The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 65

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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 65

After the meeting ended, Choi Jun-ho and Jung Ju-ho departed.
Cheon Myeong-guk watched the President lost in thought, then spoke carefully.

“Mr. President.”
“I know what you’re thinking.”

Even so, Cheon Myeong-guk couldn’t hide the anxiety welling up inside him.

“Choi Jun-ho’s blade won’t distinguish between allies and enemies.”

No politician was entirely pure.
The higher one climbed, the truer this became. Reaching the summit without mud on one’s hands was possible only in imagination. The current President had smeared himself with every kind of filth to win the election.
This time the blade would be aimed at Yu Seong-su, but he couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t be turned on the President next.

“I couldn’t have said such a thing in the past. But what I said today—I meant it.”

What the President had told Choi Jun-ho.
If one committed a crime, one had to pay the price.
It was a rule that hadn’t applied in South Korea for a long time. They’d cited emergencies, been swept up in political upheaval, compromised at acceptable thresholds, later claimed mitigating circumstances—every excuse to grant absolution. The result: South Korea had fractured into pieces.
Yu Seong-su was a prime example.
He ruled Busan like a king, extending his reach into every form of illicit profit to build his power on his way to the presidency.
Someone had joked that this was South Korea’s most successful experiment in regional decentralization in history.

“That blade can’t stab our own first. No one would tolerate it then. Let it pierce the enemy first, and once people see that blade can cut us too, that’s enough. The opposing forces will have already vanished by then.”
“Controlling Choi Jun-ho is a fantasy, sir.”
“That’s why we must choose the succession carefully. For now, it’s possible because I’m here and you are. The next president will do well enough, and so will your successor.”
“…….”

Both the President and Cheon Myeong-guk knew that was impossible.
They were simply rationalizing.

“Even if I tried to suppress him, it wouldn’t work. The harder you press, the more he bounces back. Better to go along with him. Think of it this way—imagine if you were part of the League. Don’t you think Choi Jun-ho would be tempted?”
“···He’d be tempted, undoubtedly.”
“Black Hound’s appearance probably had the same motive. The worst villain, called the Triadic Evil, came in person as an envoy. Not for the value of a Big Bang, but to speak with Choi Jun-ho. And yet he left without crossing the line we feared—that tells us something.”
“I’ll do my best to keep him in check.”
“With you there, I can proceed with confidence. Focus on supplementing the information about Yu Seong-su for now.”
“Yes. I’ll brief the Prosecutor General.”

Leaving the President’s office, Cheon Myeong-guk released a heavy sigh.
The President had always been a fiery man, but one who managed his temperament well. Yet now that this sharp blade called Choi Jun-ho was in his hand, his thinking had begun to shift.
No matter how well a blade cuts, once you give an order it acts on its own calculation. And instinctively mixes its own judgment with its master’s intent.
But Choi Jun-ho—if the opponent is evil, he cuts exactly as he sees it. He produces results exactly as calculated.
He was the Famous Blade that could realize the justice one had only imagined.
How could anyone with noble aspirations not be tempted?
The only worry was whether handling him carelessly might cost you your own neck.

“A blade that could become a Holy Sword or a Demon Sword—strange not to use it in a situation like this.”

Thinking of how this would unfold, his head grew heavy.
One thing was certain.
South Korea would turn upside down. The aftermath would ripple all the way to Japan.
He was simply the one who would have to clean it up.
All he could do was try his best. The one consolation was that he wasn’t alone—Jung Ju-ho stood with him.

“Hm?”

Cheon Myeong-guk noticed something off about the atmosphere the moment he arrived at the Awakener Security Office. He turned toward where all eyes were fixed, then froze.
Jung Ju-ho was sitting in his chair, sprawled back with an arrogance that filled the space.
His eyes glinted with lethal intent, fixed squarely on Cheon Myeong-guk.

“Director Cheon Myeong-guk.”
“What?”
“I’m about to become a vice-minister. Can’t you drop the formality?”

For the record, the director of the Awakener Security Office held ministerial rank. Even if Jung Ju-ho became commissioner, they’d technically be peers.
But the atmosphere made clear this logic wouldn’t stick. Jung Ju-ho had accepted the commissioner’s post only because of Cheon Myeong-guk’s scheming—and his grudge ran deeper than expected.
Much deeper.

“I’ve got quite a lot to discuss with you. You have time?”
“Yes, of course.”

Overwhelmed by Jung Ju-ho’s presence, Cheon Myeong-guk nodded.

“Good. Now we’re communicating.”

Jung Ju-ho’s smile widened as he rose from the chair and stepped beside Cheon Myeong-guk. His face radiated barely contained malice as he spoke.

