The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 18

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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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Episode 18

Lee Se-hee still considered Choi Jun-ho to be an enigmatic figure, a man she couldn’t quite pin down.
His thinking deviated wildly from what anyone would call normal.
And yet he insisted he was perfectly sane.
At first, she’d thought it a deception. But after talking with him, she realized he genuinely believed it. If he weren’t a government-affiliated Hunter, she would have believed he was a Villain without hesitation.
Still, his formidable skill and techniques of unknown origin commanded her attention. To gain his favor, she’d conducted a comprehensive investigation and offered him what he needed—and it had worked.
She almost pitied whatever Villains crossed paths with Choi Jun-ho.
Everything had been unfolding so smoothly that her mood was light and buoyant.
Right up until she’d entered the training room.
She’d been curious what kind of training he would give Choi Yun-hee, and she’d hoped to build some personal rapport along the way.
But what she’d walked back out with was far more than she’d bargained for.

“That’s all for today.”
……
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I have to be.”

She forced strength into her trembling legs and managed to stand, but the shock from moments before hadn’t faded in the slightest.

“I’m going to stay here a bit longer.”
“Then I’ll head out first.”

She followed Choi Jun-ho’s departing silhouette with her eyes before sinking back down onto the mat.

“I almost died.”

It was an honest assessment, stripped of all pretense.
What Choi Jun-ho had displayed was an imitation of Monster Aura.
The predator’s endless bloodlust and malice aimed at its prey—raw and unfiltered. Lee Se-hee was transported back years, to her very first Monster hunt.
Even though she could have managed it with her wits about her, she’d been completely overwhelmed by the experience.
It was something every Hunter experienced at least once. In that sense, the Monster Aura Choi Jun-ho had demonstrated was the genuine article—the real thing you’d encounter in actual hunts.
If first-time Hunters were exposed to this, it could dramatically reduce the number of meaningless deaths and injuries.

“How on earth does he do it?”

She’d been too shocked to even ask.
One thing was certain.
Choi Jun-ho was a man who transcended her expectations entirely—like a treasure chest that could spill anything at any moment. Yet he was also a monster that could devour her if he made a careless move.

“I want him.”

She laughed softly at her own words.
Had she lost her mind? Here she was, lusting after the man who’d tried to kill her at their first meeting, flirtation or not.
Was this why women were drawn to dangerous men? Did this qualify as that? Though to be fair, it didn’t seem like the kind of danger that would literally cost her life…
One thing was certain, even as she recognized how strange it all was.
She had to hold onto Choi Jun-ho no matter what.

* * *

Lee Se-hee’s advice had proven timely enough to help Choi Yun-hee adapt to the Monster Aura. She’d complained about why he had to crouch on all fours, but didn’t it look more realistic that way? Most Monsters were quadrupeds, after all. At any rate, Choi Yun-hee seemed to have gained considerable insight from experiencing such an unfamiliar presence.

Next was building combat experience by moving like a monster myself, but that required the whole team to gather, so we decided to shelve it for now.
Then again, maybe I was being overprotective.
But wasn’t overprotection better than neglect? I handed over the bracelet Lee Se-hee had given me at my request.

“Wow, it’s pretty. What is this?”
“A location tracker. Wear it every time you go hunting.”
“Are you insane?”

There was some back-and-forth, but we reached an agreement that she’d wear it whenever we went hunting.
Once I’d settled the Yun-hee matter, what remained was my own problem.
The Mal So-ja incident had ended as just an episode, but it had created two complications.
First was Lee Kwang-jin—the Berserker. That bastard wasn’t supposed to cross paths with me until fifteen years from now, yet he’d taken an interest in Mal So-ja.
With that lunatic involved, I couldn’t predict what chaos he might trigger. There’s nothing more troublesome than someone you can’t read, someone who might bolt in any direction. I’d need to keep my eyes on him too.
Second was the utility of Minesweeper.
Originally, Minesweeper was a Gift specialized for one-on-one combat, and it struggled against multiple opponents.
I’d been using it because it was my most comfortable Gift, and my plan was to switch to the sword depending on the situation—but Mal So-ja’s naming had changed everything.
It bothered me that the Berserker said he was pursuing Mal So-ja. If I switched to the sword now, wouldn’t it expose me as Mal So-ja?
But then, as one thought struck me, I let out a hollow laugh.

