The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 21

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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 21

After taking down Blink Han Sangmin, I inherited the task of securing the Drugs that the League had been supplying.
I carried out the orders and eliminated the Villain, but one question nagged at me.
What was I moving this frantically for?
It’s true that I dislike Villains, and it’s true that I’m performing my duties as a Public Hunter. But if Villain elimination were my highest priority, that wouldn’t be accurate.
I have no such conviction or sense of responsibility.
I became a Public Hunter partly because of my parents’ wishes, but ultimately because it was convenient.
But if it’s no longer convenient? The appeal of being a Public Hunter diminishes.
So what should I do from here on?

“This is giving me a headache.”

Moving without my identity being exposed, while making no effort to conceal my abilities, might not be possible.
Separately from that, the idea of disguising a Black Agent as a Villain and infiltrating deep into the Villain world was fairly surprising.
Jeong Juho was sighing about my existence being revealed because of this, but either way, the choice is mine. I became a Black Agent out of necessity, but I can stop whenever I want.
The name of the League seems to be reaching deeper and deeper places.
I asked Jeong Dahyun about information regarding the League.

“Dahyun.”
“Yes, Junho.”
“You said last time that the League was a dot organization, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then do you know who the heads of the League are?”
“I’m not certain. I can only guess that Level 8 Villains might be in leadership. But I do have information about the three Villains who founded the League.”

Argos, Hell Master, Black Hound.
They were called the origin of the League and currently the worst Villains in the world.

“There’s no known information about how these three Villains came together. But that combination became a catastrophe of immense proportions across the entire world.”
……

I’d heard those three names before. They continued to earn their notoriety even after I became a Blood Species. But whether I’d actually seen them in person—that’s another story.
Why had I never encountered them? Was that truly coincidence?

“Their strength is unrivaled even among Level 8 Superhumans, they say. The United States attempted apprehension operations several times, but each time they withdrew with severe casualties.”

Jeong Dahyun seemed to notice my serious expression and offered tentative reassurance.

“Still, the League’s influence isn’t very strong in South Korea yet, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“I don’t know—it seems to me like those Villains should be the ones worrying, not you.”
……!

Jeong Dahyun jumped to her feet in surprise at the voice from behind. Lee Sehee, who had arrived at some point, stood with a slight smile, tilting her chin as she looked at Jeong Dahyun.

“Hey. It’s been a while, Junho.”
“It has. It’s good to see you.”

Since there were others present, I’d used formal speech, but Lee Sehee immediately turned serious.

“You can speak casually like usual. The formal tone creates distance, you know?”
……!

While the surrounding people who had pretended not to notice stared in shock, Jeong Dahyun demonstrated just how wide those enormous eyes of hers could become.

“I have an earlier appointment with the Director. I’ll see you later.”

Lee Sehee waved her hand languidly, flashing a smile with her eyes, and headed toward the director’s office.
And then.
Every eye within the National Protection Bureau turned toward me.
What was that about?

* * *

To Jeong Juho, who had spent his entire career as a civil servant, Lee Sehee was a troubling presence.
Despite her youth—barely past being called a child—she possessed a dazzling talent, exceptional competence, an innate pedigree, and beauty besides; she was like a radiant sun itself.
As the rise of major guilds grew increasingly alarming by the day, it was easy to understand why controlling someone with her promising future at the helm had become such a burden.
Her era would arrive soon enough.

“I appreciate you accommodating such a sudden request, Director.”
“How could I refuse a request from Team Leader Lee? Please, have a seat. Would you take coffee?”
“Yes, please.”

A moment later, Lee Sehee picked up a steaming cup of coffee and took a sip.

“So then, what brings you here?”
“I came because of an issue related to Junho’s abilities.”
“I’m not entirely sure what you mean—”
“Junho is Level 7, isn’t he? Perhaps even higher.”
“—!”
“I imagine you’ve already taken measures by now.”
“Mm.”

How could one describe that gaze—as if she knew everything already? She must have known exactly how he would react. And yet no animosity arose within him. That was Lee Sehee’s greatest strength.
One might call it scheming. Had he been twenty years younger, he would have pursued her with every fiber of his being—though marriage was out of the question. That dreadful experience had been quite enough for a lifetime.

“The information network of the Holy Guild never fails to exceed imagination. How much have you learned?”
“I have eyes and ears like anyone else. I know enough of the outline.”
“At this rate, you’ll know what I wore under my trousers today.”
“Fortunately, my interest doesn’t extend that far.”

Lee Sehee’s smile lingered with an almost predatory warmth. Finally unable to shake it off, Jeong Juho let out a long, weary sigh.

