Monster? Malkkangi is a dog! It's just... a million times more special than other dogs! Are you one of those narrow-minded humans who discriminates based on looks?"
Squuu... squelch...
Too focused on the performance, Malkkangi melted into slime form.
"You still insist that's a dog? Bringing a monster to a pet contest is a rules violation!"
Protests erupted from the other participants too.
"That's not a dog!"
"My pets are too scared to even compete!"
"This isn't fair! Get it out of here!"
It was a crisis. We'd be disqualified at this rate. One million won... the snack party... slipping away!
"Hold on! We haven't shown Malkkangi's true power yet! Malkkangi, transformation! Turn into a small poodle!"
Squuu...
Malkkangi focused on my command, shrinking and shifting shape—from retriever to perfect poodle! Still pink, though.
"See? A one-of-a-kind ability! Malkkangi's second form: Pink Jelly Poodle! Talent that rewrites pet contest history!"
But the judges weren't listening anymore.
"That's not a dog—it's a monster. Disqualified by the rules."
"What?!"
'What now? Should I stuff those judges into Malkkangi and threaten them? Give us perfect scores or rot forever in that sticky squishy prison!'
I was flashing a villainous grin and about to signal Malkkangi when—
Boom—!
The stage ceiling crashed down with a deafening roar.
As the dust cleared, what emerged was... a wolf? No, a dog? A half-baked wolf-man.
Pointy ears, sharp claws, shaggy gray fur—it had the basics, but the face and eyes were too round, the tail wagging excitedly upright. One ear even flopped cutely!
Thud!
"Grrrrr... Dogbuster has arrived! This stupid dog parade ends now!"
Awooooooo—!!
The creature landed in the stage center in a ridiculous pose and let out a mighty howl.
The convention center plunged into chaos in an instant.
The judges had already crawled under the table, trembling. Audience and participants screamed in terror, stampeding for the exits.
'No way! If this continues, Malkkangi won't get the prize money! My one million won! My snack party! My world domination dreams!'
Of course, results weren't out yet, but Malkkangi was winning anyway.
"Stop right there, dog-man! Disrupting a pet contest? Unforgivable! Malkkangi must win this!"
"Huh? Dog... dog-man?! So even you see me as a pathetic mutt! I'm a wolf! A noble wolf-man! B-Rank Villain Dogbuster!"
Its ears twitched, eyes flashing fiercely as it charged at me!
Whoosh—!
The wolf-man's claws grazed right past my nose.
"Hey, calm down! I just said you look a bit dog-like! It's a compliment! Dogs are cute and loyal!"
"Shut up! Again...! Calling me a dog again! You cocky brat, you wanna die?!"
Its already fierce face twisted even uglier. This guy had serious trauma about the word "dog."
"Ahem... fine, got it. You're not a dog, right? Then why attack a pet contest full of dogs?"
Dogbuster paused, glaring at me.
"I used to belong to the wolf-man community. But my transformation... they mocked and shunned me because it wasn't a perfect wolf—it was dog-like! 'Not a true wolf,' 'Just a house pet'!"
Aha, now I get it.
So this guy got bullied in the wolf community for being "too dog-like," and now he's venting his inferiority and rage on innocent dogs.
"My life's ruined because of those damn mutts! And stupid humans wrap those dogs in love, call them cute, praise them, give them awards? How unfair and disgusting! So I decided—destroy every dog-related event in the world!"
What a third-rate villain with a lame backstory.
"Hmph! So what? Your pathetic sob story doesn't move me one bit, and I don't care! Dog or wolf, who gives a damn?"
"Wh-what?"
The guy was clearly shaken by my words. This was villainous psychological domination!
"The problem is you! Look at me! I'm a legendary villain, but everyone mistakes me for a hero. Do I rage at them every time? No way! I use their delusion for world conquest!"
Squuu squuu—!
See? Even Malkkangi agrees!
"Kicked out of the wolf community? Then get strong enough to crush those wolves under your paws and rule them! That's the true villain's path!"
"Wh-who are you...?"
"Who am I? The pinnacle of all evil in this world! The great villain Grimoire! Listen up, you dumb mutt! A true predator doesn't need others' gazes or petty recognition! Like how I'm a great and evil villain, you just decide what you are!"
"Shut up! What do you know?!"
Grrr—!
Dogbuster dropped to all fours. Sharp claws scraped the stage with a horrific screech. Thick gray fur bristled as its muscles swelled.
"Hmph, baring teeth at a person? You're no better than human trash!"
Enraged by my wise advice, it lost all reason and charged wildly.
"Fierce dogs need muzzles! Your turn, Malkkangi!"
