The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 103

The private aircraft touched down at Incheon International Airport. It was a remarkably safe return—nothing like the nervous anticipation Park Young-hoo had been radiating the whole flight.

“Ah, there’s nothing quite like Korean air.”

Nothing much had changed visibly, yet the feeling was different. That was what they called devotion to one’s homeland—and indeed, Japan had felt foreign in ways beyond mere language and culture; it had simply been inconvenient.
Still, the soybean soup had been exceptional. I’d heard there were dozens of varieties, which was a shame I hadn’t managed to sample them all.
The sushi had been good too. I’d spent so long evading that I rarely ate raw fish before, though truth be told, I’d always enjoyed it that way.
Park Young-hoo beside me nodded in agreement, likely feeling it even more keenly than I did after his long stay in Japan.

“Welcome back, Superhuman.”
“Thank you for your work.”
“The higher-ups say you should rest well today and they’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Understood.”

Even after the commotion I’d caused in Japan, their telling me to rest and see them tomorrow seemed considerate.
That was a naive thought, though. The fact that Park Young-hoo—who should have stayed in Japan—came with me meant they wanted detailed briefing, a proper account from the person involved rather than a third-party report.
After all, the story changes depending on who’s telling it.
Or they could cross-reference against information already reaching them from Japan.
My actions there had been too large to ignore; they’d be careful.
I’d like to pin it all on that Blood Type creature, but that won’t fly, will it?
I got blood on my hands doing it, so I can’t weasel out of responsibility. That’s what bothers me.
Park Young-hoo headed straight for Cheongwadae, while I turned toward home.

“What? Why are you back so early?”

Yun-hee, who’d been merging with the sofa while watching TV, startled at the sight of me. There was something in her expression—not quite the warmth I’d expected at my early arrival.

“Are you hiding something from me?”
“I’m not!”
“Fine then.”

I found it suspicious, but I didn’t press further. I simply stepped into my room and collapsed onto the bed.
I’d be leaving here in a few days anyway. The space had grown familiar since coming back to the past, yet the thought of leaving it made everything feel unsettled.
Leaving a place filled with good memories for somewhere new always felt this way.
Maybe I felt the ache more keenly because, when I was Blood Type, I never stayed in one place long enough to truly belong.
Blood Type. This creature’s appearance kept churning my mind into chaos.

“What are you after?”

I’d considered the possibility that it might have come with me when I returned to the past. But despite searching exhaustively, I’d found nothing—and with no sign of its emergence, I’d let my guard down.
The creature I’d thought annihilated had revealed itself. It had been watching for an opening all along.
Where was it hiding?
I could think of two main possibilities.
First: it could be lurking within my own mind.
Since it and I had been judged as a single entity, I might not have sensed its presence.
If it were part of my psyche, its existence would feel as natural as breathing.
The second possibility was one I hadn’t considered until I saw Man-deuk.
What if Blood Type wasn’t a consciousness of its own, but rather the ego inherent in Blood Feast itself?
Blood Feast had never appeared before—a legendary Gift—and perhaps the consciousness of that Gift had merged with my own, becoming Blood Type.
An ability that devours other people’s Gifts couldn’t possibly be ordinary.
But what I couldn’t grasp was why Blood Feast possessed such a vivid, distinct consciousness compared to Man-deuk. Had its power grown as I indiscriminately consumed Gifts?
I’d considered countless theories, but no clear answer emerged.
At least one mystery had been resolved.

“So that’s why Man-deuk moved.”

I’d been mistaken all along.
He’d acted to purge the Blood Type hidden in my psyche, but I’d misread the situation entirely—condemned him for rebellion when he was working on my behalf.
The floating puzzle pieces clicked into place one by one, and the image became whole.
He’d been working for me all this time.

“I suppose I should give him some consideration.”

I’d been rather harsh with him, it seemed.
A pang of regret hit unexpectedly.
Next time I see him, I’ll treat him better.

* * *

The next day, I drove Yun-hee to the Holy Guild.
I’d offered to drop her off on my way to Cheongwadae, but it was a mistake—I had to listen to her nagging the entire ride.

