The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 86

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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 86

Kieeeek!

Garam’s anguished cry faded as its body convulsed and went limp.
It collapsed to the ground, struggling to stay upright on four shattered legs.

Thud!

I clicked my tongue softly, watching the whole spectacle unfold.

“That was unexpected.”

Hunting Garam before it reached the Plus Stage hadn’t been difficult—but it was far more tenacious than I’d anticipated. Maybe that was because Hetzling was dead. If I’d kept it alive and exploited it, the hunt would’ve gone easier.
After neutralizing Garam, I attempted Brainwashing on it, just as I had with Nuri.
I wanted to run an experiment—see if a Hazard Level 8 monster could be Tamed.
Garam resisted fiercely at first, but with each successive application of Brainwashing, its resistance weakened.
The resistance faded, and it began responding obediently to my will. Just as I thought Taming was taking hold, Garam’s eyes suddenly blazed, and it erupted with killing intent, lunging at me.

Kyaaaak!

But this was different from the Hazard Level 8 monsters I’d faced before.
Its power was less refined, yet its raw, rampaging force rivaled Nuri’s.
The meaning was clear.

“A monster with an Awakening.”

It was extraordinary. For a moment, Garam wielded power approaching the Plus Stage. Through what I could only assume was a Gift—Gravity Control—it even caught me off guard, if only briefly.
But it fell again all the same. I was about to resume Brainwashing when Garam did something that truly astonished me.
Its eyes, brimming with lethal intent, locked on mine before going dim and lifeless.
It had taken its own life.
Had it chosen death over yielding to Brainwashing?
I hadn’t known monsters possessed this degree of intelligence.
I stood there, staring blankly at the Earth Dragon and Hetzling lying sprawled beside each other.

……

My sole thought was that one more would have been nice.
If there were parents, typically there’d be two, wouldn’t there?
The spouse and offspring had already perished separately—I found myself hoping the other would appear so I could capture them all together.
But even after a long wait, nothing came.
Should I have left blood in the air? But my senses picked up nothing.

“Hermaphrodite, then?”

After waiting roughly ten more minutes with no sign of anything else, I contacted Cheong Wa Dae.

* * *

Choi Jun-ho had been dispatched on reconnaissance at Cheong Wa Dae’s initiative.
Until now, humanity had maintained a defensive posture in hunting Hazard Level 8 monsters, because locating a monster once its presence was sensed inevitably meant accepting the burden of engaging other monsters in the process.
What if a Hazard Level 8 monster revealed itself while a team was already in combat?
An entire hunting party could be annihilated, so Cheong Wa Dae had chosen instead to establish defensive lines and wait for the Hazard Level 8 monster to make its appearance.
Their ability to move this way rested entirely on the existence of Choi Jun-ho.
Unofficially, a being comparable to—or perhaps even surpassing—a Superhuman of the top tier.

“Abnormal readings!”

An urgent report reached Cheong Wa Dae, which had been monitoring the Andong direction closely.
The appearance of a Hazard Level 8 monster was directly tied to the nation’s survival.
Yet powerful Awakeners no longer felt a great threat from Level 8 monsters. They had hunted them steadily over time and accumulated enough data to develop hunting expertise.
But the Plus Stage monsters that appeared next were creatures capable of driving even the strongest nations to ruin.
Monsters kept appearing, but replenishing slain Superhumans took considerable time.
Cheon Myeong-guk abandoned all thought of propriety, rushed forward with orders to respond, and then headed straight to the President.

“A Hazard Level 8 monster has appeared. In the Andong region, Gyeongbuk Province.”
“That’s where the Superhuman Choi Jun-ho is located.”
“Yes, sir.”

Despite the urgency, the President’s expression remained serene.
Was he trusting in Choi Jun-ho, or in South Korea’s Awakener forces?
Cheon Myeong-guk believed it was both. With Choi Jun-ho on the scene, he expected preemptive measures to be taken.
The President’s gaze turned toward Cheon Myeong-guk.

“Is it Plus Stage?”
“Unclear at this time.”
“I hope not. We’re still struggling to handle those. Superhuman Choi Jun-ho will manage well enough, but accidents strike when we least expect them.”

Meanwhile, a report arrived, and Cheon Myeong-guk delivered it with a bright expression.

