The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity - Chapter 90

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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 90

The battle with So-ye stretched on for another three hours.
The creature possessed stamina as formidable as its raw strength. Using the Wheel Formation to gradually wear it down was the Shinseong Guild’s strategy—not elegant, perhaps, but it was the most reliable method available.

“………”

Watching the hunt unfold from a distance, my personal impression was—how should I put it?—unremarkable.
There was nothing here I needed to learn for my own hunts.
Setting that aside and evaluating objectively, they demonstrated the textbook approach: pooling limited resources and methodically handling a superior monster through coordination.
Baek Gun-seo, positioned at the vanguard, absorbed the monster’s aggression and dealt direct damage, while the tanks deployed behind provided a secondary defensive line. Their tactic was simple: fix the creature’s attention, then strike from all sides to accumulate damage.
Textbook to the point of tedium. Precisely because of that, they maintained steady damage output without wavering, their formation unshaken.
Lee Se-hee’s management stood out most—maintaining focus, redistributing roles based on stamina, adapting the formation whenever injuries occurred to shield her comrades from further harm.
Without her, several would have died already. Each time an injury occurred, she recalibrated the formation to protect the team.
After grinding down the monster’s stamina this way—

Crash!

“Is it over?”

So-ye finally collapsed. The Shinseong Guild’s losses were not trivial either. No deaths, but over thirty Hunters sustained severe injuries.
Emergency treatment happened immediately each time, though had they been a smaller team, those wounds would have been fatal.
I moved toward where So-ye had fallen.

“Jun-ho.”

Lee Se-hee greeted me with an awkward expression.
I soon realized why—the hunt wasn’t actually finished yet.
So-ye had collapsed but wasn’t dead. Though its stamina was depleted, it continued channeling its Gift at full power, making the Force Shield difficult to penetrate.
If its stamina recovered here, they’d have to hunt it all over again.
I turned my gaze to Baek Gun-seo. Having handled So-ye from start to finish, exhaustion was written plainly across his face.
I’d intended not to interfere further, but seeing the creature collapsed yet still alive made me want to attempt Brainwashing.

“Would you mind if I stepped in?”
“On the contrary, this is what I was hoping to ask. May I?”
“If it’s no trouble.”
“Then I’ll take you up on it.”
“In that case, I won’t hold back.”

I stood before So-ye. The creature flinched at the sight of me and writhed its body, but with stamina nearly exhausted, it couldn’t muster further movement.

Crack-crack-crack!

As I unleashed a barrage of Mines, the Force Shield began to shatter.
It was a form of extreme Force manipulation for defense—similar to what I’d seen with Nuri. Even facing it myself would have been troublesome. But having once fought this configuration before, dismantling it proved straightforward.
At last, my hand came to rest upon the creature’s head as the Force Shield gave way.

Screeeech!

I forced Brainwashing through So-ye’s resistance.
The creature reacted to the keywords I was injecting. This was unexpected. Until now, whenever I used Brainwashing, the monsters fought back desperately or showed signs of rampage—but this time, there was no such response.
Was it willing to submit? If so, I wouldn’t refuse.
But as I probed deeper, reaching what might be called the bedrock of consciousness—the source of self—I encountered something different: a deep, ingrained fury.
I knew monsters harbored hostility toward humanity. To successfully Tame one, I’d need to erase that enmity and implant obedience keywords. Every monster so far had gone berserk before I could touch that core. But So-ye felt different.
I began to probe at the anger itself.

Waaagh!

So-ye wailed.
I didn’t hesitate—I reached for her rage.
The anger that hadn’t responded at first now thrashed wildly, burning bright as it shoved against my keywords.
The standoff between a dying monster’s consciousness and my intact mind had an obvious outcome.
My Brainwashing began to suppress So-ye’s rage and inject obedience keywords.

Thud!

A dull, heavy sound echoed through So-ye’s mind, her eyes grew hazy, and she shook her head.
She couldn’t hold on any longer. She was gone.