“Get rid of this old car already.”
“It still runs fine.”
“You make good money and you want to keep driving this rust bucket?”
“I’m not bothered by it.”

I was resisting buying a new one because I suspected a fresh vehicle would demand my attention. I was the type who drove carelessly—get something nice and I’d feel obligated to maintain it, fuss over every little thing. Better to stick with what I had.
Besides, how good was this car?
Door dings didn’t faze me, dust accumulation was just part of life, and when I’d first returned to the present and still struggled with power control, slamming the accelerator by accident, the old thing had faithfully kept me cruising at a reasonable speed.
Yun-hee exploded at the string of virtues I listed.

“Ugh! Do you want me to buy you one? Then would you drive it?”
“If you buy it, I’d drive it.”
“You give me allowance without hesitation, but you won’t replace a single car?”
“Fair point.”

Everyone’s been nagging me about it, so maybe I should consider it. Buy a new one, drive it recklessly, break it—just get another. Still, it’d be a waste to throw this out; I could use it as a second car.
Looking at how I hesitate to spend where I should but splurge freely where I shouldn’t, I’m realizing that living like a normal person isn’t as simple as it sounds.
After dropping Yun-hee off, I headed to Cheongwadae.
The moment I arrived at the Awakener Security Bureau, Cheon Myeong-guk practically abducted me, rushing me into the President’s office.
The President looked up at me and rose from his seat with a broad smile.

“Quite the spectacle you made. Well done.”
“Thank you.”
“…It wasn’t dangerous, was it? Their forces were formidable.”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

It was technically the Blood Type doing the slaughter, not me. But in retrospect, even if I’d acted directly, the results would likely have been much the same.
Park Young-hoo would’ve already briefed him on the essentials, so I simply chose to take credit.

“One distinction: Constantina didn’t fall far short of Superhumans in direct combat ability.”

What I meant to convey was that the Twelve Zodiac’s actual strength far exceeds what the public assumes.
Not just Constantina—the others are all holding cards close to their chests.
The President nodded.

“Japan lodged a protest. Said we didn’t even give them a chance to repay their benefactors.”
“Repay with what?”
“It’s all nonsense.”

I didn’t expect the President to speak so bluntly.

“They were trying to keep her at any cost. Plant a good image, then spirit her away.”
“I see.”
“Choi Jun-ho, you claim to be a Superhuman belonging to South Korea, yet you haven’t changed one bit in your willingness to dodge responsibility when it suits you!”

With that, the President’s voice rose to a furious pitch as he railed against the Japanese cabinet.
He said I’d nearly gotten trapped there, that they’d have subjected me to waves of diplomatic courting, that they’d scheme in every conceivable way to pin me down. But there was no chance I’d have fallen for any of it anyway.
Still, looking at the President and Cheon Myeong-guk, it seemed they thought I might have.
The only thing I’d genuinely enjoyed in Japan was the miso soup.
Wait—could they have thought they’d tempt me with an endless variety of miso soup?
That struck me as potentially dangerous, actually.
Anyway, that was the President’s perspective.

“There’s nothing bad about it for me, is there?”
“…!”

The President and Cheon Myeong-guk visibly flinched.
Had I misspoken somehow?
The President’s eyes widened, and he spoke in an urgent tone.

“Did I hurt your feelings somehow? Hmm?”
“Superhuman, if there’s anything we’ve fallen short on, please tell me directly. We’ll address it immediately….”

Both of them suddenly began sweating profusely.
I had no idea why they were reacting like this.

“I have no complaints. I just meant that if the Japanese cabinet provides for me, there’s nothing unfavorable about it.”

I get what I want and leave—a tidy arrangement.
The two seemed visibly relieved as the misunderstanding cleared.

“Don’t say such things. We nearly thought we’d made some terrible mistake.”
“I see.”
“It shows how vital Choi Jun-ho is to South Korea.”
“I understand.”

I’m quite satisfied with my current arrangement. We communicate well, they cover for whatever I do, they support my interests, and they take my side.
But since this is fundamentally a contractual relationship, there’s no need to reveal such sentiments.
Lee Se-hee had advised me that the higher my value rises, the more desperate they become.

