Instead of a Villain, I'm a Model Prisoner Chapter 1

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What could be the most unfair thing in the world?

Dying in a traffic accident right after being discharged from the military?

Or being reincarnated into a novel written by your ex-lover after death?

If not, is it that the character you possessed is a villain?

The current “Si Mu-jae,” who had the ordinary name “Kim Geon-woo” before reincarnation, shook his head at all the assumptions.

All the things mentioned earlier could be accepted over time.

No, everything that wasn’t mentioned can also be accepted. He doesn’t know how a person’s name can be “Si Mu-jae,” but even that is okay.

But...

“Why, of all things, do I have to be reincarnated after being arrested...!!”

Isn’t it too much to be in prison, not a hospital, as soon as you open your eyes? It’s been a month since Si Mu-jae lived with unfamiliar iron bars instead of an unfamiliar ceiling, and he felt truly wronged to death.

***

The world of the web novel “Too Many Hidden Curses,” shortened to “Hidden Curses,” was simple.

One day, a gate connecting this world to another suddenly appears. And beyond the gate, there is a dungeon, monsters come out of it, and superhumans who can fight against the monsters are born.

Well, it’s such a textbook fantasy setting that I don’t think I need to explain it further.

Modern fantasy, hunter genre. The end.

However, “Hidden Curses” had two unique settings based on this basic worldview.

‘Whether it’s unique or strange...’

The first is that the awakened ones, commonly known as hunters, do not attack dungeons. Because the author themself couldn’t understand why hunters should attack dungeons.

-If I were the president, I would just nuke the dungeon. This isn’t the Joseon Dynasty... In the 21st century, modern weapons are more efficient than superpowers.

So the military attacks the dungeons. Mu-jae still couldn’t forget the expression on his ex-lover’s face when they said that.

The second setting was related to the first, which was what hunters who don’t attack dungeons do.

-The meaning of hunter is a 'hunter', right? Let’s hunt villains instead of hunting monsters! If superpowers appear, the crime rate will probably increase tenfold, right?

At this time, Mu-jae was slightly confused as to whether the meaning of modern fantasy he knew was realistic fantasy. Still, he thought it was okay since the story of heroes and villains fighting is a common setting in movies.

The problem was after this.

-As I write, it seems like there are too many hunters.

-......? Isn’t it natural that there are many hunters because the novel you are writing is a hunter genre?

-No~ how many strong hunters can come out in a small land like Korea? The main character is strong, the main character’s friend is strong, and the villain is strong... It seems like every Tom, Dick, and Harry is S-class or A-class.

Isn’t that what a hunter genre is?

Mu-jae couldn’t figure out where the conversation went wrong.

It was natural because it was a wrong conversation from the beginning.

-I should make the main villain an ordinary person.

-Suddenly...? How can an ordinary person fight a hunter??

-Brains! Connections! Money! And modern weapons!

-......

-No, I need him to have a system window, so I’ll make him F-class and not use skills.

-Well... the setting is up to the writer.

He shouldn’t have just glossed over it at the time.

But what could he do? Mu-jae didn’t enjoy reading web novels in the first place. He just had an ex-lover who was a writer, and he only skimmed through the manuscripts they were preparing when they occasionally asked for his impressions.

You might have noticed by now. The F-class main villain who can’t use skills that was mentioned was none other than “Si Mu-jae.”

‘That damn 'modern weapon' character.’

He was already scared to death because it was his first time in prison, but his grade was the lowest. Could there be a more unfortunate life than this?

‘I... I said I was F-class... Why don’t they believe me?’

Mu-jae, who was mopping the floor in the hallway, sobbed inwardly. In 'Hidden Curses', there was not much difference between an F-class awakened person and an ordinary person, except for the presence of a system window.

The physical abilities of F-class are about the same as those of ordinary people who regularly go to the gym, and the skills they can use are negligible.

For example, if there is a skill that can emit heat, it is better to use a hair dryer.

Mu-jae, who stopped mopping for a moment, sighed deeply. The hallway, with small windows sparsely located, was as dark as Mu-jae’s reality.

Mu-jae hadn’t just been sitting still for the month since he was reincarnated.

The first thing he did as soon as he came to his senses was to request a re-examination of his awakening. Unless they were possessors of high-risk skills, F-class awakened people should be imprisoned in general prisons.

Originally, Si Mu-jae should also have been in a general prison, not an awakened person’s prison.

‘Even if I have high-risk skills, I can’t use them! I don’t even have them!!’

He would at least sleep comfortably if he moved to a general prison. Contrary to Mu-jae’s earnest wish, the answer he received was very cold.

-It has been determined that there is no need for re-examination.