I scooped up Malkkangi from my feet and hurled it at the guy's face.
Squuu?!
Malkkangi hit Dogbuster square in the face, smothering it entirely in sticky pink slime!
Can't see, can't breathe properly! Kakhat! Slime muzzle in action!
"Mmmph! Grrraaagh!"
Dogbuster flailed to peel off the Malkkangi mask, but it clung even tighter.
"Now, time for judgment!!"
As Dogbuster thrashed, I prepared my finishing blow.
A faint gray glow emanated from my horn, and the air around us trembled.
"Grimoire Punch!!"
Bam—BOOOOM—!
My fist sank deep into its solar plexus!
"Yelp—!!"
With a dying yelp, it flew across the stage and crashed pitifully.
Perfectly timed, Malkkangi peeled off its face, bounced back to my side. Good job!
"Yelp? Pfft! Wolf, my ass— even your defeat bark is dog-like!"
I heaped mockery on the motionless Dogbuster. It was out cold.
Anyone would be after my merciless punch!
"Woooah! She did it! She beat the villain!"
"That little kid took down a villain! She's a hero!"
"That pink slime is amazing too! So cute and brave!"
The audience's cheers filled the hall. Praise pouring into my ears! But... wait, hero?
"No, I'm a villain! Didn't you see me assault that mutt? And Malkkangi's a dog, not slime!"
No matter how loudly I shouted, it fell on deaf ears. The cheers and adoration only grew.
Then, the judges crawled out from under the table, faces flushed, and grabbed the mic.
"Ahem, ahem! Th-that was... a series of astonishing and wondrous events! But rest easy, citizens! Thanks to the brave Grimoire and her loyal... uh... pet Malkkangi, S City's peace is safe once more! Now, let's resume the interrupted pet contest! Another big round of applause for our little hero who defeated the vicious villain—Grimoire and Malkkangi!"
Screw it! Only the prize matters now!
Malkkangi's epic performance guarantees victory. One million won is practically mine!
"We'll now announce the results after final deliberation with the judges."
The tense air thickened as a judge opened the envelope.
"Contestant Malkkangi..."
My heart pounded.
Snack heaven begins! Can't even calculate how many treats I can buy!
"Is not a dog, so unfortunately, disqualified."
"What?!"
Murmurs of discontent rose from the audience.
"Aw, that's too harsh!"
"After that performance!"
"If it's not a dog, what is it?"
Disappointment crashed over me. Is this really the end? My snack party...
"This world truly can't recognize true talent..."
Squuuu...
Malkkangi wilted at my feet too.
Then, the judges whispered among themselves, and the lady who'd invited me stepped forward.
"Hold on! The judges' panel has held an emergency meeting and reversed the decision!"
She smiled at the mic.
"We've created a special new award: 'Most Unique Dog Award,' unanimously given to Malkkangi for its dazzling performance! Applause!"
The crowd cheered again. But I was a bit miffed.
"Just 'unique'?"
Seeing my sour face, she hurriedly grabbed a pen and edited the certificate.
"Oh, oops! Sorry! Correction: 'Most Unique... and Evil Dog Award'! Yes, very evil! Hohoho!"
The word "evil" lifted my spirits.
"Kakhat! Even the judges see our true nature! Yes, Malkkangi isn't just any dog—it's a loyal minion aiding a villain's wicked schemes!"
Strutting to the front, I received the trophy and a large box.
"The prize is a year's supply of premium organic dog treats and a trophy! No cash since it's special, but the treats alone are worth over a million won..."
"No prize money?!"
Squuu squuu!
Malkkangi eyed the treat box, stretched out, and absorbed the whole thing. A year's worth vanished in seconds.
Squuu~
At least Malkkangi was happy.
"Fine... let's head home. No million, but we got the trophy?"
We left the stage amid applause, feeling empty. Passing the fallen Dogbuster, something on the floor caught my eye.
I picked it up carefully. A black business card.
'Black Dolphin'
It reeked of villainy. Definitely a villain hideout! Why haven't they invited me, S City's top villain?!
"Hmph, I'll pay them a visit. Time to show those third-raters what a true villain is!"
Malkkangi rolled happily at my feet. Its body looked a tad plumper after devouring the treats.
"Hurry home and tell Everlin the glorious news! We won a special award!"
She'll be shocked seeing me with the trophy. Maybe she'll ease the snack ban by a day out of pride?
With pleasant thoughts, I left the S City Convention Center.
Today's villain operation... half-successful, I suppose.
But the key is—we won an "evil" award! Proof I've stepped closer to true villainy!