Cheers erupted.

The Shinseong Guild hunters watching were delighted that the monster had been killed with its body intact, but I wasn’t.
The Taming had succeeded—only to fail within three seconds.
I clicked my tongue. She’d been a creature with decent awareness, after all.

“That won’t work.”

It was as if she’d been programmed to be hostile to humanity itself.
The core issue was psychological, and it seemed that Brainwashing’s keyword injection provoked a backlash. It was treated like a virus.
In situations like this, Panaceum was the best answer. If it classified that hostility as an abnormal condition, Panaceum would wipe it clean away.
If Brainwashing was a virus, Panaceum was the vaccine.
But Panaceum was a Gift that applied only to me personally.
I’d heard there was a Gift that could be applied to others—was it called Synchronization? I’d need to find out who possessed that Gift.
As I stepped back, Lee Se-hee approached with a pleased expression.

“Choi! Thank you! I’ll make sure you get proper credit for the hunt contribution.”
“Don’t worry about it. You don’t have to.”
“What? I can’t do that!”
“I’d already subdued her anyway. You gave me an Observer spot and time to study So-ye, so I got everything I needed. This is purely the Shinseong Guild’s achievement.”

Besides, I’d learned what the next task was going to be—hardly a loss.
The real problem was that Panaceum kept trying to burrow into my mental defenses whenever it got the chance.
The Gift seemed to have a consciousness of its own, and I had no clear way to educate it. I’d conveyed my intentions several times, but it displayed behavior as stubborn as its consciousness.
Something must have gone wrong when I copied it from Berserker.
I knew Berserker’s mind was unstable, and by copying from it, maybe I’d mistaken my own instability for something I’d inherited.
In the end, Berserker was the problem.
Seeing Lee Se-hee’s expression still tinged with reluctance, I made another proposal.

“If you’re really that concerned, make an appearance on a personal broadcast next time.”
“The project Jin Se-jung’s team ran, you mean? I’d love to. I’ll give it my all.”
“Good. Handle the cleanup well.”

I returned to Seoul, turning over ways to utilize Panaceum in my mind.

* * *

Choi Jun-ho left So-ye behind and actually departed.
He could have demanded something, but he didn’t.
Lee Se-hee thought there was no one quite as unusual as Choi Jun-ho.
Anyone with that much power at such a young age was invariably enslaved to their desires. Yet Choi Jun-ho harbored no greed. Money meant nothing to him, nor did fame.
That was what made him so difficult to deal with.
If he’d been honest about his own desires, she might’ve felt tempted to exploit that overwhelming power.
But if that were the case, her head would’ve been shattered long ago.
Even now, recalling their first encounter sent chills racing down her spine.
Lee Se-hee shook off her thoughts of Choi Jun-ho and exhaled in relief.
Every exchange with him drained her mental reserves, and the vertiginous exhaustion that followed her fierce battle with So-ye came crashing down upon her now.

“Hah!”

Looking around, exhausted Hunters lay scattered across the ground. It was rest time until the reinforcements arrived—a testament to how grueling the battle had been.
Lee Se-hee wanted nothing more than to collapse where she stood, but she was the general operations director of the Guild. She remained upright through sheer willpower, refusing to show weakness to the Hunters under her command.
Baek Gun-seo approached her, his face bearing an unusual pallor.

“You’ve done well, Se-hee.”
“Thank you. But Uncle, you’re the one who suffered most. Without you, we wouldn’t have dared attempt the hunt at all.”
“So this is why they say Plus Tier gives even skilled Hunters trouble. There were some genuinely dangerous moments. It would have been far worse if it had been a flying Monster.”