“It appears it is not Plus Stage.”
“Then the hunt should be far more manageable. Good. Move immediately.”
“I’ll contact Shinseong Guild, from whom we received bids previously, and prepare a strategy to counter Garam.”

The newly emerged Hazard Level 8 monster’s name was Garam.
Even if it wasn’t Plus Stage, complacency was absolutely forbidden.
The President judged that he had achieved his immediate objectives.

“First, contact Superhuman Choi Jun-ho and order him to retreat.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll do so immediately—”

As Cheon Myeong-guk moved to act, a secretary rushed in with an urgent expression.

“Director!”

Both the President’s and Cheon Myeong-guk’s gazes fixed upon the secretary simultaneously.

“What is it?”
“The Hazard Level 8 monster’s signal has disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yes! It’s completely vanished.”

What on earth had happened? The President and Cheon Myeong-guk’s eyes met. Both wore expressions of stunned bewilderment.
Only for a moment, though—the President spoke with quiet certainty.

“Something has occurred. It’s highly probable it involves Choi Jun-ho.”
“I share that assessment.”
“The signal vanishing surely means—”

The odds favored good news over bad.
After all, Choi Jun-ho was on the scene.
Whether human or monster, few emerged unscathed from his hands.
As various thoughts crossed their minds, Cheon Myeong-guk’s smartphone rang loudly.

“It’s Superhuman Choi Jun-ho.”
“Take it.”
“This is Cheon Myeong-guk.”

Once the President gave his approval, he picked up the phone immediately. Moments later, his expression hardened slightly, and he nodded repeatedly as he listened.

“What is it?”

Cheon Myeong-guk answered in a hollow voice.

“They say they’ve hunted a Hazard Level 8 monster and are asking us to send a cleanup team.”
“As expected.”
“Yes.”

Could a Hazard Level 8 really be hunted this easily?
The nation itself was preparing with all its resources to face a creature capable of bringing down an entire country—yet one person had crushed it as casually as a child snapping a twig. An individual could never surpass the state. Never should.
This was the belief Cheon Myeong-guk had upheld without wavering.
Yet today, watching Choi Jun-ho, that conviction shattered.
An entity the nation trembled before, preparing desperately for its threat—and he dispatched it as though it were nothing, the way one might twist a child’s wrist.

“Hah-hah-hah! Excellent, excellent!”

Unaware of Cheon Myeong-guk’s turmoil, the President’s laughter showed no sign of stopping.

* * *

I’d gone out on reconnaissance and ended up hunting a Hazard Level 8.

I’d spotted an immature Earth Dragon and jokingly said to bring my parents—only to actually catch them both. A series of coincidences piled atop one another, pure happenstance.
I’d hoped one more would get caught, but that failed. It was either hermaphroditic or it sensed danger and fled.
The hunt netted me nearly a trillion won, but the story of how I hunted the monster Garam had been rewritten entirely.
It was Jin Se-jeong’s handiwork.

“To calm the fearful citizens in the wake of a Plus Stage monster appearing, Superhuman Choi Jun-ho made a decisive move to Andong and achieved this remarkable victory.”
“…….”

I wasn’t sure whether to admire her ability to spin even this into a narrative or be frightened by it. I’d only gone to collect my paycheck, and I’d caught the thing while I was there. Her skill at adding meaning to nothing transcended imagination.
I thought Jin Se-jeong was impressive for it, but it didn’t seem like she was ready to stop here.

“Superhuman, this isn’t something we should end here. Garam’s corpse will be displayed again tomorrow, remember? This time you absolutely must attend.”
“I didn’t attend last time.”

What reason would there be to attend? Even if I went, all that awaited me was a mob of mysterious fans who were older than me, calling me things I didn’t understand, posing for photos. I made my reluctance clear, but Jin Se-jeong cut me off decisively.

“That’s precisely why you must participate this time.”
“I’d like to understand the reason why participation is essential.”

The spotlight must be directed toward you, Superhuman. If we leave it as is, the government will claim the lion’s share of credit for hunting Garam. But it was you who hunted Garam. The people need to know that clearly.

Does it matter who hunted it?

“Yes, it does! It’s the most important part.”

She spoke as though she’d read my thoughts directly. Jin Se-jeong met my gaze and emphasized it once more.