“Come to the roof.”

* * *

Before heading home, I stopped by the Shinseong Guild to meet Lee Se-hee.
Seeing her dressed as brilliantly as ever, I felt at ease. Lee Se-hee was truly herself only when she shone.

“So, in short, Kim Jong-hyun’s absence shouldn’t pose any real problems. His skill would have helped us identify improvements faster, but our craftsmen at the laboratory are more than capable of handling it.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Yes. Though the collapse came faster than expected, we’ve accumulated considerable expertise in risk management over the years. This is the level of competence people expect from the nation’s top guild.”

Watching her handle everything so deftly put my mind at ease.
So this is the power of a major conglomerate.
I’d worried that Heart-Walker’s disappearance would create problems, but it seemed those concerns were unfounded.

“But you’re really all right with the tax burden?”
“Why?”
“Watching money flow out like that feels pretty hollow. I was concerned about you.”
“It doesn’t matter to me.”

Money slipping away from my balance sheet felt no different than watching numbers on a screen. I barely registered it.
Lee Se-hee shook her head in admiration.

“I’ve never met anyone so indifferent to money. You’re really something.”
“Weren’t you like that once?”
“Me? You must be mistaken. If anything, I’m obsessed with money.”
“You don’t seem like it.”
“Obsessed doesn’t mean consumed. Even now, I’m constantly thinking about how to earn more. The pursuit never stops.”
“That’s impressive.”

The mindset of a corporate heir really was different from that of an ordinary person.
But I didn’t see her obsession with money as something negative. It had been the driving force that brought her to her current position.
Still, there was something in her phrase—obsessed but not consumed—that struck me. I’d once been consumed by a monster called Blood-kind, so her distinction felt worth remembering.

“Anyway, you’re doing all right?”
“The Heart-Walker situation is fine.”

Lee Se-hee shook her head.

“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what?”
“You look like something else is troubling you.”
……

She’s perceptive.
Truth was, something had been nagging at me since I met Argos earlier.
At first I thought it was a mental-type Gift, but it wasn’t.
What he said had touched on an anxiety I’d been carrying in my chest, and I couldn’t simply brush it aside.
Lee Se-hee had picked up on that worry.

“If you don’t mind, would you tell me? I’m good at listening.”
“It’s nothing serious.”
“It’s fine, really. Go on, tell me.”

Watching her tap her chest with her fist, I let out a soft laugh. It was an endearingly unguarded gesture — unlike her usual self.

“Do you think if I hadn’t become a government Hunter, I would’ve ended up a Villain?”
“A Villain?”
“There are people who tell me I’ll become a Villain someday.”

I wondered what Lee Se-hee would say. Maybe she’d deny it — the obvious answer, but not an unwelcome one.
Perhaps I was just looking for reassurance, whatever form it took.
And the answer came as I’d expected.

“Not at all!”
“Really?”
“Yes. Truly. Whoever said that was talking utter nonsense.”

Her language was surprisingly blunt. She sounded more fired up about it than I was.

“It’s not just empty reassurance. They probably judged you by appearance alone. But your nature is fundamentally different.”
“My nature?”
“Yes. The biggest difference between you and a Villain is this: you worry about it. Villains surrender to desire — they take what they want, they kill. But you have clear principles. The fact that you’re wary of becoming a Villain is itself the strongest reason you never will.”

It wasn’t mere words of comfort — it was a genuine strength to her voice.
I could hear in it a paradox: that I could avoid being a Villain precisely because I could have been one.
It was insight and counsel only Lee Se-hee could offer.
She wasn’t seeing into past lives with some Gift, was she?

“Besides, the fact that you’re troubled by this at all means there’s room for improvement.”
“That sounds like you’re saying I need to improve.”
“That would depend on your choice, wouldn’t it?”
“If I wanted to improve myself right now, I could?”
“Yes, absolutely.”

How could she speak with such certainty? And what exactly did she think I should improve?
She answered the question before I could voice it.

“You’d hire an image consultant.”
“An image consultant, out of nowhere?”
“Yes, someone to manage your public image. Actually, lots of Hunters hire professionals for that. You know how some Hunters have celebrity-level popularity?”
“I know.”

Lee Se-hee and Jung Da-hyun were prime examples, though they were different cases — but there were Hunters who appeared on television programs almost as frequently as entertainment celebrities.
They educated the public about hunting operations, the dangers Hunters faced, the threats Monsters posed, and also communicated the benefits of becoming a Hunter.

