A show must be meticulously planned. 

That was why the act of terrorism I had orchestrated this time was a meticulously crafted grand spectacle from the start. 

My only goal in this world was a simple one: to pave a flowery path for my most cherished character, Stardust, who was slandered and persecuted in the original work. 

That was why my act was designed to fail from the beginning, thanks to Stardust. 

In fact, the explosives were fake, too. Can I actually kill people? Doing so would only make Stardust sad. The whole point of raising her is to avert future calamities and save people. What's the point if I end up killing them?

Anyway, at the end of my painstaking efforts, the show was finally reaching its climax. 

The passengers on the ship who chose to survive not by pressing the button but through faith; and the villain who was bewildered by these unexpected situation. 

... Actually, if someone had pressed the button, I would have had to switch to Plan B, but fortunately, no one did, thanks to Stardust's stirring speech. As it's part of the original work that she is good at speeches, I incorporated it. 

Anyway, now it's time to focus on acting again. 

With a flustered look in my eyes, I began to speak. 

"...This can't be, this can't be possible!"

On the wind-swept rooftop, I looked at Stardust. With a disappointed smile, I shouted at her, my hands trembling.

"Humans, humans are not this altruistic! I was sure at least one person would press the button, but why...!"

As I said this, I paused, as if realizing something, and muttered while looking at her.

"...Ah."

"It was because of you."

Having said this much, I began to make subtly flattering comments towards her, in the manner of those third-rate villains who seem to berate the protagonist but are actually praising them.

"Your speech united everyone... Haha. Hahaha!"

Before continuing my sentence, I laughed like a madman. 

... It was a bit embarrassing to act like this while fully sober and in front of the camera, but I carried on with method acting.

Catching a glimpse, I noticed Stardust was looking at me as if I was insane... Ah, does one know the feeling of one's favorite character looking at them with disdain? It hurt.

Fortunately, she hadn't lunged at me yet, probably because of the detonator still in my hand. Until everyone on the ship disembarks, she can't let her guard down.

"Indeed. I must have underestimated you. To enlighten so many people with a mere speech... Haha. Ms. Stardust, you are ever more fascinating the more I see."

... At that point, I realized it was time to make my exit.

Yes, I'd elevated my own profile, boosted Stardust's image, and successfully executed the act of terror.

All that's left is to make my getaway. A villain always escapes at the last moment, right?

So, I threw her the typical villain's parting words.

"You won't get off so easily next time. Until then, everyone!"

"You bastard...!"

Smiling slyly at the charging Stardust and the camera, I prepared to disappear with the devices I'd brought here by teleportation. The area was probably swarming with police by now, so it's straight back to my place.

... Ah, come to think of it, teleporting that distance would likely leave me bedridden for about three days. Big trouble.

Life is not easy.

With that thought, my body disappeared from the spot.

The broadcast also ended.

It signaled the conclusion of the terror event that had shaken South Korea for the day.

[The midday terror heated up the Korean Peninsula, but fortunately, there were no casualties.]

[Who Is A-Class Villain 'Egoistic'? A Closer Look.]

[[Breaking News] Hero Association Releases Statement. 'Villain's Abilities Appear to be Telekinesis, Teleportation.']

[Is Korea's Broadcast Security Adequate Amid Broadcast Hijackings?]

[Who is the Hero ‘Stardust,’ Targeted by the Broadcast-hijacking Villain? A Look at Her Achievements.]

[[Exclusive] Interview with a Civilian on the Ship at the Scene of the Terror Act. 'We Survived Because We Trusted Each Other.' Tears…]

The day Egoistic's terror unfolded, articles were published across the nation like wildfire.

An anomaly in the everyday.

Unlike other acts of terror, targeting specific areas or individuals, the difference with this act was its nationwide broadcast.

In short, the incident garnered a massive amount of attention.

In just one day, the entire nation became aware of the event, with both the villain Egoistic and the hero Stardust receiving immediate attention.

Not just in Korea, even international media were keen on covering this large-scale event.

The Korea Hero Association praised their own, stating, "Thanks to A-class hero Stardust, the act of terror was concluded with zero casualties," and news reports echoed the same sentiment.

The full video of the terror incident reached the top spot on YouTube's real-time views, making it a sensational event.

