The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 41

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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 41

When Cheon Myung-guk heard that Choi Jun-ho had initially ordered the helicopter to fly toward the Black Wyvern’s location, his heart sank.
Approaching via aerial routes was an absolute taboo when dealing with flying monsters.
Since monsters emerged, the sky was no longer humanity’s domain. Flying monsters possessed speed, attack power, and defense far beyond any conceivable limit—one could only traverse verified flight paths where their absence had been confirmed.
A Hazard Level 7 monster was, quite literally, a living fighter jet.
Its attack power might fall short, but its durability, vitality, and endurance were overwhelming.
If the helicopter were to come under attack and crash, even a Level 8 Superhuman would struggle to survive.

“Why not land somewhere farther away instead of taking such a risk…”

He clutched his head, but the deed was already done. If Choi Jun-ho had died? The mere thought of the fallout was terrifying.
Yet not long after, astonishing news arrived.
Choi Jun-ho had hunted the Black Wyvern.

……

After watching the footage of the hunt, Cheon Myung-guk was left speechless.
Choi Jun-ho hadn’t simply hunted the Black Wyvern. He’d caved in its skull with a single blow. The way he walked back afterward looked as if he’d merely taken a stroll.
Was what he was seeing real? Not a movie?
Only then did all of Choi Jun-ho’s behavior finally make sense.

“…My actions deserved nothing but ridicule. So that’s what it was.”

All the worry—fearing the hunt might suffer major setbacks, fearing he might experience emotional trauma—proved utterly pointless.
Suddenly, he recalled something Jung Ju-ho had said while drinking.
That the most pointless worry in the world was worrying about Choi Jun-ho.
Jung Ju-ho had repeatedly emphasized that such worry was itself a luxury, and that not stressing over it was the best course.
All while Jung Ju-ho himself was so stressed that his hair loss was accelerating.

“Then again, I’m in no position to talk—not after I nearly died.”

He absently touched his head, and as the thought of next time crossed his mind, he sighed.
It turned out Choi Jun-ho wasn’t unable to hunt. He simply chose not to.
The real problem was the demand for the names of those who’d called him incomplete.
By profession, he’d kept tabs on who held what views—but the issue was what would happen when that list reached Choi Jun-ho’s hands.
Just observe and do nothing? A stray dog would laugh at that notion.

“He’s proven his strength, so even the President will support him. In the end, it’s an unavoidable storm.”

A queasy feeling crept through his stomach. Would medicine help? With that thought, he decided to rely on medication a bit more and moved on to the next issue.
This one was far more serious.

“A Hazard Level 7 monster has left its territory. This is absolutely not a normal occurrence.”

Monsters left their territories for two main reasons. First, when major changes occurred in their domain. Second, when a predator appeared.
The first didn’t apply here. The Black Wyvern’s existing territory showed no changes.
Then it had to be the second reason. There was only one apex predator above Hazard Level 7.

“Hazard Level 8.”

This was a catastrophe that could bring down a nation.
It was merely a possibility, but they had to prepare for it.

* * *

The helicopter descended at high speed, landing near where the Black Wyvern’s corpse lay.

“Just call and I’ll be airborne in seconds!”

The pilot spoke with a discipline that stood in stark contrast to moments before, then abandoned his post.
I began moving toward where the Black Wyvern’s body had fallen.
This hunt had demanded more effort than I’d anticipated, but there was nothing wrong with that.
For one thing, I’d managed to demonstrate my capacity to hunt monsters before Nuri appeared—and that made a difference. Being summoned to an emergency was one thing; moving to clear suspicions was another.
Since the whole thing had been recorded, I could silence anyone who tried to talk out of turn whenever I saw fit.
This would prove useful when determining the order for hunting Nuri.

“I would’ve preferred to let it simmer longer and pull everything out at once.”

Should I simply close my eyes and pretend ignorance?
If I did that, my position as a Superhuman would start to look precarious.
Since I was quite content with the current situation, some effort to preserve my standing was necessary.
Beyond that, I was curious about what Nuri’s Gift actually was.

“Hm?”

I had no choice but to stop in my tracks as I approached the Black Wyvern’s corpse.
Ahead of me, monsters were converging in the midst of combat—drawn by the reek of the predator’s blood.
I clicked my tongue.

“They always recognize quality when they smell it.”

