Clayboy, the 4th-Grade Villain
4th-grade villain Clayboy. Or by another name, Do Jin-hyuk.
The word "villain" carries an intimidating weight, but strip it down, and it's not all that impressive. They're just superpowered criminals who seem particularly vicious? That's when they get slapped with the "villain" label. Digging into the Hero Association's fine print reveals detailed classification criteria and the differences between villains and plain superpowered crooks... but who cares about that.
What matters is the ranking. The villain threat level system starts at the lowest with 5th grade and climbs to the highest at 1st grade. A 5th-grader might have powers no stronger than an ordinary person's, but their savage, brutal nature demands constant watch. A 1st-grader, on the other hand, can wreak massive havoc on Light City single-handedly. Think someone who handles enormous explosions, manipulates minds on a massive scale, or toys with shadows and space while posing as a cop to observe humans up close, that sort of thing.
So where does 4th grade fit in? It's the tier with the most villains—and the hardest to pin down. Powers are decently strong, and the guy's brutally vicious and cruel? 4th grade. Powers are weak, but the mindset is pure criminal, needing lockup ASAP? Still 4th grade. No cruelty or aggression, but the ability itself is top-notch for crime? Yep, 4th grade too. They're not quite dangerous enough for 3rd, but too capable to drop to 5th.
Clayboy fell squarely into that last category. His power let him mold clay into human-like dolls—perfect replicas that couldn't chat or do fine motor skills, but could follow simple orders. That's why discussions were underway to bump him up to 3rd grade. No major crimes on his record yet, but the potential applications were endless, and catching him was a pain.
"Jin-hyuk. That's you, right? What are you doing here?"
But the moment Eun-yeong approached naturally, flashing a smile and tossing out that casual line...
"Eek...!"
Clayboy—Do Jin-hyuk—legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees. His eyes shook like aspen leaves, cold sweat poured down his body, and his face drained to a ghostly white. Anyone would've thought something was seriously wrong.
"Um..."
Kang Jin-ho was about to ask if he was okay when Do Jin-hyuk lunged and clutched his pant leg.
"Officer! Your badge says Kang Jin-ho, right, Officer Kang?!"
"Whoa, what's this all of a sudden?"
Flustered, Kang Jin-ho tried to back away, but Do Jin-hyuk clung like his life depended on it.
"I just scammed someone! Jaywalked too! Stole money from the old guy next door! And last week, I didn't sort my recycling and tossed regular trash in the plastics! Please, please arrest me! I'm a villain! You know Clayboy? I'm a total monster...!"
"...Pardon?"
"Arrest me! I'm a 4th-grade villain! This is dereliction of duty! Where are the cuffs?!"
"Both of you, quiet down."
"...Yes, ma'am."
"...Got it."
Five minutes later.
Park Eun-young neatly wrapped things up with a simple "There was a misunderstanding." The two men still didn't quite get it, but they weren't bold enough to press for details.
"Jin-hyuk, get up. Why are you still down there?"
"Th-this position's comfy for me!"
Do Jin-hyuk knelt, trembling violently. And no wonder—he still couldn't forget the day he first met her.
One year ago.
Clayboy had sold human-trafficking goons clay dolls made with his power, passing them off as real people.
'Suckers! Thanks for the meal~ You guys later... wait, later?'
He'd grabbed the scam money and bolted, but through the doll's eyes, he saw it: a dark warehouse by the docks. Flickering black shapes dragging the traffickers into shadows. And at the center of the terror and screams, a woman with crimson eyes.
She glanced at the clay doll and said,
'You saw my face, huh?'
The next instant, she was beside Do Jin-hyuk. She scanned him with a chilling smile, chuckled softly, and said,
'Not that evil. Consider yourself lucky.'
From that day, Do Jin-hyuk quit crime cold turkey. He scraped by with clay clone gigs like restaurant waitlist proxy, college attendance check-ins, or lining up for Xketmon events.
He didn't want to know who she was. Didn't want to cross paths again.
'And she's a cop?'
He never imagined running into her again like this, of all places. He'd just finished a lining-up gig for 50,000 won—why'd he insist on getting paid right here? He bit his tongue in regret.
Then Eun-yeong sidled up to the kneeling Do Jin-hyuk.
"So, Jin-hyuk. What was that money earlier? You didn't do anything bad again, right? Oh, Jin-ho. This guy's someone I caught doing shady stuff before—he promised never again. Wait, you're a villain?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, but laced with hidden menace.