“Choi Junho is a Public Hunter with our National Protection Bureau.”
“And he’s also the older brother of Choi Yunhee, who belongs to our Holy Guild.”
“…”
“Yunhee’s talent is considerable. If she continues to build steadily from now on, I wouldn’t be surprised if she reaches Level 7, perhaps even Level 8. To properly support such a prospect, I thought we should be aware of Junho’s situation. From a broader perspective, it serves the nation.”

A cunning turn of phrase followed.

“Moreover, since the Holy Guild is also a sponsor of the National Protection Bureau and Junho has a connection with me as well, I thought if we coordinated our efforts, we could reach an agreement that benefits us both. If I’m overstepping, I apologize.”

She had caught him completely off guard.
No matter how forcefully he pressed the issue, he couldn’t topple the noble justification of thinking of Choi Junho and Choi Yunhee. After all, an individual capable of reaching Level 8, regardless of their affiliation with the Holy Guild, ultimately contributed to the nation’s military strength.
Seeing Lee Sehee already confident in her victory, Jeong Juho managed a hollow laugh.

“I had intended to have him carry out his duties quietly for the time being.”
“That must be quite taxing for you, Director.”
“My hair loss has doubled because of that fellow. Does the Holy Guild not develop such medicines? If you do develop one, I’d be grateful if you’d let me know. I’d gladly volunteer for clinical trials.”
“I’ll stop by the research division and look into it.”
“That alone would be helpful enough. Well, in any case, I won’t completely exclude the Holy Guild from subsequent matters, so you can rest easy. We’d like to maintain a good relationship with the Holy Guild—particularly with you—moving forward.”
“You’re the most trustworthy partner among the Public Hunters, Director. Thank you for believing in us.”

On the surface, the atmosphere was warm and pleasant.
In reality, Jeong Juho had been ambushed and had allowed a painful blow to land; Lee Sehee had secured a significant gain.
But he couldn’t accept a loss of this magnitude, so Jeong Juho decided to deploy a method he had been considering just in case.

“Then could this director make Choi Junho exercise some restraint? With those looks, I’d wager even he’d be susceptible.”

The sincerity in the confession shifted the meaning behind Lee Sehee’s smile. Where moments before it had brimmed with confidence, now it carried a hint of bitterness.

“Director, you’re not trying to kill me with that remark, are you?”
“···Surely not?”
“I’ll give it a shot.”

Lee Sehee’s confidence had evaporated entirely. She rose from her seat with noticeably less vigor than before.

* * *

After Lee Sehee stepped into the director’s office, silence settled between Jeong Dahyun and me. I recounted our first meeting and what had transpired with Yunhee, deliberately omitting the Monster Heart matter.
Moments later, Jeong Juho and Lee Sehee emerged from the director’s office. But something was off about both their expressions.
Had they been discussing something serious?
After exchanging greetings, Jeong Juho headed back inside while Lee Sehee approached us.
It was then that someone stepped forward with admirable boldness.

“Good day, Team Lead Lee Sehee. I’m Oh Jongyeop.”
“Oh! You’re Jongsoo’s older brother? I heard you’re friends with Junho and that you possess quite a remarkable Gift.”
“Ha, yes. Thanks to you, Jongsoo has found hope for a new life. I’m truly grateful.”

Oh Jongyeop hadn’t caught the knowing gleam in Lee Sehee’s eyes and laughed awkwardly. The man was a lifelong bachelor, and it was painfully obvious he’d been completely disarmed.

“I only did what I could. The credit should really go to Junho.”
“Your kindness matches your beauty.”
“So between me and Dahyun, who do you think is better?”
“Eh? That is, well, I, I———”

Caught completely off guard, Oh Jongyeop stammered. Poor bachelor. Tsk tsk.

“I’m only joking. I’ll introduce myself properly next time.”
“Y-yes, of course!”

Once Oh Jongyeop stepped aside, Lee Sehee approached where Jeong Dahyun and I stood. She fixed her gaze on Dahyun’s face, then turned to me.

“I’m borrowing Dahyun for a bit. Come on, let’s go grab food.”
“This is sudden. What’s this about?”
“I know everything. You’re in a slump. Times like these call for forgetting about dieting and just eating your fill. Let’s go.”
“Wh-what?”

Lee Sehee and Jeong Dahyun vanished in an instant.
The act of genuinely worrying over someone’s struggles and bolstering their spirits—perhaps that’s what friendship truly is. I was fortunate to have such a good friend.

“Wh-what? What is it!”

By contrast, my friend seemed to be missing a few pieces.
The easy atmosphere didn’t last long.
The next day, news struck like a sudden thunderbolt from a clear sky.

“Berserker and the Puppeteer have made contact.”