The Black Wyvern. The meat itself was flavorless, but that sharp, acrid toxin was genuinely exquisite. I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to diet. The Berserker might benefit from it, but since he manages fine on his own, I’d shelved the idea.
In any case, this job involved hunting the Black Wyvern, but it also meant rescuing a Hunting Team.
If they were all dead, there was nothing to be done—but there was a chance they were still alive, so I needed to move quickly.
Without hesitation, I plunged into the throng of monsters.

* * *

The Hellhound Hunting Team had been worn down by monster hunts and their retreat from the Black Wyvern’s pursuit. When monsters began attacking indiscriminately, they formed a defensive line with the Black Wyvern’s corpse at their backs.

Bang!

“Ugh!”

Han Jung-seok staggered backward under the Owl Bear’s assault. He tasted blood rising in his throat. Exhaustion had made even the Owl Bear, which he normally dispatched without difficulty, feel like too much to handle.

Thud!

Lee Chang-su pushed back the Owl Bear as it charged again.

“Jung-seok! Are you all right!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Conserve your strength! Just hold a little longer!”
“Yes! I’ll hold!”

Until moments ago, there had been nothing but despair. Now, there was hope.
During their retreat, they had witnessed it—the battle unfolding in the sky above.
No—that was one-sided violence. A Tier Seven Monster, one they’d believed utterly beyond reach, had been snuffed out in a single blow.
This was no human feat. Today, the Hellhound Hunting Team had seen what transcendent power looked like. And they had learned just how absurd the rumors circulating out there truly were.

“Just a little longer! Hold on and the Superhuman will come!”
“Yes!”

At Lee Chang-su’s cry, Han Jung-seok braced himself firmly and endured.
The wait, which had felt like an eternity, was about to be repaid.

Crack!

A figure approached, cleaving through the wall of monsters converging from all sides with brutal, one-sided ease.
A young man in a charcoal-gray suit and a tactical vest over a neat, short haircut walked forward, and with each step monsters collapsed in heaps around him.
A Superhuman. Choi Jun-ho.
Whenever his hand brushed past, whenever his shoe-clad foot kicked out, monster hides burst and tore like balloons.
Over fifty monsters—annihilated in less than five minutes. The handful of survivors shrieked in alien terror and fled desperately.
When the monsters vanished, only Choi Jun-ho and the Hellhound team remained.
Lee Chang-su, utterly exhausted, dragged himself to his feet and approached Choi Jun-ho, bowing his head.

“Thank you for saving us. I’m Lee Chang-su, of the Hellhound Hunting Team, government division.”
“Choi Jun-ho. I received a distress call. Are these all the people here?”
“Yes, the other teams scattered. They’re likely far away by now.”
“You volunteered as bait. That took courage.”
“It was simply bad luck.”
“It’s not easy to show composure when you become the sacrifice. And.”

Choi Jun-ho’s gaze shifted toward the Black Wyvern.

“Thanks to your efforts, we recovered the Black Wyvern corpse safely.”
“It was the least we could do.”
“I should repay you somehow. What do you think would be appropriate?”

Choi Jun-ho fell silent, lost in thought. Watching him, Han Jung-seok felt his chest tighten. Even with his mouth closed, the sheer pressure was enough to stop his heart.

‘This kind of Superhuman couldn’t hunt monsters?’

If they made it back, he decided, he’d give that friend of his a piece of his mind—and a smack to the head for good measure.
No, he was equally to blame for believing it. He barely restrained the urge to hit himself.
Then Choi Jun-ho gestured toward the dead monsters scattered around them.

“What about these monsters here?”
“Sir?”
“Their condition isn’t ideal after the quick work, but they should serve as a modest token of gratitude to those of you who protected the Black Wyvern.”
“That’s far too generous, even so.”

Lee Chang-su tried to refuse, but Choi Jun-ho’s voice was firm.

“I decide what that repayment is. Accept it.”
“…Thank you. I won’t forget your kindness.”
“Protecting hunters who work for the government is my responsibility. And.”

Choi Jun-ho pulled a bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Lee Chang-su.

“Recovery Potion.”
“This precious thing—why…?”
“You’re exhausted. You need to consume it and recover so you can move properly.”

Generosity. Overwhelming generosity.
The pill-form Recovery Potion worked slowly but prevented serious injuries from worsening. It was exactly what the Hellhound team needed after their relentless battles.
Han Jung-seok felt moved by how freely it was given. He resolved to praise Choi Jun-ho for the rest of his life.
And he’d learned how baseless rumors could balloon into absurdity.
He vowed to believe only what his eyes saw and his own experience taught him.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Starting with Lee Chang-su, every member of the Hellhound team consumed the potion.
Choi Jun-ho watched expressionlessly, then dropped a single remark.

