The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 76

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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 76

My clash with Berserker was a fierce one.
I couldn’t fathom why he was thrashing about so desperately.
And yet here he lay, beaten before me.

“Nnngh…”

The creature whimpered, his left shoulder crushed, his right arm twisted at an unnatural angle. His legs weren’t in much better shape—the form remained intact, but the bones had been ground to powder by repeated Mine strikes.
It wasn’t that I enjoyed the torment. His resistance had simply been that fierce.
Faster than before. Harder. Stronger.
Berserker, this bastard—he’d been training diligently all along, playing innocent the whole time. The way his muscles moved, the control of his Force, the killing intent he radiated—everything spoke of perfect readiness.
In particular, everything he’d been honing to use against me was laid bare in that exchange. Every move was optimized to counter my attacks.
Several of his strikes came dangerously close. Through our mental cultivation sessions, I’d come to understand just how thoroughly he’d rehearsed this—how he’d fantasized about tearing into me, devouring me, grinding me down.
He really did want to kill me.
Persistent bastard.
Well, regardless, he’s only a moderately difficult opponent to me. If anything, having subdued him several times already made handling him feel more routine.
Could “routine” and “difficult” coexist in the same breath? It was contradictory, but that was how I felt facing Berserker.
I gave his shoulder a light kick with my foot.

“Come on, stop your whining and get up.”
“Grrk! Ack-ack-ack! Is this my end…?”

He gasped out the words, breathing heavily.
Anyone watching would think he was about to die.
And when he delivers lines like that, it makes me look like the Villain.

“It’s not the end. You’re not dead.”
“Death holds no terror for me, but to end this way feels hollow. So many cutting-edge devices are waiting for me…”

He went on about various electronic gadgets, none of which I understood.
How does someone who wanders the city outskirts manage to be more of an early adopter than me?
It’s not that I’m indifferent. This creature’s just strange.

“More to the point—aren’t you listening to me?”
“Just kill me.”

At this point, he had to be doing it on purpose.
If he wouldn’t listen, I’d make him.
I planted my foot on his shattered shoulder and pressed down.

“Listen, would you.”
“Aaaaaargh!”

His screams began to subside as his body convulsed. I could see the fight draining from his eyes—he was ready to listen now.

“So what exactly have I done wrong by you?”
“The sin of carrying a treasure I desire. That’s what I consider it.”
“A Villain I killed not long ago said something very similar, actually.”
“Are you calling me a Villain?”
“Aaaah! Please, just kill me!”

I pressed down on his shoulder again, and his body writhed anew.

“Complete Poison Immunity really is remarkable, you know. I have a stake in how you acquired it. So I’m simply claiming my share.”
“Keke. A refreshingly insane philosophy you’ve got there.”
“Regardless of what you think, you don’t have a choice. I intend to take the Complete Poison Immunity. And there’s one thing you’re mistaken about—I have no intention of killing you.”
“Was that… true?”
“Yeah.”

Berserker’s eyes widened.
That’s what happens when you shriek and charge at me the moment you see me. You should’ve known better.
I sprayed a Recovery Potion over his body as I spoke.

“I don’t need to destroy the heart to copy a Gift. Blood from the heart is enough.”
“Then… then…?”
“But there’s a problem.”

Hope seemed to crystallize on his face, but there was one serious issue I hadn’t accounted for.
I’d never tried it before.

“I’ve never stolen a Gift without killing before. So if I’m going to take your Gift without killing you, I’ll need to try a few things first.”
“You bastard… surely you don’t mean…?”
“Work with me. You won’t die. Trust your own vitality. I believe in you. You’ve got this!”

…Probably?
Berserker’s face had gone deathly pale.

“Just kill me instead!”

I told you I wouldn’t kill you.

* * *

I had three methods prepared to copy Berserker’s Gift without killing him.
Two of them had just failed.

“This isn’t it either, I guess.”
“Kgh!”

I wiped the blood from my hand, and Berserker coughed up more.

“Hey, you still breathing? Can you hold on?”
“…Just kill me, please.”
“Stop whining. Let’s rest for a bit.”

At first, I’d tried using instruments. A syringe, but the problem was that as the blood traveled through the needle to my hand, it became contaminated somehow—the Gift information wouldn’t register. Too bad. If this had worked, I could’ve easily identified various Gifts. It seemed the Gift information only registered when blood touched my skin directly. I tried catching the blood spray when I pulled the syringe out, but that failed too.
Unfortunate. If this method had worked, I could’ve easily identified all sorts of Gifts.
It seemed the Gift information only registered when blood touched my skin directly. I tried catching the blood spray when I pulled out the syringe, but that failed as well.
The next method was to extract blood directly from a spot slightly away from the heart. Information about the Complete Poison Immunity started to register, but it wasn’t complete.
So it came down to this: the blood closest to the heart had to touch my skin directly.
Nothing in this world comes easy.
Five minutes had passed.
Watching Berserker’s strength return somewhat, I spoke.

“Let’s finish this in one go.”

