The Evil Scientist is Too Competent

After narrowly resolving the AI uprising, I immersed myself in uncovering the identity of the Earth-level faction that had provided Mecha Yang with its data. Such a technologically advanced entity was bound to leave traces somewhere.

I spent the entire day investigating the shadowy figure behind the scenes while preparing countermeasures capable of delivering a blow, should this Earth-level force emerge. After all, North Korea could posture against the United States for decades not because it could engage in full-scale war but because of the painful deterrent known as nuclear weapons.

‘Of course, even with all this, getting sucker-punched would still mean game over...’

The enemy must be lulled into complacency. We had to present ourselves as a harmless civilization, too insignificant to pose any threat to them.

Without this charade, it wouldn’t take more than a neutron cannon, flying faster than light, to obliterate the planet. Such an ending was not acceptable.

Hide, deceive, and disguise. Lure the enemy into complacency, then strike without giving them a chance to counterattack. That was the best I could do.

“Been holding up well, scientist?”

“Yes, well enough.”

“Nothing unusual, right? Your voice carries a hint of unease.”

It was time for the regular meeting with the boss. Sitting in the opulent chair of the executive office, I sipped tea that probably cost more than most people earned in a year, wearing a faint smile. This was not a matter I could consult the boss about—nor anyone else in the world, for that matter.

“No, nothing at all.”

“Hmm... I’ll say this, though: seeking help from those around you isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even if you see them as mere tools.”

“Haha—tools? How could I possibly think that way?”

As if he could read my mind, the boss's words left a bitter taste in my mouth—though I realized the bitterness wasn’t solely from the tea.

Viewing those around me as tools. If only it were that simple. To exploit others, even if it meant being derided as a cold, emotionless machine.

As we continued our conversation, the secretary cautiously knocked on the door. With the boss's permission, they entered, moving swiftly to whisper something in his ear.

“Chairman, there’s something you need to see...”

“Hmm?”

The secretary turned on the TV and changed the channel. The screen, which had been showing a children’s cartoon, now displayed a press conference.

An elderly man with snow-white hair was reading from a document. The boss tilted his head in confusion upon seeing the man’s face.

“...The Hero Association’s chairman? What’s he doing there—”

Before the boss could finish, the chairman continued speaking.

“─Long ago, we founded the association to protect people from the torment of evil. Fueled by nothing more than the desire to save lives, we have strived tirelessly.”

“And now, we believe our efforts have borne fruit.”

“Everyone, there are no more villains.”

The chairman held up a document. It detailed recent statistics on villain eradication rates using androids, preemptive crime prevention by Evilus Agents, and the decline in reported villain activity.

“If there are no villains, there is no need for heroes. As of today, the Hero Association officially disbands.”

“...What?”

A gasp of disbelief escaped Regalia’s lips. I recalled that she was a major benefactor of the Hero Association. Surely, she would have been informed of its dissolution in advance...

Yet, to my surprise, her face betrayed no indication of prior knowledge. On the contrary—

Her expression was one of pure bewilderment, as if she were hearing this shocking news for the very first time.

*****

The area in front of the Hero Association’s headquarters had devolved into chaos. Reporters swarmed the scene, along with active heroes who had heard nothing about the dissolution, aspiring heroes and their parents, and anyone else caught up in the uproar.

Despite the crowd’s agitation, the association remained unresponsive, ignoring the masses entirely. No acts of violence erupted.

After all, heroes with powers exceeding human limits weren’t the type to resort to crude behavior, and those with lesser abilities wouldn’t have been able to overcome even a single armed android guarding the premises.

“Show yourself, chairman!”

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“What nonsense is this? No more villains? I just caught one today!”

“I come back from work, and my company’s gone? Pay me my damn salary!”

The enraged heroes continued shouting. Despite being more than capable of storming the association’s building, their own sense of responsibility held them back.

These were individuals who, despite having easier ways to earn a living, had chosen to fight crime. People who resisted the lure of corruption and instead sought to punish it.

Their commitment to law and justice, which they had upheld against villains, now paradoxically restrained them from breaking the law themselves.

“What about my kid? They’ve dreamed of becoming a hero their whole life!”

“Are you trying to turn all heroes into villains?”

“Damn you, chairman! Go to hell!”

At that moment, someone unleashed a superpower toward the association building. A powerful explosion struck the outer wall, and simultaneously, nearby heroes, who had been yelling at the chairman moments ago, subdued the attacker.

The man, stunned by the failure of his ploy, couldn’t even scream as the heroes recorded his face and submitted it for identification through the Evilus Agent system.

Even with the Hero Association disbanded, the app exclusively used by heroes was still operational. It promptly revealed the man’s identity.

“He’s a small fry from a villain group?”

“What, a provocateur?”

“Did you think we’d commit crimes just because you stirred things up?”

Upon realizing he was a former low-ranking member of a villain organization, the heroes handed him over to the police without hesitation.

Meanwhile, the heroes who hadn’t managed to participate in subduing the man busied themselves putting out the fire on the building or clearing debris, making sure their presence was felt.

“Water control at this level, even without a water source! I’m B-rank hero Waterpark! Please keep me in mind!”

“Debris and trash cleanup with Blackhole powers! C-rank hero Darkhole here! I also run Darkhole Cleanup Services. I’ll clean up any mess with absolute precision!”

At first, the citizens watching were dumbfounded. Then, as they realized the heroes were promoting themselves, their expressions turned incredulous. This self-advertising was a far cry from the idealized image of heroes they had in mind.

But there was no other choice. Heroes had always been underfunded, resource-starved individuals. They were accustomed to making the most out of whatever they had.

Even with the collapse of the Hero Association, that instinct persisted.

It didn’t matter if the association was gone—they needed to secure their next job as quickly as possible!

Some were already ahead of the curve, running businesses alongside their hero work, like Darkhole, who had just neatly cleared away the debris.

“─What a mess.”

“Hoho, is that so?”

From the top floor of the association’s building, Regalia observed the scene below, frowning deeply as she turned her gaze toward the chairman sitting across from her. He looked far older than before, as if the stress of the dissolution had aged him overnight.

Crossing her arms under her ample chest, Regalia gestured with her chin for the chairman to explain himself.

“So? What’s the reason for dissolving the association without my approval?”

“As I said during the press conference, it’s because there are no more villains—”

“And the real reason?”

“...You know as well as I do. The Hero Association was never a profitable organization to begin with.”

The chairman sighed bitterly, as if resigning himself to the situation. He was right—the Hero Association was not a revenue-generating entity. It was an organization that should have been funded by government taxes from the start.

Instead, it had been barely sustained through the forced support of private corporations and the donations of citizens victimized by villains.

Naturally, as the number of villains dwindled and the threat they posed diminished, donations and sponsorships to the association also declined.

“You knew this, yet you still provided significant support,” the chairman continued.

“I’ve been grateful for your contributions, but... even with Evilus Corporation’s sponsorship alone, it’s unsustainable.”

“...Unsustainable? What are you talking about?”

Regalia’s expression darkened at the mention of insufficient funding. Evilus Corporation’s contributions accounted for roughly 10% of the association’s total funding—a significant amount, especially considering the association operated across 26 cities.

The corporation was already donating more than twice the amount of any other entity, yet it wasn’t enough?

The chairman’s response was shocking.

“Didn’t you know? As of recently, all other corporate sponsors have withdrawn their support. ...Currently, the only funds coming into the association are from Evilus Corporation.”

Regalia’s scowl deepened, her brow furrowing so tightly that wrinkles appeared across her forehead.