“They make money through image management. I’d bet they earn more from TV appearances and commercial shoots than from actual hunts, wouldn’t they?”
“Remarkable.”
“The government has to cultivate admiration for Awakeners, after all.”

It was the government’s contradiction laid bare.
While they worked to control Awakeners, they spared no support and benefits to increase their numbers.
So rather than prevent Awakeners from gaining wealth and fame, they encouraged it. The larger the pool of aspirants, the broader the talent base, and the more strength South Korea would have to protect itself.
Should I go on broadcast more often? If I have power, I can kill Villains—something like that? Broadcast work isn’t really my thing, though.
I should bring up the idea of encouraging Villain hunts to Cheon Myeong-guk.

“What you need is a specialist. Someone who can help people see you as a righteous Hunter, someone who understands you and can make supporters grow in numbers.”
“Never crossed my mind, to be honest.”

I’d thought I just needed to become a Government Hunter and catch Villains and Monsters.
A world I know nothing of is opening up before me.

“Can’t Shinseong Guild assign someone to handle this?”

Lee Se-hee shook her head.

“Those people ultimately belong to Shinseong Guild. We need someone who thinks only of your image, who analyzes it purely for your sake. In other words, we need to build a Choi Jun-ho team.”

A Choi Jun-ho team—or the Head Breaker Team if we used my alias? That sounds a bit off, so I’ll stick with Choi Jun-ho Team.

“Would it be alright if I looked into some people for you?”
“Would that be possible?”
“Of course. It’s for you. I’ll find the very best.”

Lee Se-hee smiled with quiet confidence.
She’s trustworthy.

* * *

The investigation into Busan Mayor Yu Seong-su was being conducted by the recently revived Central Investigation Division.
Truthfully, I didn’t concern myself with who was doing the investigating.
I just wanted the research to proceed normally.
But Lee Jong-gyung, head of the Central Investigation Division, contacted me. He said he had something to tell me about the investigation results.
Why would he specifically need to tell me?
Feeling puzzled, I nonetheless headed to the Central Investigation Division.
I met Lee Jong-gyung in his office.

“Thank you for coming. I was worried you might not.”
“What did you call me for?”
“I thought it best to show you the investigation results first, Superhuman Choi Jun-ho.”
……

Lee Jong-gyung’s first impression reminded me of Wang Ju-yeol—a well-fed build, a face that betrayed naked ambition, narrow eyes gleaming with cunning.
I studied him for a moment, then took the documents and began reading through them.
By the first page, my instincts were screaming. The charges had been reduced compared to what the President had given me, and names of connected individuals had been removed.
This document—someone’s fudged the numbers.

“The paperwork seems to be missing some details.”
“Ah, it’s not missing—we excluded all the ambiguous points.”
“I think that’s what this conversation is really about.”
“Superhumans are remarkable beings. Or perhaps… Superhuman Choi Jun-ho makes it possible.”

Lee Jong-gyung licked his lips, his eyes alight with something.

“Cheong Wa Dae’s resolve is firm, but at this rate, the nation could split in two.”
……
“How about we settle this amicably? Cut at a reasonable point and move on? It’s for Superhuman Choi Jun-ho’s sake too. There’s nothing to gain from making unnecessary enemies, is there?”

So this is why you summoned me.
You want to draw up the Kill List on your own terms, halfway through.
Since I said nothing, he kept talking.

“There’s no sense in escalating tensions unnecessarily. Naturally, I’m not asking you to do this for nothing. Busan is preparing adequate compensation.”
“What kind of compensation?”
“Various things.”

Clearly nothing legitimate.
Lee Jong-gyung’s drivel continued.

“The current administration might extend its term, but if a major incident occurs, it could change. Wouldn’t it be wise to hedge your bets with both sides, thinking ahead to that possibility?”
…….
“Hah, I’m speaking with Choi Jun-ho the Superhuman in mind. Please don’t take offense.”
“Why would I be offended at a man about to die?”
“What?”

Crash!

My kick shattered the wooden table between us. The force followed through, and my heel struck Lee Jong-gyung’s shin, snapping it like a reed.

“Aaagh!”
“Quiet.”

I grabbed the falling man by his hair and seized his left shoulder. As the Mine tore through, there was a wet crack, and the shoulder caved inward.

“Ghhhhh!”

I dragged him out of the director’s office by his hair. Hearing the screams, personnel from the Central Investigation Division began appearing one by one in the hallway.
They stared in horror as Lee Jong-gyung was pulled past them, both legs broken and his shoulder completely crushed, held up by his head.

“Everyone put your smartphones down on the floor. Now. Anyone who doesn’t move in ten seconds, I’ll crush their head.”

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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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