Already, numerous online posts had begun to dissect and analyze the villain Egoistic.

And, of course, among those analyzing him was the Korean Psychic Abilities Association.

"Let's begin the briefing."

In the Korea Hero Association, a meeting was taking place on the top floor of their building.

"Yes. The new villain that has emerged calls himself Egoistic. He's presumed to be a Korean male, estimated to be in his early to mid-twenties."

The man standing at the front of the conference room briefed everyone on the details of the incident.

"His identity and residence are currently unknown, but given that all his actions have been focused in Seoul, it's highly likely he resides there. As for the suspect's appearance... please refer to the booklet in front of you."

The booklet distributed to the attendees showed a frontal and a profile shot of him.

Head to toe, he was dressed entirely in black. 

He wore what appeared to be a black robe, akin to a long coat, paired with a black cloak. 

Half of his face was obscured by a mask. Despite only half of his face being covered, identification was difficult, suggesting that the mask may have identity-disrupting features... read a footnote below the picture.

"He directly killed two individuals before this terror attack. One was an A-class villain, and the other was an S-class villain. Both appear to have been killed using telekinesis and a gun. Based on the absence of any other physical injuries, we assume they were caught off guard. As for his telekinetic abilities, based on what we know so far, they appear to be weak."

Having covered the basic details about Egoistic, the presenter paused briefly to clear his throat before moving on to the main point.

"Yes. While Egoistic has only directly killed two villains so far, judging by today's large-scale terror event, it seems he also intends to massacre ordinary civilians."

When the presenter said this, a heavy silence settled over the room. The reason they had all gathered here was, after all, because of yesterday's incident.

"...Now, let's get into the details of yesterday's incident, also known as the 'Failed Han River Cruise Ship Bombing.' The bomb appears to have been planted beforehand, and its disassembly confirmed that it was a high-yield explosive capable of ripping the ship in half. Where he obtained these explosives is still unknown."

"Any clues from the signal hijacking?"

"...No. How he was able to breach cutting-edge security to hijack the broadcast signal remains a mystery. There are no logs, and verification through cameras is impossible since the villain moved them."

The presenter added, "There's speculation that he might have abilities related to broadcasting. But so far, no psychic individuals with Information Technology-related abilities have been identified. Moreover, there is no known psychic capable of simultaneously wielding three distinct abilities, so it's all conjecture. He might have an accomplice."

"An accomplice..."

"Yes. What's certain is, Egoistic has the capability to freely hijack broadcasts from the three major networks. Moreover, the broadcast was not blocked by us but was terminated by Egoistic himself after the incident ended, which leads us to believe…"

"Alright, I get it. I think I've heard enough."

The Association Chairman, who had been listening quietly, cut off the presenter. 

The presenter nodded respectfully and returned to his seat.

In the room with the long table, only the Association Chairman's voice resonated.

"To summarize, this villain is highly organized and well-informed. He knows the whereabouts and identities of A-class and S-class villains, and can freely hack into broadcast signals. Anything else?"

"...If I may add one more point."

The man who had presented the briefing earlier spoke up from his seat.

"Also... for now, it seems he keeps his word. When no one on the ship pressed the button, he let them go. And perhaps most importantly, he appears to be fixated on Stardust."

As he finished speaking, all eyes turned to someone seated at the end of the table—Stardust, real name Shin Haru, who was attending the meeting.

Stardust, the focus of everyone's attention, quietly addressed the audience.

"Yes, you're correct. For some reason, the culprit left messages for me at the scenes where he killed the villains, and even called me out specifically in this latest incident."

"Do you know why, Stardust?"

In response to the Chairman's question, Haru simply replied,

"I really don't know."

"Hmm... It's strange indeed."

Upon hearing her answer, the Chairman shook his head and started discussing another topic. Should they elevate his rank to S-class, making him a top-priority target? Some said no, pointing out that he hadn't actually killed any civilians and the extent of his telekinetic powers was still unknown—thus, designating him as S-class would be premature. These and other opinions echoed through the room.

And so, the Hero Association conference room became the site of heated debate that lasted throughout the night.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers away from the scene of the terror incident, in a small studio apartment:

"Ah... shit. I'm going to die."

Lying in bed, I was groaning in agony. 

Living as a villain wasn't easy...