“In exchange, there’s one thing I need you to do. I’d appreciate it if you kept today’s hunt results confidential.”
“I’ll follow your lead, sir. My team and I will keep it secret.”

Lee Chang-su answered without hesitation, but Han Jung-seok was different. Until just moments ago, he’d been skeptical of Choi Jun-ho’s hunting abilities, and taking down the Black Wyvern was a result that couldn’t be dismissed as rumor.
Hadn’t he himself downplayed his own hunting skills just now?
If word of this remarkable feat spread, it would knock some sense into those fools.

“Sir, may I ask why you want to keep it secret?”
“There are people calling me an incomplete hunter—saying I can’t take down monsters. I want to catch them in the act and crush them when the time is right.”
“……!”
“Ah, Director Cheon told me to keep quiet about this. Forget you heard anything.”

Han Jung-seok, struck by the words, trembled along with the entire hunting team who’d heard them.

“I’ll let them keep talking and build a list. I did tell Director Cheon I’d just keep it in mind. Saying it like this might spread the word anyway. The silver lining is that once the rumor spreads, it’ll be obvious who the culprit is.”

Choi Jun-ho’s gaze swept across the hunting team. In that moment, the Hellhound hunting team instinctively grasped that they would carry this secret for the rest of their lives.
Without any further emphasis, they all nodded firmly.

“Then let’s proceed with the dismantling.”

Choi Jun-ho approached the Black Wyvern’s corpse and borrowed equipment from the hunting team to begin the butchering.

* * *

The return journey proceeded smoothly. After entrusting the Black Wyvern byproducts to the team, I boarded a helicopter back to Cheongwadae.
Cheon Myung-guk’s gaze as he looked at me was caught between astonishment and unease.

“You must be exhausted, sir.”
“It was barely more than a pleasant stroll.”
“You truly astound me every time, sir.”
“I don’t make a hobby of astonishing people.”

Regardless, I steered the conversation elsewhere.

“I’d like to keep the Black Wyvern hunt confidential for now.”
“But this would be the perfect opportunity to overturn the recent unfavorable rumors.”
“The rumors are already out there anyway. Why rush to correct them? I’ll reveal it when I choose to.”
“When you choose to, sir……?”
“At the National Guild Alliance meeting. I’ll reveal it then.”
“…….”

The Guild was where those who cursed me were most numerous.
Gathering them in one place and detonating the truth would be satisfying.
Cheon Myung-guk fell silent. He exhaled a sigh, avoiding my eyes.

“What do you intend, sir?”

I’d never hidden my monster hunting from anyone. But those who disliked me spread rumors on their own terms, stirred the pot, and created this current situation. Since they built the stage, I couldn’t let them abandon it. And I intended to sever the hands of those who’d bet their fortunes on it.
Not literally severing them, of course.
But something close.

“I’m using this opportunity to secure a list of names.”
“…….”
“You’re already keeping track of them, aren’t you?”
“I have been making note of them.”
“Excellent.”

Cheon Myung-guk was reliable—thorough in his work, as always.

“It’s perfect timing to announce it in a room full of guild representatives. We’ll be discussing the Nuri, a level-eight hazardous Monster, won’t we?”
“How exactly?”
“A creature like the Black Wyvern leaving its territory means the ecosystem has shifted—and only a level-eight hazardous Monster could trigger that kind of change.”
“Huh!”

So Cheon Myung-guk knew about it too.
With a briefing under his belt, it wasn’t difficult to make the connection.

“Even if we go public with the Black Wyvern hunt, those who won’t acknowledge it simply won’t. And the major guilds—especially the ones blinded by profit—will be even more stubborn.”
“That’s possible.”
“What I want is the right to hunt when they fail. In other words, I’m giving up option one to secure option two.”
“You believe the major guilds will fail, Superhuman?”
“Who knows? Let’s call it insurance.”

The major guilds will fail at hunting the Nuri. And then I’ll step in and capture it myself.
Once that happens, things get truly interesting.
That’s exactly the picture I want to paint.

“I’d appreciate the footage done with that patriotic flair. It really does make you want to click.”
……
“The youngest Superhuman in history hunting—China shocked, Japan awestruck! How about something like that?”

Clearly lacking professional experience, this feels a touch rough around the edges.

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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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