* * *

The moment the contact between Berserker and the Puppeteer came to light, an emergency alert was issued across all government organizations, including the National Protection Bureau.
Furthermore, a National Guild Alliance conference was convened, where government officials advocated for scaled-back hunting operations as a precaution against Villain attacks, while guild representatives insisted on maintaining regular activity levels—the two sides clashing sharply over the matter.
Both Villains were notoriously solitary operators. Berserker was the most powerfully violent Villain in South Korea, while the Puppeteer was an immortal Villain who could never die. No one could easily predict what calamity their alliance might bring forth.

“They’ll probably attempt to pick them off one by one.”

Jeong Dahyun stood beside me, her expression brightened after speaking with Lee Sehee. She said that if two Villains estimated at Level 7 combined forces, not even a Level 8 Superhuman could stop them—so they’d definitely move.

“The Berserker is a Villain hard to pin down, but the Puppeteer is more troublesome. Both the government and the guilds will mobilize to capture them.”

There was one more reason we couldn’t deploy half-hearted forces: the Puppeteer’s nature.
The Gift called Puppetry—which could draw out the strength and potential of the deceased—meant that each corpse the Puppeteer accumulated only amplified her combat power.

“It’s possible you might have to move, Junho.”
“We’ll have to see how things develop.”

The Berserker was originally my responsibility, but once the Berserker and Puppeteer joined forces, the initiative shifted to the government. Only a select few knew the full extent of my abilities, so different measures would likely be taken.
Given Jeong Juho’s reluctance to stir up unnecessary complications, he’d probably prefer to deploy a Level 8 Superhuman rather than rely on me.
Since I suspected the Berserker might be Level 8, I knew my turn would eventually come—so I decided to watch and wait before intervening.
My prediction proved accurate.

“To counter the cooperation between the Berserker and the Puppeteer, Kim Younghwan, the Crimson Snake and Honorary Minister, will handle it.”

Kim Younghwan, Honorary Minister. The only Level 8 Superhuman affiliated with a government organization.
At seventy years old this year, he still harbored ambitions for power and was said to be past his prime, yet his reputation as a Level 8 remained untarnished.
The atmosphere naturally grew brighter.
In contrast, Jeong Juho’s expression remained grave.

“We’ll tie down the Puppeteer—who’s difficult to remove with a hammer-and-anvil tactic—using elite forces, and in the meantime the Minister will take on the Berserker. The Blue House Awakener Security Office will oversee the operation, and we’ll form one flank of the encirclement.”

For such a short planning time, the operation was impressively thorough.
No wonder they swarmed me like a pack of dogs the moment I showed myself in my Blood Species form.
Core personnel from the three representative bureaus—the National Protection Bureau, the External Cooperation Management Bureau, and the Monster Defense Front Bureau—would be deployed, along with Villain response teams from each region.

“Everyone stands by until the operation order comes down. And Choi Junho.”
“Yes.”
“Come with me. We need to talk.”

I followed Jeong Juho into his office.

“Are you alright with the Berserker slipping out of your hands?”
“Yes. Given the nature of the situation, I understand it’s unavoidable.”
“Good. I’m glad you see it that way. There’s something I need you to do in this operation.”
“What would that be?”
“You remember the Villains we captured in the operation we ran with the External Cooperation Management Bureau before. Their interrogation confirmed the Puppeteer was pulling strings behind them.”
“I see.”
“But we couldn’t extract information beyond that. They said a Seal was in place.”
“What are you suggesting?”

I recalled the ability I’d used on Wang Juyeol before being forbidden from using it again.

“Permission came from above. Use your ability to extract information from them.”
“Understood.”

It was a good opportunity. I’d need to raise my proficiency with Brainwashing in this chance.

* * *

Once Choi Junho left, Jeong Juho sat alone and scratched his head.

“Already checking him?”

No matter how hard you tried to hide it, a sharp awl always poked through.
The name of Head Breaker Choi Junho had quietly spread from government agencies to major guilds.
The Berserker capture operation, which was supposed to be a classified National Protection Bureau mission, might have leaked as well.
It was likely for that reason that Kim Younghwan, the Red Snake, had specifically demanded the withdrawal of the Berserker arrest operation.

“Greedy old fool that he is……”

Yet given that he was the only Level 8 Superhuman the government could deploy, and considering his position as minister, there was nothing Jeong Juho could do but grumble behind his back.
Jeong Juho’s troubles were far from over.
A subordinate entered with a knock, carrying a report.

“Director.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve received word from the United States.”
“Why the sudden contact from America?”

Though the United States had lost considerable influence since the emergence of Monsters, it remained an allied power and the hegemon with the greatest sway.

“They’re requesting a joint operation with the Head Breaker, sir……”
“Decline it.”
“Pardon? Should I give them a reason?”
“Tell them we’re busy.”
“Yes, understood.”

The subordinate withdrew, and Jeong Juho seized his throbbing head.

“Probing from every direction, stirring up chaos. These people……”

He was beginning to feel the limits approaching.

—————
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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