“I’d grown soft in this peace.”

I reflected sincerely. I’d sworn never to repeat the madness of my past, but I’d never promised to be weak either.
If I’d been myself back then, this worry would’ve been meaningless.

“I can just eliminate the problem.”

* * *

Some dozen Villains who’d been operating covertly in the city were arrested in bulk, but unusually, it didn’t become an issue.
There was no excessive force. Everyone was shocked that despite Choi Jun-ho’s deployment, all of them still had intact limbs.
When everyone asked in surprise, Choi Jun-ho just smiled and left them with a cryptic remark: “A genius’s idea has changed the paradigm of arrest. It just costs money.”
Apart from that, daily life flowed peacefully.
Jung Da-hyun thought of it as the calm before the storm. Talk of the League was taking on increasingly concrete form, and reports of sightings of notorious high-level Villains were beginning to circulate.
Action would be taken soon. And she resolved that she would shoulder a significant role in that mission.

“Jung Da-hyun, Choi Jun-ho—director’s office, now.”
“Yes, sir!”

At Jung Ju-ho’s summons, Jung Da-hyun entered the director’s office alongside Choi Jun-ho.

“You’ve worked hard guiding Choi Jun-ho all this time. I believe he must be accustomed to National Defense Agency operations by now.”
“It was simply my duty, sir.”
“It’s thanks to Director Da-hyun. I still have much to learn.”

Jung Ju-ho seized upon Choi Jun-ho’s words as if catching him in a trap.

“Much to learn, indeed—like how to arrest Villains without destroying them! Every time you go out, you leave at least a dozen severely wounded behind. This time I thought maybe you’d turned over a new leaf, so what trick did you pull? Why are they walking around looking fine when their insides are shattered?”
“You’re too kind, sir.”
“That wasn’t a compliment!”

Jung Ju-ho shouted with exasperation written all over his face.
I’d seen that expression before. When I’d told him I wanted to transfer from the Holy Guild to the National Defense Agency. It was the look of someone watching a hopeless troublemaker.
Back then, when Jung Ju-ho spoke to him not as his subordinate but as his uncle, he’d complained: “You were mild at first! How was the next one supposed to be nuclear spicy?”
Jung Ju-ho exhaled thinly as he finally managed to rein in his anger.

“As you well know, Da-hyun, Choi Jun-ho has skills too valuable to waste on petty criminals.”
“…Yes, sir.”
“So I intend to assign him several independent missions.”
“I beg your pardon, sir? But Director, he’s still only Grade 9, and his experience is limited…”
“It’s strange hearing you talk about rank when you were always the one who believed in ability over credentials.”
“…….”

Jung Da-hyun’s mouth went slack, struck by the blunt truth.

“Choi Jun-ho, you can manage it, can’t you?”
“If you entrust me with it, I’ll do my best.”
“No, you can’t do your best. If you do, you’ll kill them all.”
“I’ll do my best to keep them alive.”
“There we go — if you’re not trying, that means you’ll kill them all.”

Jung Ju-ho, who had been venting his stress by nitpicking at the meaningless semantic loop, turned toward them with a noticeably lighter expression.

“In any case, the reason I want to hand Choi Jun-ho a solo mission is simple. Jung Da-hyun, you’re too weak.”
“……!”

It felt as though a sharp arrow had lodged itself in her heart. Her legs threatened to buckle, and she swayed, but Jung Ju-ho’s expression remained unmoved.

“If you don’t want to be a burden to your captain, then grow stronger. Once you do, I’ll hand you both the mission together.”
“…….”
“Get out. I have more to discuss with Choi Jun-ho.”
“…Yes.”

With nothing left to say, Jung Da-hyun stumbled out of the director’s office.
She had no idea how she’d made it back to her desk, lost in a daze. Her mind replayed the conversation from moments ago.
Truth, as they say, is cruel and simple.
It all came down to her weakness. If she’d been stronger, if she’d reached Level 7, she wouldn’t be pushed aside like this.
Yes, Director Jung Ju-ho was right. She was weak. Since childhood, she’d grown accustomed to being called a genius rather than by her own name, and she’d dragged fame along with her as a member of the Holy Guild and the National Defense Agency — but that was all it was. The enemies she would face going forward would be Level 6 Hunters, Level 7 and beyond. Villains far beyond what she could handle.