Do Jin-hyuk slammed his forehead to the ground and yelled,
"Y-yes, I'm registered as a villain! But I've gone straight lately! Living clean! Believe me!"
"Hmm... really? Shouldn't I arrest you right now?"
Park Eun-young drew out the words with a smile. But the other two knew that wasn't a good sign.
"For real, I swear! My bounty ain't even much! Haven't touched crime in the last year!"
Kang Jin-ho, listening in, chimed in supportively.
"He does seem reformed."
"Hee? And why do you think that, our Jin-ho?"
"His outfit and movements, for starters. No hardcore criminal raking in big bucks dresses that cheap, and his shoe soles are worn thin. Plus, that payout was just 50,000 won in cash."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. A 4th-grade villain wouldn't risk a straight-up deal in an open alley like this for pocket change. The risk-reward doesn't add up."
"Mmm."
"Most tellingly, no smug repeat-offender vibe, no scrambling for excuses. If he'd used his power, there'd be clay residue on his clothes or hands—but nothing."
Kang Jin-ho defended him based on obvious clues, channeling detective lines from dramas and movies. It worked—Eun-yeong looked impressed.
'He spilled "Clayboy" himself, jogging my memory.'
Clayboy. Not a big killer, but a pesky rat-nibbling at the city's edges with petty scams. Harmless alone, but pair his power with other villains, and crimes explode in scale—terror dolls packed with bombs, fake alibis, duplicate decoys to jam investigations. A solo 4th-grader, but deadly support under a boss. Game terms: pure supporter.
Here, though, he'd gotten wrecked by Eun-yeong and quit crime for good, it seemed.
'Time to build some goodwill.'
Defending him now was strategic. In the game, recruiting Clayboy to the heroes' side always paid off big.
"Wow, our Jin-ho's spot-on, huh?"
Eun-yeong clapped in admiration. The subtle pressure on Do Jin-hyuk vanished like smoke.
"..."
Truth be told, Do Jin-hyuk was the most shocked.
'That monster backs down on a rookie cop's word?'
Grateful for the vouch, his instincts screamed: Stay on that cop's good side. Somehow, the rookie had a leash on Park Eun-young.
Time to repay the favor—and cozy up.
"Thanks for the help, Officer. And since I'm such an upstanding citizen now, mind if I tip you off real quick?"
Do Jin-hyuk rubbed his hands obsequiously.
"A tip? Sure, go ahead..."
"I ain't done nothin' bad lately, see? But a few days back, on my old account, I got this sketchy job offer."
"Sketchy job?"
"Yeah. Sent a photo of some guy, told me to plop a lookalike doll on a bench at XX Intersection. Good pay, but felt off—left a bad taste. Plus, I'm reformed. Turned it down flat."
"XX Intersection..."
Something clicked for Kang Jin-ho. He probed gently.
"That photo—did the guy have a snake tattoo on his right forearm?"
"Wha—yeah, think so! How'd you know?"
Do Jin-hyuk's eyes widened. He'd only mentioned the job—how'd he nail the tattoo?
That earlier display too. This wasn't just sharp eyes. Had to be mind-reading or precog in disguise.
"Superpower...?"
"Nah, no powers. Deduction. Saw something on TV about the Black Serpents and Axe Gang. Big jewelry store near XX Intersection, right?"
"Spot on—they mentioned it! Said the doll had to hold position no matter what..."
"Definitely a jewelry heist setup."
"...You pieced that together from this?"
"Gut feeling."
Do Jin-hyuk gaped at Kang Jin-ho's confident tone. Beside them, Eun-yeong hummed happily, like 'Isn't our newbie amazing?' She loved when people grilled him about powers.
'Snake tattoo confirmed. Jackpot.'
Ignoring her, Kang Jin-ho pumped his fist inwardly. This was the prelude to the "Black Serpents Heist"—a big early-game event with hefty karma reduction. Just patrolling, and the clue walks right up. Dumb luck.
Watching, Do Jin-hyuk muttered under his breath, baffled.
"Man, with skills like that, why be a cop..."
"Why be a cop?"
At those words...
Chicken skin rippled across Do Jin-hyuk's body. A pair of crimson eyes bored into him. The world blurred, nothing but those eyes in focus.
"You okay, Jin-hyuk? Looking peaky again."
"N-no! Just a cold!"
"Oh yeah? Go rest up. Throat sounds sore—save your voice."
"...Yes, ma'am!"
"I said quit talking."
"..."
Then it hit Do Jin-hyuk. Ah, so that's why this psycho's leashed to the force!