“I’ll honor the contract faithfully, so don’t worry.”
“That’s all we need.”
“No other requests?”
“The next contract will be the next president’s headache, after all. I’ll retire and enjoy my leisure in peace, so it’s none of my concern.”

Fair point.

* * *

Choi Jun-ho left.
The President and Cheon Myeong-guk, whose eyes had met, released sighs of relief in unison.

“He didn’t seem to harbor any hidden intentions?”
“No.”
“Thank goodness. By the way, was I trembling?”
“You maintained your composure admirably.”
“Good. I’m relieved.”

The President raised his hand. It was trembling violently—proof of what he’d been concealing.

“I still can’t believe it.”
“Neither can I.”
“Does Director Cheon see it the same way? Give me your perspective as an Awakened One.”
“The mere possibility of such an Awakened One existing is… I’ve never considered it before.”

The reports from Japan, coupled with Park Young-hoo’s briefing, had made Cheon Myeong-guk doubt his own senses despite his eyes and ears functioning perfectly.
Was this truly an achievement within human reach?
No matter how many times he reviewed it, he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
On World Superhumans Day, Choi Jun-ho had overwhelmed three superhumans—but since the confrontation had never escalated to a life-or-death struggle, Cheon Myeong-guk had assumed him simply stronger than his peers. When Choi Jun-ho defeated Franz, it seemed reasonable to rank him among the top-tier superhumans.
But the incident now called the Fukuoka Tragedy transcended that boundary entirely.
After witnessing what he had achieved, it would be abnormal not to consider him the world’s strongest.

“Offering him special treatment would only make him uncomfortable, so we should treat him as we always have.”
“Wise counsel, sir.”
“One thing is now clear—we must never cross Choi Jun-ho’s will. If we misstep and he turns into a villain, the Fukuoka Tragedy could happen right here in South Korea.”

The President placed both hands on Cheon Myeong-guk’s shoulders.

“Mr. President?”
“I trust only you, Director Cheon. Take responsibility for Choi Jun-ho.”
“I beg your pardon?”

Wasn’t it usually the President who bore such responsibility?
But looking at his face, there wasn’t a shred of willingness to shoulder it.

“The future of South Korea rests on your abilities, Director.”
…….

My stomach suddenly began to ache.

* * *

After my meeting at Cheongwadae concluded, I contacted Jung Da-hyun.
I was currently overseeing training for both Jung Da-hyun and Lee Se-hee, and after discussing with them, we’d arranged to alternate assisting with each other’s sessions.
If one of them couldn’t manage a training session, we’d simply postpone.
This turn belonged to Jung Da-hyun.

-I can make it! I’ll come by after work!

Surprised by my early return, Jung Da-hyun immediately agreed to the training proposal.
Usually she contacted me first, but things had reversed—there was something I’d gained from my time in Japan.
The fact that it had to do with Blood Type was hardly amusing.
When I reached out to Lee Se-hee, she suggested we reschedule while offering her assessment that the commercialization potential of what we’d discussed—my “Unique Aura”—looked promising.
I’d mentioned my habit of leaving traces, and watching her weave that into a business angle impressed me.
Not long after I arrived at the Training Ground, Jung Da-hyun showed up. After warming up, I sought her permission before we began.

“Today I’d like to approach training differently. There’s something I want to experiment with.”
“What would that be?”
“Gift application.”

When Man-deuk’s rebellion had briefly cost me the initiative and Blood Type had taken over, I’d witnessed how he wielded his Gift—inspiration struck me then.
Today, while coaching Jung Da-hyun, I intended to test that method.

“It’ll be harder than usual.”
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping for.”

Determination blazed across her face, burning with fierce resolve.
Jung Da-hyun was the kind who never broke under any hardship.
Sword in hand, she made no effort to mask her intensity, channeling her full concentration toward me.
Since reaching Level 7, her capacity to leverage intuition had grown exponentially. Now that she could distinguish the genuine from the false without confusion between sense and instinct, the frequency of her defensive blocks had increased noticeably.
With no fundamental fear of her opponent’s attacks, Jung Da-hyun would continue to advance.
I extended my hand toward her. Seeing the Mine coalescing in my palm, Jung Da-hyun retreated beyond her usual striking distance—but the Mine leaping from my hand rushed toward her at terrifying speed, detonating against her with a shattering blast.