“I have to get stronger.”

Biting her lip hard enough to taste blood, Jung Da-hyun renewed her resolve once more.

* * *

I’d never seen Jung Da-hyun so dispirited. The blow of being told her skills fell short would hit hard. But once I became a Black Agent and took on dangerous missions, she’d likely become dead weight.
Eventually she’d need to grow stronger — and since I’d benefited from her help until now, maybe I should assist with her training?
Come to think of it, I’d trained Choi Yun-hee well enough to land her top-ranked recruitment at the Holy Guild, so I might actually have a knack for teaching. She’d grumbled the whole way through, then thanked me profusely after passing. I should bring it up with her.

“All right, the monitor’s gone. Now we can speak candidly, yes?”
“I’m listening.”
“How far are you planning to push your luck?”
“How far is possible?”
“…Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Can’t you cut me some slack? You’re making my hair fall out these days, I’m telling you.”

I smiled instead of answering — meant as reassurance, but Jung Ju-ho’s expression darkened.

“I’m always grateful to you, Director.”
“I wonder what sins I committed in my past life. I’ve lived such a good life, truly. Look — if you’re going to raise hell, there are conditions. It can’t go against the justice the National Defense Agency upholds. There can’t be innocent victims. It should be something I can reasonably contain afterward. And you tell me beforehand. That much, at least — can you manage it?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“You never say you’ll do it even if it kills you. That’s the problem, Jung Da-hyun — that right there. Why did I even bring such a problem case here? Wait, did I bring you in the right place? If you’d gone anywhere else, you’d have caused twice the chaos. So let’s say I sacrificed one strand of my hair to save the world. The higher-ups should recognize this effort, but where am I supposed to go complain? Ugh!”

I wanted to point out that his hair had been falling out long before, but I bit my tongue.
I knew well enough that attacking someone about hair loss, even one as disconnected from the world as him, wasn’t polite.

* * *

I gave serious thought to what I could actually do. Then I thought of a meaningful first mission as a Black Agent, drafted an operational proposal, and brought it to Jung Ju-ho.
It was a perfect operation — one that would let the National Defense Agency claim significant credit while ensuring no innocent victims.
The only question was whether Jung Ju-ho would be able to clean up afterward.
When Jung Ju-ho saw the title on the document, he grabbed the back of his neck.

“Hey, you’re not seriously an assassin here to kill me, are you? Did Yom Gi-chul send you? Or is it Park Beom-su? Just kill me outright! Stop churning up my insides like this!”

Jung Ju-ho, who had been hollering at the top of his lungs, posed the question.

“Why the Berserker?”
“I believe unpredictable elements become variables. I think it’s wise to eliminate him beforehand.”
“So because he shows up at the Black Market from time to time, you’re planning to sweep through the Black Market first? You’re thinking of touching the Black Market?”
“Is that not acceptable?”
“Let’s set that aside for now. First, let’s talk about the Berserker. Why do you seem to be only tracking his movements without recklessly engaging him?”
……

I suspect it’s because he belongs to the tier of pure martial strength that ranks among the strongest villains in South Korea. Lee Kwang-jin, who earned a fearsome reputation through formidable Swordsmanship before becoming known as the Berserker, is said to have not lost finesse in his unhinged state—rather, to have advanced it further.
But the words that came from Jung Ju-ho’s mouth differed from my thinking.

“Because he’s insane.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s why. You never know which direction he’ll jump. Especially with how erratic that Berserker’s mind is—one moment he’s helping Hunters go on a hunt, and hours later he changes his mind and massacres them all. He kills fellow villains if they irritate him, and sometimes he declares a period of non-killing, then herds Monsters into the city. This isn’t a one-off or two-off thing.”

Jung Ju-ho drew a light, measured breath.

“If you’re determined to catch him anyway, I won’t stop you. But understand this one thing clearly: the Berserker is, in my assessment, the most insane among all the villains I’ve seen—or indeed, all the villains in the world earning notoriety for their various crimes.”
……

I remained quietly silent.
By any measure, the Berserker is unquestionably insane. That much is clear.
I’m sane now, but in my past life, I too was a mad villain.
One called the worst, at that.
So the most insane villain is the Berserker?

Exhale.

I couldn’t even show what a truly insane villain looked like.
Stung by wounded pride, I felt a gnawing frustration.

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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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