“In Nuri’s case, he graciously deferred credit to the government. The President, being a reasonable man, has expressed his gratitude to you. But will that gratitude last? It’s human nature—people feel thankful the first time or two, then begin to take things for granted. Before long, the government will think it’s only natural to claim the hunting results while you do the hunting. But why should the government reap what you’ve sown?”
“…….”
“There’s an old saying: you lend standing, but you receive bowing. I don’t want to see the government taking credit for your achievements and dispensing scraps like they’re doing you a favor.”
“I agree.”

There was merit to what she’d said.
The only thing Jin Se-jeong had miscalculated was that I’d sit idle and accept it.
I had no intention of sitting idle if things went wrong.
Did she take me for a decent person? Well, I am rational, so it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.
When I nodded in agreement, Jin Se-jeong’s expression visibly relaxed.

“Even if you concede things later, you should always secure what’s yours. I apologize if I’ve overstepped.”
“Not at all. You haven’t overstepped in the slightest.”
“That’s a relief. I was honestly nervous bringing this up.”

…For someone supposedly nervous, she was speaking awfully freely.
But Jin Se-jeong’s words held no falsehoods.
I wasn’t unaware of the issue myself.
I’d simply neglected it because I found it tedious and inconvenient. But her words made clear the proper sequence—when to yield, and when not to. In essence, she was advising me to take credit where due.
It wasn’t so much manipulation as it was clarity.
Advice like this was precisely what I needed.

“If there’s anything else you think I ought to know, please don’t hesitate to advise me.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then yes, of course. I actually have quite a lot I wanted to say.”

Watching Jin Se-jeong’s bright smile, I realized my mistake.
…A miscalculation.
I was promptly buried under an endless stream of Jin Se-jeong’s advice.
It was useful, though.
It would’ve been perfect if I hadn’t agreed to experimental styling changes.

* * *

Gwanghwamun Plaza was packed shoulder to shoulder. Countless people gasped in wonder at the thirty-meter Earth Dragon, Garam, on display. Some, despite it being a corpse, still couldn’t bring themselves to approach it.
Monsters were such creatures in the eyes of ordinary citizens.
Destroyers of their homes and threats to their lives—objects of fear.
The government displayed hunted monsters like this to dilute public fear, a kind of protest and advertisement that said monsters were nothing to fear once dead.
Lee Se-hee and Jung Da-hyun had come to Gwanghwamun Plaza where Garam was displayed.
The two stood at a distance from the monster’s corpse, exchanging words.

“It’s strange seeing it like this.”
“Yeah.”
“Congratulations on reaching Level 7.”
“Thanks.”
“…….”

A brief silence settled between them. Lee Se-hee noticed Jung Da-hyun’s discomfort.
She was such a good-natured child.
Worried that Lee Se-hee might be hurt in her pride.
Her pride had been wounded, true enough, but not to the point of showing it openly. She could transform this feeling not into bitterness but into nourishment for her own growth.
In moments like these, she often found herself offering comfort instead.

“I’ll work hard too. Falling behind doesn’t suit me. Besides, I could become a Superhuman before you do anyway, couldn’t I? So don’t get overconfident just because you’re ahead.”
“Yeah.”

The awkward atmosphere descended once more.
This time, Lee Se-hee said nothing more.
The citizens were in festive spirits. Hunting Garam hardly meant South Korea would be liberated from the threat of monsters, yet they rejoiced nonetheless. Perhaps this moment of brief celebration was what they needed right now.
Shortly after, the President’s official motorcade appeared some distance away in the plaza. Choi Jun-ho stepped out first, then the President emerged under guard.
There were no security personnel besides Choi Jun-ho. You could feel the President’s trust and confidence in him radiating from every gesture.
And Choi Jun-ho.
Dressed in a sharp black suit with full makeup, he looked like a hallyu star playing the role of a bodyguard.
Sure enough, cheers erupted from all directions.
But why were people who looked well into their forties calling him “oppa” too?

‘Well, he has that trustworthy image of someone who can pull off anything.’

Lee Se-hee watched, struck anew by how remarkable Jin Se-jeong really was.

“He looks amazing.”
“…Yeah. But whose idea was all this styling anyway?”
“There’s someone famous in the industry called Jin Se-jeong. Why—oh, I see.”

Lee Se-hee’s lips curled into a smile.
Jung Da-hyun’s shoulders tensed at the look in her eyes—like she’d just spotted a new toy.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Feeling like something’s about to be stolen?”
“That’s not it.”

