The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 54

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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 54

The American delegation arrived, and the first day was marked by a reception. The President held deep discussions with the Vice President and senators on various matters, while the Hunters included in the delegation rested by sightseeing around Seoul.
The next day, South Korea’s side gathered the President, personnel from the Awakener Security Office, and myself, while the American delegation brought high-ranking officials. We began a briefing on the process of hunting Nuri.
Everything was explained, from the initial response procedures against Nuri to the bidding process, and finally to my sortie to hunt Nuri.
The Vice President praised South Korea’s Awakener forces, noting that the United States was busy mobilizing its own combat capabilities.
After explaining the Vanguard Guild’s hunting process, the conversation turned to the part where I intervened.

“Rescuing the Vanguard Guild was largely a matter of good fortune.”

Rather than my arrival being particularly swift, it was more accurate to say the Vanguard Guild held its ground well.
Everyone expressed admiration for the Vanguard’s orderly retreat and Lee Chan-taek’s choice to open an escape route.
Afterward, I explained the hunting process for Nuri. I mentioned that I had persistently targeted the head, thinking it was the Monster’s weak point, and I noted that what made Nuri so difficult was that it freely unleashed Breath and used its Gift—the Blade Storm—to make close approach nearly impossible.
The American delegation’s expressions hardened at my words. After a moment of quiet murmuring among themselves, the Vice President asked me carefully.

“Are you certain that the Monster was using a Gift?”

I pretended not to hear until the interpreter beside me translated into Korean, then I answered.

“I’m certain.”
“We’ve received several suspicious cases back home, but we couldn’t confirm it with certainty. I’m curious what makes Superhuman Choi Jun-ho so confident.”

They were being annoyingly persistent.
After collecting my thoughts for a moment, I explained the reason.
When I targeted the head, Nuri blocked it perfectly multiple times. At first, I thought it was simply the pure hardness of its hide. But upon closer examination, I realized that a thin Force barrier had formed in front of Nuri’s head, dispersing the impact through it.
I’d seen and felt it directly—what more was there to say?

“……!”

Everyone’s faces showed shock at the mention that a Monster could wield Force.
Anna Christine asked me.

“Jun-ho, is that true?”
“It’s true. Nuri took over thirty direct hits to the head and still survived.”
“Thirty times, all to the head?”
“All to the head.”
“···So you really are a Head Breaker.”

Why did they all look so tired? Shouldn’t they be amazed?
In any case, I explained that even after Nuri went down, I continued attacking only the head, and once the Force manipulation weakened, I pierced through the hide and delivered a fatal blow to the brain.
I didn’t mention that I’d attempted to tame it using Brainwashing. There was no point in sharing the experience of failure—it wouldn’t make anyone happy.

“That’s fuckin’ amazing!”

James Reed, listening the whole time, kept bursting with exclamations. Strange—where did he pick up that word? He delivered it with more punch than any Korean native would.
The Vice President, having reviewed the organized materials, broke into a satisfied smile.

“From this hunt of Nuri, we’ve been able to confirm that Monsters can wield Force and manifest Gifts. This will allow for much deeper analysis back home. Thank you for the cooperation.”
“As allies, it’s simply what we should do.”

Before this agreement, the political maneuvering to extract every last concession from each other had been fierce.
I simply watched as the politicians exchanged words in a warm, harmonious tone. Even amid that atmosphere, I could sense the sharp calculations passing back and forth—it made me think that being a politician really was a difficult profession.
The rest of the session went smoothly.
With so many people eager to speak, they all added their own remarks one after another, leaving me with almost nothing to do. Being among talkative people certainly had its advantages.
Before the delegation’s arrival, members of the National Assembly had also asked to participate in the conference, and I thought if they’d joined, the proceedings would have dragged on even longer.
All this meaningless talk stretched out forever. It would’ve been far more efficient to spend this time hunting down hidden Villains and cracking skulls instead.
In the meantime, the President was eager to share Nuri’s hunting process and obtain the United States’ Smart Hunting System in exchange. The Vice President responded that he would consider it positively and would bring the matter to Home Country, which was essentially a refusal.
Is the Smart Hunting System really that remarkable? I’ll have to ask Cheon Myeong-guk about it later.
As the meeting progressed with surface cordiality masking an intense undercurrent of negotiation, it was drawing to a close.
Suddenly, James Reed raised his hand.

“I’d really like to have a go at you, Jun-ho. Is that okay?”
……

All eyes turned to me. Whether Korean or American, faces were alight with anticipation. Cheon Myeong-guk—why are you the only one squeezing your eyes shut?
The choice had fallen to me.
If the opponent had been Zhang Zidong, I would have accepted without hesitation, but I’d been asked to exercise restraint against the United States.

