I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 298

The robotic woman’s voice echoed through the endless, dark subspace. It was definitely a familiar voice, but an unfamiliar word was mixed in for Kang Woo-jin.

[“Abilities beyond the basic specs are detected. ‘CQC’ will be acquired first.”]

‘CQC’? This had never happened before. Whether it was acquiring a foreign language or skills like vocals or cooking, Woo-jin had always anticipated it. They were abilities he had often encountered in life.

But this.

“‘CQC’?”

What on earth was ‘CQC’? Woo-jin, his brow furrowed, shouted at the subspace woman who couldn’t possibly answer.

“Hey!! What is ‘CQC’?! What is it!”

But as expected.

[“······”]

There was no reply from her. Of course, Kang Woo-jin knew this, but he still felt a bit frustrated.

So cold.

‘Oh, so if I don’t know, I should just charge in headfirst?’ Woo-jin was also welcome to it, but some level of speculation was needed. It was the first time he was having an unexpected ability imprinted on him.

‘Since it’s derived from the script of ‘Beneficial Evil’ – it must be related to action, right?’

The woman’s voice echoed again.

[“‘CQC’ reading in progress······”]

[“······Preparation complete. Starting ‘CQC’ reading.”]

In an instant, a huge gray mass appeared before Woo-jin’s eyes. It was as if the subspace was trying to engulf Kang Woo-jin. In that brief moment, countless thoughts raced through Woo-jin’s mind.

No, it was a prediction.

‘CQC can’t be a word; it must be an abbreviation of a longer phrase.’

The huge gray mass gradually transformed into a form that enveloped Woo-jin’s body. Being sucked in would only take a few seconds now.

Soon.

“It feels like some kind of skill name.”

Just as the gray mass covered Woo-jin’s torso, his mutterings faintly echoed in the subspace.

“Damn, isn’t this some kind of killing technique??”

Kang Woo-jin was sucked into the huge gray mass.

How much time had passed?

The robotic woman’s voice was heard again in Kang Woo-jin’s ear.

[“Ending the ‘CQC’ reading (experience).”]

After that, Woo-jin’s vision changed instantly. A meeting room surrounded by glass walls, posters of various works plastered everywhere, people sitting around, and PD [Production Director] Song Man-woo with a beard, continuing his briefing.

“The action hurdle has indeed been raised as cuts were added, but Woo-jin’s martial arts skills are more than enough to handle it.”

Yes, this was the meeting room of Netflix Korea.

Woo-jin, having completed the ‘CQC’ reading (experience), had returned to reality. Kang Woo-jin’s face was stiff. Although his default concept was added, his current state was slightly different from usual.

“······”

He was exceptionally calm. Cold-blooded. Icy. Conversely, he was also sensitive. That was how he felt. But neither Choi Sung-gun, PD Song Man-woo, Kim So-hyang the general director, writer Choi Na-na, nor the production manager noticed.

That Kang Woo-jin in front of them was a real monster. It wasn’t a metaphor. The current Woo-jin was a real monster.

‘Crazy.’

He was confident that he could incapacitate everyone here right now. Confident? No, it was a certainty. Even to the point of causing unconsciousness or death. He viewed the people around him not as individuals, but as targets.

The malfunctioning air conditioner further cooled Kang Woo-jin’s mind.

His vision was wide. He was sensitive to smells. He could hear well. The hairs on his skin stood on end. His whole body was in a state of readiness. Calculations were swift. Judgments were quick. Decisions were unnecessary.

Act. Do it, just do it.

It was an afterimage. The afterimage of the imprinted ‘CQC’.

‘Martial Arts’ was the foundation, and ‘CQC’ was applied on top of it. For the people around him, it was only a few seconds, but Kang Woo-jin, who had spent quite a long time in the subspace.

‘Calm down, and control it. I am the master, so I am urging you.’

First, he pulled down the ‘CQC’ that had permeated his entire body. It was a process he had always done. Whether it was a language or any ability, a strong afterimage remained for Woo-jin immediately after it was imprinted. Every time, Kang Woo-jin had to have a high level of ownership. ‘You guys are just one of many abilities, and I am the one who gives the orders.’

The task of making any ability or skill docile.

In the end, the subspace exists because Kang Woo-jin maintains it. That mindset was key. It was unclear when he had this thought, this tenacity. Perhaps it was when Woo-jin had his first reading (experience). It was in the realm of the unconscious.

Thanks to that.

‘Hoo-‘

Kang Woo-jin was able to put a leash on the imprinted ability this time as well. It was the same when he had ‘Martial Arts’. Immediately after it was imprinted, he was overwhelmed, but from the moment Woo-jin put a leash on ‘Martial Arts’, he was able to handle it as he pleased.

Then.

‘Okay, almost there.’