Jung Da-hyun denied it, but Lee Se-hee’s smile only deepened.
Sensing she’d been completely caught, resignation settled over Jung Da-hyun’s face. Once Lee Se-hee caught you in something, she held on until you raised the white flag.

“I know it all. When a star you kept to yourself becomes popular with the public, the sense of loss is huge. Our cute Da-hyun, you’ve been so anxious, haven’t you?”
“I told you, I’m not.”
“I know everything.”

With a playful smile, Lee Se-hee patted her shoulder, and Jung Da-hyun smacked her hand away.
So annoying!
Lee Se-hee grabbed the hand back and let out a dramatic wail like she was reading from a textbook.

“Ah, ow, Le, vel, sev, en, Jung, Da, hyun, is, kid, nap, ping, me.”
“Se-hee, don’t do that acting thing.”
“Okay, I won’t.”

At the playful retort, Jung Da-hyun burst out laughing.

* * *

Time flowed smoothly.
Every so often a reaction similar to when hunting Garam would occur and they’d scout the area, but no monsters ever materialized.
Had they coordinated with each other somehow?
This was far from a good sign—reactions were occurring but monsters weren’t being found, which meant Hazard Level 8 monsters were likely becoming Plus Stage when they eventually appeared.
Two months after hunting Garam, every Level 8 monster that appeared had transformed into Plus Stage.
Scholars called this phenomenon “Upward Leveling” of monsters overall. Monsters were experiencing the same fierce competition for survival as Awakeners, and their strength was rising at an alarming rate.
The government named the next Plus Stage monster to emerge “Soyae,” and the Shinseong Guild won the Bidding for hunting rights.
Lee Se-hee was itching to demonstrate the Guild’s capabilities in this operation.
But then something unexpected happened.

-Brother! Things are chaotic right now! The Director and the Managing Director just clashed!

An urgent call came through from Yun-hee.
The Director was Lee Se-hee, and the Managing Director was Baek Gun-seo.
What did their conflict have to do with me? Baek Gun-seo had opposed Lee Se-hee becoming chairman of the Shinseong Group anyway, so there was nothing particularly surprising about that.

-It’s connected to you.
“Me?”

Yun-hee warned me that although this was guild business, it would spread throughout the organization by tomorrow, and told me to keep it to myself and not mention it to anyone else before laying out the detailed circumstances.
To put it simply, Baek Gun-seo’s pride was wounded because Lee Se-hee had placed me as an observer.
From Lee Se-hee’s perspective, it was insurance to minimize casualties, but from Baek Gun-seo’s perspective, it looked as though she didn’t trust him.
His pride gets hurt over such trifles.
Still, that wasn’t the whole picture. Some people said Lee Se-hee had made a mistake because the Shinseong Guild’s hunting methods and expertise were managed so strictly.
Why in the world? Were the Shinseong Guild’s hunting techniques that unusual?
I had no intention of forming a hunting team anyway, so I’d let it pass.

“Understood. I’ll handle the rest myself.”
-Don’t tell me you’re planning to flip this whole thing upside down?
“Do I look like I would?”
-Yeah, I’m about 99% certain you will.

…Uncanny. How did she know I was thinking about that approach?

“I won’t.”
-Don’t make things uncomfortable for people around you. This is my workplace.
“Got it.”

After hanging up, I mentally organized the situation that had just unfolded.
It was hardly unusual for opinions to clash within a guild.
Baek Gun-seo might have appeared to care for Lee Se-hee, but the moment when he turned his back on her in the end was something that had actually happened in the future.
Unable to contain the disturbance, by the next day the media had started to dissect, analyze, and relish the “” story.
Two days later, Shinseong Guild’s core executives, along with Lee Se-hee and Baek Gun-seo, joined the meeting about So-ye’s hunt.
At first glance, a cold atmosphere hung between them. In the midst of it all, Lee Se-hee kept glancing at me sideways.
Because I was connected to this—my name had appeared in the press too.
Or maybe, like Yun-hee, she thought I would cause trouble.
It struck me then how difficult it truly is to earn someone’s trust.
So I abandoned my plan to flip things upside down and approached Baek Gun-seo, asking kindly.

“What exactly is your grievance?”

—————
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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