“Fighting isn’t difficult. But I’m afraid we’d have to put our lives on the line.”
“Ooh!”

James Reed broke into a brilliant smile. Even beneath his clothes, I could see his muscles rippling.
So he was the type who valued real combat over his own life.
It seemed America would lose another Superhuman this way. When a Superhuman comes at me with full force, I have neither the will nor the intent to hold back.
But what came next was something I hadn’t anticipated at all.

“That sounds seriously scary! I’m not doing it.”
“Not doing it?”
“I said I’m not! I have no intention of taking that kind of risk!”
……

I wanted to crack open that bastard’s skull and see who taught him Korean.
In any case, the heated atmosphere that James Reed’s retreat had created cooled rapidly.
Watching Cheon Myeong-guk’s barely concealed relief, I felt my mood sour slightly.
How anticlimactic.

* * *

After the Nuri hunting briefing concluded, the formal Exchange Match began. Seoul Academy’s Class A students were now facing off against America’s promising prospects who had crossed the ocean.
The United States proved itself worthy of its title as the world’s strongest power even after the Monster outbreak.
Their overall skill was a level higher, and they possessed practical combat instincts to match. Their vast territory overflowed with Monsters, so even minor Awakeners had to regularly participate in hunts under the guise of training.
By contrast, Seoul Academy’s students lagged embarrassingly behind in practical experience. Yet they didn’t fall too far behind thanks to their systematic targeting of weaknesses and sometimes audacious hand-to-hand techniques that didn’t shy away from sacrifice.
The standout performer in the Exchange Match was Yang Ju-hyeok. For some reason, he threw himself at his opponents like a madman, completely crushing their morale. His method of exploiting weaknesses was relentless and vicious. Strip away his student’s status and he was nothing less than a Villain.
Tsk, tsk. That guy’s like a villain. Cowardly as they come.
···Though now that I think about it, I’m the one who taught him that.
I’d etched those techniques thoroughly into his body, and having learned them through taking hits, he employed them with chilling precision, overwhelming his opponents completely.

“Kyahahaha!”

Then he let out a grotesque laugh and looked my way. Is he signaling that I’m next? If he crosses me, I’ll make sure to stomp him good.
Overall, the Exchange Match ended in Korea’s disadvantage, but measured against facing off against the world’s strongest power, it was not a disappointing result.
The American delegation immediately began chattering among themselves in apparent surprise. They must have been expecting a more decisive victory.
Though they lost, watching from the sidelines left me in surprisingly good spirits.
Is this what it feels like to be a master observing his disciples?
Joy in their victory, and when they suffer defeat, the urge to join in and snap the opponent’s neck.
So this is what a master’s heart feels like.
As the Exchange Match wound down, Anna Christine approached me.

“Jun-ho.”
“What is it?”
“Do we need business between us to have a conversation?”

For reference, this was only the third time I’d met Anna Christine, and the total time we’d spoken came to less than three minutes.
Yet she was acting like we were close. A strange woman indeed.

“After watching today’s meeting, I’ve become certain of something.”
“What confidence?”
“Confidence in Jun-ho’s abilities. Truth is, I’ve had my suspicions since the Level 8 measurement, but today confirmed it completely.”

This woman’s Korean was no mere casual skill.
One of the things that irritated me most was vague, ambiguous phrasing.
What exactly did she mean by gaining confirmation? There was no clear way to tell whether she was being deliberately obscure or simply struggling with the language.

“I’ll come find you later. Let’s talk then.”

She left those words hanging and slipped away without another sound.

* * *

After the Exchange Match ended, the American delegation gathered in a single room. Everyone’s expression had turned rigid.
The day’s events had struck them hard. Nuri’s hunt, the match results—it was one shock after another. The Korean students had proven sharper in practical experience and more ruthless in execution. Someone had already suggested that South Korea’s future looked bright and that they should cement their alliance accordingly.
But what shook them most was their surprise regarding Choi Jun-ho, the very man they’d been monitoring most closely.
The Vice President turned to James Reed and asked.

“Well? What’s your assessment?”
“Terrifying, swift, and ruthless.”

James Reed, who usually mangled his Korean with comic awkwardness, answered in a measured tone.

“His skill is undoubtedly that of a Superhuman. Even facing him myself, I couldn’t guarantee victory.”
“Hmm.”
“And you believe he hunted Nuri alone?”
“Yes. There are gaps in the account, but the essentials are sound.”
“As suspected.”