Kang Woo-jin, realizing that the afterimage of ‘CQC’ had almost faded, tested the switch. Pulling it out and putting it back in. From acting to all the imprinted abilities, it was possible, and this ‘CQC’ was the same. In a brief moment, Kang Woo-jin’s inner self went from normal to desolate and then back to normal.

It was proof that the switch was working properly.

But Kang Woo-jin.

‘One more time.’

Even as the conversations of the people around him continued, he repeated the same task. The ability imprinted this time was worth it. It was the most dangerous one after ‘Martial Arts’. But ‘CQC’ was already terminated for Kang Woo-jin, and the switch was working normally.

At the same time, Woo-jin made his concept even stronger.

The current show of strength was to make his ego stronger. Soon, Kang Woo-jin was outwardly solemn, but inwardly half-panicked.

‘Wow- damn, what did I just get??! Awesome.’

He recalled the ‘CQC’ he had acquired in the subspace. ‘CQC’ was more of a technique than an ability. It was even a combat technique that included killing. It was a comprehensive collection of combat, including hand-to-hand combat, shooting, weapon skills, and situational awareness. In a way, it was more systematic and brutal than ‘Martial Arts’.

‘Isn’t it impossible for a normal person to encounter this??’

It was true. It was impossible for an ordinary person to experience it. It was a technique that could only be acquired by special forces. Even then, it would take a long time to master it, and it was a technique actually used by special forces in the real world.

Kang Woo-jin had suddenly imprinted it through the subspace.

‘This is on a different level from the bayonet fighting I learned in the military.’

Just before, Woo-jin had killed dozens of people in the subspace. To be clear, he had killed the human-shaped figures that the subspace had presented. Normally, after imprinting an ability, Woo-jin would immediately return to the subspace and read (experience) the script, but this time he needed to take some time.

The intention was to take a break.

He also wanted to read the script of ‘Beneficial Evil’, but if he was sucked into the world of ‘Beneficial Evil’ in this state and started killing people, he would feel disgusted.

At that moment.

“Woo-jin.”

Writer Choi Na-na called out to Kang Woo-jin, who had been quiet all along.

“Have you perhaps heard of something called ‘CQC’?”

Woo-jin, with a nonchalant face, almost answered immediately. ‘I’ll give it a try.’ Because he could already use the technique freely. At this point, Kang Woo-jin emphasized to himself again.

‘Like with Martial Arts, ‘CQC’ should be thought of as nothing more or less than a technique needed for acting.’

He replied in a low voice to writer Choi Na-na, who was wearing round glasses.

“I have heard of it.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

Choi Sung-gun, who was next to Woo-jin, glanced at Kang Woo-jin, and PD Song Man-woo with a beard chimed in.

“Well, since you’re so good at martial arts – you must have heard of ‘CQC’.”

“Yes.”

Writer Choi Na-na opened her mouth again. She was slightly hesitant to explain.

“‘CQC’ is… broadly speaking, it’s a close-quarters combat technique or combat system, and that technique has been inserted into the additional cuts of ‘Beneficial Evil’ this time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If you look at the script for episodes 1 and 2, which have been added, you’ll get a clear sense of it.”

“So, it’s about the male lead ‘Jang Yeon-woo’s’ past.”

“That’s right. ‘Jang Yeon-woo’s’ past flashback. It’s a device to make his abilities more substantial and to give viewers anticipation. ‘Jang Yeon-woo’ is skilled in ‘CQC’, and viewers can vaguely guess his past from that.”

It was something often used in drama production. First, show the protagonist’s abilities, and then the past is vague. Then, viewers can see the protagonist’s great abilities and try to predict the past.

‘In Jang Yeon-woo’s case – they’ll probably think he’s from special forces or something like that.’

At this point, PD Song Man-woo, who had been quietly watching Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin. ‘Beneficial Evil’ has been slightly delayed in its pre-production period due to the large-scale auditions and the construction of large sets. But, this level of delay was expected in the beginning. It’s a pre-production, so it’s natural to increase the quality. Anyway.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“We’ll be aiming to put an end to the pre-production period with today’s character shoot. We’ll finish scouting overseas locations in July, and we’ll also finalize the script reading. In the meantime, Woo-jin and the other actors will begin full-scale martial arts training.”

It was already discussed. Except for other schedules that Kang Woo-jin would soon have to handle, he had to focus on martial arts training related to the action scenes of ‘Beneficial Evil’.

“It hasn’t been decided yet whether the first official filming will start with overseas location shooting in Bangkok, Thailand, or at a domestic set.”

PD Song Man-woo with a beard, after exchanging glances with the production manager, spoke again.

“Whatever it is, we’ll start by August at the latest.”

The next day, morning. Kang Woo-jin’s officetel [a studio apartment].

Woo-jin’s house was neatly organized. The current time was around 5:30 AM. As it was that time, Kang Woo-jin was lying in bed. He looked as if he were dead, but thankfully, he was breathing, so it seemed he was in a sleep close to a faint.

About 5 minutes later.