Baek Gun-seo’s expression grew contemplative. Plus Tier Monsters were indeed in a different league.
Knowing he’d struggled—a rare occurrence—Lee Se-hee refrained from offering hollow comfort.
The real issue was Choi Jun-ho. For just a moment, the way he’d casually brushed aside So-ye stood in stark contrast to how she and the others had wrung out every ounce of strength to match their opponents.
The shock that Baek Gun-seo—a man whose pride towered higher than the heavens—must have felt was likely far greater than he let on.

“Your decision to secure Choi Jun-ho was sound. You saved the entire Group.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“If the time comes when you need my strength, call on me without hesitation. I’ll help as if it were my own affair.”
“Uncle?”
“A sharp mind like yours will understand what I mean.”
……
“Then I’ll be on my way.”

With that, Baek Gun-seo turned to leave. A moment later, a smile blossomed across Lee Se-hee’s lips.

* * *

—As the Shinseong Guild successfully hunted the Plus Tier Monster So-ye……

While news of the hunt flooded the media and television, Baek Gun-seo, heading back to headquarters, was meeting with Lee Young-moon.
Lee Young-moon’s complexion looked worse than Baek Gun-seo’s, despite the latter having completely shaken off the strain of the arduous hunt.

“I’m glad you returned safely, Gun-seo.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“I hear your performance was outstanding.”

Baek Gun-seo shook his head.

“It was a position where I only felt my own shortcomings. Especially the gap between myself and Choi Jun-ho—I felt it viscerally.”
“For you to say such a thing?”

Lee Young-moon likely couldn’t truly grasp what he meant.
Baek Gun-seo hadn’t fully grasped it either.
If he hadn’t been there to hunt So-ye, he would have remained firmly under a delusion.

“Yes. Perhaps Se-hee was the one who saw Choi Jun-ho most accurately. Choi Jun-ho is a master at the level of at least a mid-tier Superhuman.”

Perhaps even beyond that.
Baek Gun-seo murmured the words to himself.

“Se-hee did put in exceptional effort to secure him. She handled Choi Jun-ho well.”
“But Choi Jun-ho is dangerous. If the Group falters, it won’t be from business failure or a failed hunt—it will be from Choi Jun-ho. Consider Se-chan alone……”
“That’s enough.”

Lee Young-moon raised his hand, cutting off Baek Gun-seo’s words.
Both of them already knew who had turned Se-chan into what he was.
But it was a Pandora’s box that could never be opened to anyone else.

“Let’s end this here.”
“I apologize.”
“You’re right that Choi Jun-ho is dangerous. But it’s also true he’s brought substantial profits to our group. As a businessman, I see no reason to distance myself from him. If we’d stayed passive, someone else would’ve reaped those benefits. Gun-seo.”
“Yes.”
“Help Se-hee and him get along.”
“There isn’t much I can do.”
“But you can do more than I can—a man who might not live to see tomorrow.”
“Please don’t say such things, sir.”

Baek Gun-seo spoke in surprise, but Lee Young-moon shook his head firmly.

“My wishes and reality are different matters. I’d like to step in myself, but this isn’t something I can resolve immediately. It requires time.”
“Choi Jun-ho is someone who can’t be moved by our will alone.”
“The government will obstruct any connection between Se-hee and him. They’ve likely gathered the same intelligence on Choi Jun-ho as we have. They may fear that if we became one family, South Korea would fall into the hands of Shinseong Group. Which isn’t entirely wrong, frankly—and it’s the ideal outcome for us anyway. So you need to be the anchor here. Can I trust you?”
“I trust that you’ll watch over this from beginning to end, sir.”
“I hope so.”

Lee Young-moon gave a bitter smile.

* * *

With So-ye and Han Byul hunting simultaneously, South Korea had now proven its hunting capabilities in earnest.
One was Plus Tier and the other Hazard Tier 8, but the fact that they’d faced both at once was itself a remarkable achievement.
There were still many nations struggling even against Hazard Tier 8 Monsters.

“We’ve climbed to sixth in the Power Ranking.”