“It’s fine, you won’t die. Trust my hand, alright?”
“…Just kill me.”

Even now, he didn’t look like he believed me. Tsk. Those two mistakes stung a bit.
Still, I couldn’t actually kill him.
Berserker was useful to me. He was convenient to summon and deploy when needed, helped with leveling up Jung Joo-ho, and especially—when I wanted to handle something quietly out in the outskirts, there was no one better to deploy.
So let’s not die, Berserker!

“Don’t call it a partnership if you’re going to torture yourself over it.”

This was sincere.
Even if I needed Complete Poison Immunity, there was no reason to kill him.
All I really needed was just enough of his blood. It’s my first attempt, but I’ll pull it off.

“Stay still.”

My hand plunged into Berserker’s chest. I carved through the firm muscle as easily as tofu, my fingers closing around his heart. It thrashed beneath my palm like a desperate fish, gasping for air. I felt his blood soak my hand as it screamed silently. The heart kept hammering away—perfectly intact. This was enough.
I withdrew my hand as carefully as possible.
Blood sprayed from the gaping wound in his chest. I uncorked three Recovery Potions and poured them in all at once. I was dropping a hundred million won on him for this partnership.

“Graaaaahhh!”

I listened to Berserker’s body mending itself, then turned my attention to my hand.

“Here’s hoping this works.”

Surely the Gift Copy of Blood Consumption didn’t require killing the target to be complete?
I consumed the blood on my hand. Information about Complete Poison Immunity began decoding from within it. This method was right. Complete Poison Immunity copied itself and carved into me as a Gift tailored to my nature. I didn’t add it fresh—instead, I deleted the existing Gift called Force Resonance.
As Complete Poison Immunity took its place, a sharp migraine crashed over me. My skull throbbed like it was being pricked repeatedly with a needle, but it was bearable.
I furrowed my brow and carefully traced the contours of Complete Poison Immunity as it etched itself into me. The Gift Copying was complete. No anomalies. After countless attempts, the legendary Gift was finally in my hands.

“Good.”

Even when I was a Blood Demon, I never managed to acquire this Gift. If a Blood Demon stood before me now, I could tear it to shreds.
Lost in the thrill for a moment, I turned my gaze toward the collapsed Berserker.

“You alive? Yeah, you’re alive.”

The hole in his chest had closed nicely, and he was breathing steadily. Tough bastard, that one.
But his face twisted in pain with each breath.

“All done. Thanks for the Gift.”
“…Just kill me instead.”
“Hey, I told you—you’re alive.”
“…Kill me.”
“Damn.”

I said I wasn’t planning to kill him, yet here we are.
Still, looking at the collapsed Berserker, I felt a twinge of pity.
Then again, he was a Villain infamous enough to make even the government tremble.
Maybe I did go overboard.

* * *

Berserker regained consciousness some time later. I’d given his heart a squeeze, but it didn’t seem to do lasting damage. This method of obtaining a Gift without killing was sound. I’d never intended to kill him anyway.
From the start, that wasn’t the plan.
I wanted to test how much stronger he’d become, copy his Gift, and be on my way.
Naturally, it wasn’t free.
For obtaining a legendary Gift, I’d prepared a gift of my own.
I handed him a dagger as he clutched at his chest.

“What’s this?”
“A Nuri Bone Dagger.”
“What?”
“It’s the concentrated output of Shinseong Group’s capabilities. Probably the hardest blade in existence right now.”

He usually wielded a greatsword, so I gave him a dagger for self-defense instead—a rather impressive cost-saving measure. But once an Awakened One gets their hands on it, even something like that becomes a killing instrument.
That was beside the point.

“A gift, you say. Did you really think I’d come all this way to Yeosu for a Gift and leave empty-handed?”
“…….”

This bastard won’t admit it.
Seems he did think I’d take it for free. Why do I get the feeling I’m not inspiring much trust these days?
Lately, there are too many people who don’t believe what I say.
Anyway, I’d accomplished what I came here for, so I said goodbye to Berserker.

“Please, just go. Get out of here.”

…He seems to like that.

“Make good use of it anyway. And you’ve gotten pretty strong. But you’ll never beat me.”

Not in this lifetime. Never.
I set my course for Seoul.

* * *

Back in Seoul, I headed straight home. I changed clothes, had something to eat, and then planned to check on my Complete Poison Immunity.
As I stepped through the door, Yun-hee came into view—she and the sofa had become one.
Was she actually training her Gift seriously?

“How’s your Gift training going?”
“Me? I’m working hard at it. Hold on, stop! Don’t come any closer!”
“What?”

Yun-hee shot up from the sofa, her eyes narrowing as she watched me warily.

“The look in your eyes is terrible. You were thinking about how to work me, weren’t you?”
“I wasn’t.”

She’s like a mind reader.
At my denial, Yun-hee jumped up even higher.

“I train hard every single day, okay? I’m doing it so intensely my breath smells sweet! So don’t even think about pushing me harder. I’ve already been advised I don’t get enough rest. They say I need better recovery management! And.”