“······Ugh-”

Suddenly, Woo-jin, who had been lying down, got up abruptly with a faint groan. His work start time was 6:30 AM, which was quite early, but something else was more prominent in Woo-jin’s mind than going to work.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin, scratching his messy hair, came out to the living room. He immediately took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator and gulped it down. Woo-jin, who had started his day refreshed, stretched and turned around. Two books were placed on the living room table with a gray rug.

They were the new scripts for episodes 1 and 2 of ‘Beneficial Evil’.

He had read them in between schedules as soon as he received them yesterday, and Woo-jin had also read the new scripts after returning home late at night. Since he had already mastered the existing content of ‘Beneficial Evil’, he only needed to read the newly added scenes. After reading everything, Kang Woo-jin’s impression was simple.

‘Awesome.’

It was more serious than he thought and more unconventional than he expected. It was as if Kang Woo-jin wondered if this was really a drama. In terms of size, it was comparable to a blockbuster movie. Moreover, it was also amazing that the frail writer Choi Na-na had written this script.

Whatever it was.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin picked up the episode 1 script of ‘Beneficial Evil’. As expected, a black square was swirling. In fact, Kang Woo-jin had made up his mind. This morning, after a day had passed, he would do a reading (experience) of the added cuts in ‘Beneficial Evil’ before going to work.

In other words, he meant to live in a world filled with ‘CQC’.

It was the same as having the past of ‘Jang Yeon-woo’, the male lead of ‘Beneficial Evil’. Woo-jin slightly tilted his head left and right and then casually raised his index finger.

-Poke.

He was more composed than expected. Kang Woo-jin, who had entered the pitch-black subspace, moved towards the white squares that were lined up. Among them, he tapped ‘Beneficial Evil’.

-[9/Script (Title: Beneficial Evil) has been selected.]

The robotic woman’s voice was heard soon.

[“Preparing ‘A: Jang Yeon-woo’ reading······”]

[“······Preparation complete. It is a script or scenario with very high completion. The implementation rate is 100%. Starting the reading.”]

Unlike yesterday, a huge gray mass immediately engulfed Kang Woo-jin. It meant that he had entered the world of ‘Beneficial Evil’. While time in reality was almost stopped, Kang Woo-jin, who had been sucked into ‘Beneficial Evil’, had to live through many hours and days.

And at some point.

-Swoosh.

The world that Kang Woo-jin or Jang Yeon-woo was seeing began to distort. No, it would be more accurate to say that it was darkening. Then, everything from Woo-jin’s five senses changed.

The first thing he heard was.

“$$(*&(*!(*%&(*!%”

It was a language that was hard to understand. It wasn’t Kang Woo-jin speaking. It was someone close to him. A frivolous male voice. Kang Woo-jin was walking. He wasn’t alone. Two men were grabbing Woo-jin’s arms and dragging him.

‘Two in the front too.’

To correct, it was a group of four. Gradually, Woo-jin’s vision became clear. Clear? He had definitely opened his eyes, but his front was covered. It was because his face was covered with a dirty cloth. It smelled of the military. Someone’s blood, someone’s saliva, and someone’s breath were mixed and soaked into the cloth.

‘It’s humid.’

And it was hot. The temperature was estimated to be over 35 degrees Celsius. The floor was uneven. He could feel the dirt, and there were also muddy parts. His two hands were tied in front of him. He couldn’t see what they were tied with, but from the zipping sound when they were tied and the texture on his wrist, it seemed like thick cable ties.

It wasn’t difficult.

Untying the restraints and subduing them. A hot breeze brushed against Woo-jin’s upper body. He could feel the thin, worn-out shirt fluttering. At this moment, the judgment was complete in Kang Woo-jin’s mind as he was being dragged. Only execution at the precise timing remained.

‘The guy on the left is the target.’

The man on the left of the two men grabbing his arms was limping. He was either injured or sick. It didn’t matter. Kang Woo-jin’s heart turned cold. He became more static than ever. Short breaths. He lowered his gaze. He could see the pistol tucked into the guy’s side.

‘Glock 17.’

The sound of a truck was heard nearby. Just as the truck got closer.

-Swish.

Kang Woo-jin raised his left foot. At the same time, the sound of the truck was heard right next to him! He stomped on the left guy’s instep with his raised foot.

“Ugh!!”

The guy’s posture collapsed. One side loosened instantly. Woo-jin didn’t miss the opportunity. He leaned slightly to the left and snatched the pistol from the guy’s waist in an instant. His hands were tied, but his fingers were free.

-Thwack!

Woo-jin landed on top of the guy who was falling, and thanks to his struggling, the cloth covering Kang Woo-jin’s head came off. The pistol was immediately placed under his chin. Of course, it was the chin of the guy with the dark, tanned skin. The eyes of the guy wearing a red tank top widened.

At that moment.

-Bang!!

The top of the guy’s head was shattered, and his brain matter splattered.