“Ah!”

Jung Da-hyun cried out and collapsed, thrashing against the pain in shock.

“How… how is this possible?”
“It’s an evolved version of Mine.”

Until now, the way I’d been using Mine was, strictly speaking, copied from how Blood Type used it in my past life.
When Blood Type saw me using it that way, he gave me a hint in my basic foundation—a clue to extend Mine’s effective range.
Mine was a Gift that rapidly lost its power once it left the caster’s body, which meant it had a fatal weakness: it was only useful in close combat.
But what if I could channel Force into Mine? What if I could maintain Mine’s destructive power with that Force? Since Force is also part of me, and Mine is a power that converts into Force, I could prevent the power from diminishing even after it left my hand, as long as Force existed.
The problem here was separating Mine and Force. I had to operate them independently and then combine them into one.
So I was consciously separating them as I cast Mine, merging them together. To use it unconsciously, I’d need a tremendous amount of real combat experience.
By my estimate, once I got it down properly, it would maintain about 70 to 80 percent of the power compared to directly activating Mine by hand.

“That last one didn’t hit with full power.”
“That seems to be the case, yes.”

Despite being struck by Mine, Jung Da-hyun got up from where she sat without much trouble.
If it had been at the power I calculated, her right arm would have been broken.
It wasn’t at full power.

“Now that the distance has expanded, my options have multiplied. So what should I do about that.”
“I’ll have to dodge as ‘skillfully’ as I can.”
“Beautiful words. Then dodge well.”

Jung Da-hyun, sword raised, rushed at me. I extended my hand.
During the sparring match, Jung Da-hyun’s arm broke twice, and her shoulder shattered once.
All of it happened in less time than usual.
If Blade Storm was good for annihilating multiple enemies, then ranged Mine was good for selecting one specific person and killing them.
From now on, I’d be able to kill just one person without scorching everything around them.
Is this what they call eco-friendly Gifts?
Thanks, Blood Type. Thanks to you, I got myself a fine weapon.

* * *

“It felt overwhelming. Usually, when there’s distance between us, I have some time to think, even a little.”

After the match ended, Jung Da-hyun shook her head back and forth.
She looked rougher than usual, but her eyes were gleaming.

“But the moment the distance restriction disappeared, I had to rely entirely on instinct. I was forced to depend on one direction of judgment. And then you mixed in feints, which disrupted my thinking and threw off my coordination, and that’s how this turned out. It’s so difficult to develop a Gift like this—you’re truly amazing.”

Jung Da-hyun looked at me with admiring eyes.
Well, I developed it using the hint I got from Blood Type.
…Though.
He gave me the seed, but what of it—I’m the one who perfected it.
If you don’t like it, come out and try it yourself.
Either way, you’re headed for annihilation courtesy of Man-deuk.
No, this is probably just my own honest wish. Blood Type’s appearance did add uncertainty to my situation, after all.
How do I eliminate this bastard?
As my thoughts deepened, Jung Da-hyun asked carefully.

“Is something troubling you?”
“…How did you know?”
“I’ve been watching you for a long time now. I’d be happy if I could help you. Would you tell me what’s on your mind?”

There’s no way I could tell her.
But I can’t reject her kindness either.

“It’s not just one thing—several worries have piled up, and now my head aches.”
“I see. It’s important to ease your concerns.”
“Is there a way?”
“The key is to immerse yourself in something else, scatter those stray thoughts.”

Jung Da-hyun, who had been nodding along, suddenly offered an unexpected suggestion.

“What about volunteering?”
“Volunteering?”
“Yes, I thought about it after hearing you mention donations before. It could help improve your image too, and you might experience a different kind of fulfillment than what you’ve felt until now… Oh, I’m sorry if that was overstepping.”
“No, it’s not a bad idea at all.”

Volunteering.
If it clears my head, it doesn’t seem like a bad option.
I could appeal to myself that I’m different from Blood Type.
It’d be tedious to go alone—I should bring Berserker along.
I have something I need to ask him about anyway.

“Volunteering, huh….”

And that word—volunteering.
Somehow, it feels like it suits me.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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