A single Superhuman taking down a Hazard Level 8 Monster alone. Even having heard it directly moments ago, it defied belief. Nuri was among the strongest Monsters ever recorded—perhaps in the top ten. For a human to hunt it solo shattered conventional understanding.
In fact, it would have been strange if every detail had been laid bare. The Vice President and the senior leadership suspected there was a secret buried here. A hidden Gift, perhaps. Or an ally whose existence had been deliberately concealed.
If he’d hunted alone, it meant Choi Jun-ho’s true power lay far beyond what they’d imagined. If allies existed, it meant South Korea possessed additional Superhumans they’d kept hidden.
Either way, South Korea’s value and Choi Jun-ho’s value had increased. More than anything, the very ability to “appear to hunt alone” while actually orchestrating something more complex was itself a demonstration of skill that no other Superhuman could replicate.

“So when James says he’s willing to stake his life, that’s no figure of speech.”
“He has that capability, and circumstances may well demand it. Choi Jun-ho’s Gift is unsuitable for sparring matches. Both sides would need to give their all, and someone would inevitably die. But even setting that aside, Choi Jun-ho possesses a mindset as dangerous as his Gift itself. He executes without hesitation and seems unconcerned with consequences.”
“You’re saying it’s not an act? How do you read him, Christine?”
“What we saw today is his true self.”

After Choi Jun-ho became a Superhuman, the United States had mobilized HUMINT to investigate him.
The results were startling. What he’d shown today might well have been the most courteous version of himself in his entire life.
He was ruthless toward criminals regardless of gender, and his ideology was extreme enough to classify criminals’ collaborators as Villains worthy of elimination.
This sparked heated debate within American circles.
Until then, the consensus had favored recruiting Choi Jun-ho, but opposing voices had begun to gain traction.
Anna Christine stood firmly in the pro-recruitment camp, while James Reed was throwing his weight behind the cautious and opposing faction.

“Such skill at his age—I’d desperately love to bring him in, but both James and Christine make valid points.”

At the Vice President’s words, the gazes of James Reed and Anna Christine collided in the air.
Anna Christine pressed her case forcefully.

“Choi Jun-ho is a Superhuman capable of maintaining his peak for over thirty years. Based on current trends showing Superhumans staying at their physical best longer, he could perform at full capacity for forty years. Considering how much he could accomplish in that span, I think we’re already late to act.”
“I disagree.”

People often held a misconception.
Just because James Reed’s alias was “Berserker” didn’t mean his brain was made of muscle like his inflated physique suggested. In fact, he was someone who’d completed his doctoral studies at Stanford and systematically modified his own body through rigorous discipline to ascend to Superhuman status.
Despite his seemingly careless manner of speech and behavior, he possessed sharp judgment, outstanding analytical ability, and an uncanny talent for reading others. James Reed had also played a significant role in constructing the Smart Hunting System.
Having absorbed intelligence on Choi Jun-ho from the States and having observed him directly over these brief hours, James Reed spoke with conviction.

“Choi Jun-ho becoming a government-affiliated Superhuman was the result of several coincidences.”
“There are results right in front of us, and you’re saying that?”
“Yes.”

James Reed nodded at Anna Christine’s counterattack.

“Looking at his past conduct and statements, I question how Choi Jun-ho could ever have become a state-affiliated Awakener. If luck hadn’t intervened, I believe there’s a 99.9% probability he would have become a Villain.”
“Choi Jun-ho, a Villain? That’s nonsense. That’s pure speculation.”
“His conduct since becoming a Government Hunter speaks to exactly that. Choi Jun-ho is a Villain wearing a Hunter’s mask.”

James Reed’s voice was resolute.

“My opposition stems from the fact that Villains cannot be socialized. That’s why the best we can do is assign them a monitor or keep them on the periphery. In that regard, Choi Jun-ho’s path through Government Hunter to Awakener is the product of coincidence layered upon coincidence. I believe it’s only a matter of time before he reveals his true Villain nature again.”
“You’re saying the extremism he’s shown so far isn’t the end of it?”
“Correct. That’s why I believe the unidentified Level 8 Villain who appeared recently in South Korea is him.”

Over the past half year, two Level 8 Villains had emerged in South Korea.
One was Berserker, initially rated as Level 7 before capturing the Red Snake, Kim Young-hwan.
But Berserker’s history—both past and present—was fully documented.
The age didn’t match, either.
That left only one possibility.
This Villain’s age, identity, face, and even gender remained unknown.

“Eraser.”

Anna Christine’s expression hardened as she murmured the name.
James Reed, nodding, spoke with conviction.

“I’m certain he is Choi Jun-ho.”

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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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