Yun-hee’s eyes suddenly grew cold.

“You weren’t supposed to tell Mom about my hobby.”
“Did you get in trouble?”
“When I unlock my phone, I seriously considered grabbing a sword. Do you know how angry I am? Do you?”
“Sounds like you got it pretty bad.”
“Yes, yes, thanks to some snitch, I got thoroughly chewed out. And now that I have to say it myself, it makes me even madder.”

I took a step back as she glanced around for something to grab. She was the type who’d actually do it if she set her mind to it.
She’d really follow through if she started.
Unable to find anything suitable, she let out a deep sigh and dropped onto the sofa.

“Anyway, I heard the Director of the National Protection Agency is becoming the Director of the newly established National Front Defense Agency. Did he tell you anything about it?”
“He didn’t.”
“Really? The confirmation hearing is tomorrow.”
“He does well on his own. I’ll just watch from the sidelines.”
“Fair point. If you were there, it’d be chaos. Everyone would just run away, right?”
“What do you take me for?”
“A training junkie with nothing but muscles where his brain should be?”

…The way she flaps her mouth, I could probably push her harder after all.
When Yun-hee’s eyes met mine, she flinched and quickly turned her gaze back to the TV.
There’s no point in dwelling on it further.
I resolved to set aside time soon to help Yun-hee unlock her Gift, changed clothes in my room, and had a meal.
I’d heard about Jung Joo-ho from Lee Se-hee, but it would pass without incident. He had no personal flaws, and my relationship with him was quite detached anyway.
After years as a Government Hunter, Jung Joo-ho’s integrity ranked among the highest—he’d never committed a single act of corruption.

“Should I go too?”

The thought crossed my mind, but since Jung Joo-ho hadn’t made any particular request, I decided to trust him and watch from afar.
I was about to head out after sending him a quick message of encouragement when—

“Oh, by the way—you’re heading to Tokyo soon, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
“There’s this guy named Guillermo in Mexico. If you run into him, pulverize him for me!”
“Why?”
“He publicly denounced you, called your Nuri Hunting a lie.”
“That’s possible.”
“Look, if he stays quiet, fine. But if he starts trouble, kill him. Why do these weak bastards pick fights with innocent people?”
“Got it.”

If he’s looking for death, he’ll find it. Simple as that.
I headed straight to the National Protection Agency and entered my private training room.
Since I’d received Complete Poison Immunity, I thought I’d try opening the Gift.
The Gift was named Complete Poison Immunity because it treats all strange phenomena on both the front and back of the world as poison and neutralizes them—hence the name.
It was first discovered in China and given that name there, while in the West, they say its power is similar to the Authority of Holy Water that Lancelot possesses, so it’s sometimes called the Authority of Holy Water.
Since it deflects any status abnormality, it was precisely the Gift needed in an age overflowing with Gifts and Monsters.
The only drawback was that it applied only to oneself.

“Let’s try it.”

I activated Complete Poison Immunity.
The unleashed Gift swept through my body in an instant—like a cool breeze drying a damp body until it felt crisp and fresh. This refreshing current began scanning my entire being for the presence of anything that could be called poison.
First came the physical body. Finding nothing amiss, it shifted to my Force. My Force showed no abnormalities either.
Complete Poison Immunity’s final destination was the realm of the mind.
I was confident there. My return to the past began when I recovered my sanity, so naturally there should be nothing to worry about passing through……

Tick! Tick-tick! Tick-tick-tick!

But an anomalous current began manifesting.
The energy of Complete Poison Immunity surged violently, then launched itself against my mental barrier.
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.
What? There’s something wrong with my mind?
The Blood Demon’s personality had definitely vanished; I’d recovered my normal thought processes.
I was living seamlessly within society, blending in without friction.
So why?
Complete Poison Immunity proved why it was called a legendary Gift, barely piercing through my solid mental barrier as a single thread of energy invaded my consciousness.
Then a strange emotion washed over me.

Affection for family.
Compassion for the weak.
Love for the opposite sex.
Mercy for enemies.
Justice for the world.

Why the hell are these useless things surfacing?
…So even Complete Poison Immunity isn’t omnipotent, then.
I strengthened my mental barrier and blocked the infiltrating current of Complete Poison Immunity. The fragmented emotions that had surfaced quickly dissipated.
I was blocking my own Gift with my own Force—an absurd situation. As this unfolded, I worked through what was actually happening.
Could it be that fragments of the Blood Demon’s ego still remained?
Complete Poison Immunity couldn’t possibly have judged my perfectly sound mind as abnormal.
Because it was normal.
I stamped down the current of Complete Poison Immunity with my Force.
Even as it dissipated, Complete Poison Immunity kept trying to claw through my mental barrier, as if screaming that my mind was defective.
A Gift daring to treat its master as mentally unsound?

“Gifts these days have gotten awfully disrespectful.”

I began educating Complete Poison Immunity that its master was perfectly sane.

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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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