So Mu-jae still had a skill-blocking item that was useless around his neck.

‘How creatively did I do villainous things that they won’t even accept my request for an awakening test?’

What’s fortunate in the midst of this is that the item is in the form of a light black choker and the jumpsuit he’s wearing is gray. Besides, there are no restrictions even if you tie the sleeves around your waist.

The main villain must be fashionable even in prison.

The more he thought about it, the more unfair it was. Frustration naturally seeped into Mujae’s movements as he mopped the floor.

‘I came back to life, but all I have is a criminal record and a curse.’

Splatter, splatter.

Mu-jae continued his rough mopping and checked the clear blue window floating in front of him.

[Curse ‘Reaper’s Equivalent Exchange (L)’ is active.]

As the title of the novel suggests, there were many characters cursed here.

Curse here, curse there, it’s a curse party! No, it’s not a party, it’s a curse Olympics! How could the main villain be missing from such a place?

[Curse: Reaper’s Equivalent Exchange (L)

-You gain life force and combat power in proportion to your evil deeds.]

If you only look at this, it might seem like a good ability.

You can gain life force and combat power with one bad deed, so it would be a very good curse for someone who has dreamed of being a villain since childhood.

[Evil Value- 31%]

[Life Force Value- 50%]

[Combat Power Value- 2%]

However, the explanation that ‘you get stronger by doing bad things’ meant ‘death if you don’t do bad things’.

[Current Status- Danger]

Just in case you don’t know, Mu-jae was a coward who had never even been ticketed for parking before he died. He was crossing the crosswalk on a green light the day he died in a traffic accident.

‘I just want to live quietly... normally under the protection of the law.’

Not being hit by the hammer of the law and living in prison!

The moment he put the mop into the water bucket, muttering mixed with resentment, a few water droplets flew in a pretty parabola.

“Ah.”

And it happened to land on the clothes of a prisoner who was mopping the floor with him nearby.

“Huh?”

The man frowned and looked at Mu-jae. Just by looking at him, his physique was unusual, and the color of the number tag attached to his chest showed that he was not a petty criminal.

Number 1231, red. Large-scale terrorism or murder using skills.

However, just as Mu-jae’s gaze moved to the man’s chest, the man’s gaze also moved to Mu-jae’s chest. Then, the man repeatedly checked Mu-jae’s number tag and face.

“Uh, uh.”

“Uh, uh?”

“Uh.”

“Uh?”

A strange exclamation that didn’t even sound like a conversation continued. When the man said “Uh, uh,” Mu-jae also said “Uh, uh” and expressed his question.

He had to apologize or something, but his body was stiff, so his mouth wouldn’t move. The image of himself being beaten to death and a question popped into Mu-jae’s head.

‘If I die here, where will my grave be made...?’

Surely it won’t be made inside the prison. I absolutely hate that. At least I should be cremated nicely and scattered in the sea or mountains so that I don’t have any regrets.

Mu-jae, who was imagining himself wandering around the prison as a ghost, regained his senses a moment later.

“I, I’m sorry.”

Finally, an apology composed of proper language fell between the two. Mu-jae wondered if he had a talent for ventriloquism.

He was the one who had to apologize, but for some reason, the apology came from number 1231’s mouth. Moreover, number 1231’s words did not end with an apology.

“I, I, I will not get in the way.”

“No... I should apologize...”

“No!! Please don’t do anything! I’m sorry!

The man knelt on the damp hallway that had just been mopped and began to beg. Other prisoners around him looked at Mu-jae, whispering about the man’s appearance.

‘Scary...!!!’

Just in case you don’t know, Mu-jae saw number 1235 for the first time today. The only person Mu-jae had properly made eye contact with for a month was the person in charge of serving food who shared sausage side dishes.

He was scared of the man who had crawled to his feet, and he was also scared of being the center of attention of the prisoner. Mu-jae, who opened his eyes as blurry as possible, lowered his gaze slightly.

The big man trembling, was not likely to leave easily. And along with that man, what caught Mu-jae’s eye was his number tag.

Number 901. White. Robbery and fraud using skills.

It was a petty crime that could not be compared to the man’s red number tag.

‘I guess there’s a setting I don’t know about...’

It was strange that the main villain was not sentenced to death or life imprisonment. It was strange, but if he asked, “Why am I not sentenced to life imprisonment?” it seemed like his sentence would only increase.

‘I broke up with him during my military service...’

If he had known this would happen, he should have bought and read all the completed novels. He had been putting it off until his late 20s, but in the end, he couldn’t wait for the military service that he would have to go to in a few years, so he should have read even his cheating boyfriend’s novel!

TL: At least until I stockpile some chapters I will try to post this project on Tuesdays and Fridays.

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