The President spoke with a beaming smile.
Cheon Myeong-guk’s expression had brightened considerably as well. The Awakened Power Ranking was one of the key indicators symbolizing national strength, making it a powerful way to assert South Korea’s safety.
In fact, by area-to-safety ratio, South Korea had entered the top five safest nations in the world.
Even with Villains and Monsters running rampant, it remained a good place to live. One could only imagine what hell other nations endured.

“Anyway, it is today. Do I really need to go?”

Today was the day Franz would arrive from Germany.
He’d made it clear he was coming to scold me—I couldn’t very well ignore that.
The President and Cheon Myeong-guk both wore faces begging me to let it pass, but was there any reason to deliberately avoid seeing a face I hadn’t seen in so long?
That’s why I’d already made clear my intention to go to the Airport to greet him.

“Yes.”
“Unnecessary conflict could arise. Better to exchange a brief greeting at Cheongwadae instead.”

As if that old man’s temperament would allow him to let things slide just like that?
The President clearly hadn’t abandoned hope that things might pass without incident.

“Even if a confrontation does occur, wouldn’t the Airport be better than Cheongwadae?”
“…….”

He seemed to understand my consideration only now.
Of course, I had no intention of fighting come what may.

“I’ll do my best to keep the atmosphere favorable.”
“Yes, now that you say it, I have to believe you. I trust you’ll do well. Don’t you think, Director Cheon?”
“Yes, well…….”

Speaking in such a lukewarm tone hardly inspires confidence.
Since I don’t trust myself either, I won’t force belief on those who share my doubts.

“Then I’ll be going.”

My heart was racing as I headed toward the Airport.
I met Franz after becoming a Bloodline, but our first encounter left a deep impression on me.
Mine, one of my Gifts, is also one I favor most.
When he died in my hands, Franz was already well over eighty. He could have lived out his days quietly, respected throughout Europe, and yet he came to Korea for justice.
Did his curmudgeonly nature bloom from that point on?
Back when I was a Bloodline, the moment he saw me he’d snapped that I’d surrendered to evil and needed to get my head on straight—barking at me before anything else.

“I wonder how strong he’ll be.”

Much younger now, I found myself curious what he’d become.

* * *

Franz Günter, well into his mid-sixties, looked to be in his early fifties at first glance. His sharp-featured face and the taut musculature of his well-trained frame announced a seasoned master.
He stroked his long mustache thoughtfully, his brow furrowing at the nagging voice of his apprentice beside him.

“You need to handle this gracefully.”
“Then I’ll handle it gracefully. You think I’m going to overturn the table?”
“Your actions aren’t setting a good example. That’s the problem.”
“Hmph.”

Lora, Franz’s apprentice, let out a deep sigh. She’d faced Choi Jun-ho before and had offered guidance on how to approach him, but her master showed no sign of listening.
She found herself melancholy, wondering how she’d ended up caught between these two.

“I came here because we need to join forces against the League. You need to keep your wits about you—I’ll give you a proper scolding, and you just stand aside and watch.”
“Has that ever actually worked on anyone?”
“It has. Thirty years ago there was a man named Johannes Müller—”
“I’ve heard that story over a hundred times. And talking about someone who’s been dead that long doesn’t prove anything anyway.”
“Ahem, well, keep listening and you’ll hear it again.”
“Ugh!”

Lora sighed, but Franz spoke without so much as changing his expression.

“If I don’t scold him properly beforehand, he could be swayed by the League. The best thing would be to get him married so he comes to his senses—”

At that, he glanced at Lora, and his face twisted sharply.

“If you keep saying strange things like that, I won’t let it slide. And besides, I’m not interested. What’s the age difference anyway?”
“Age is nothing when it comes to love.”
“Want to feel what your disciple’s combat looks like?”

At Lora’s sharp retort, Franz let out a grudging murmur.

“Back in my day, we revered our teachers like heaven itself.”
“I’ve heard ‘old fool of a teacher’ hundreds of times while training you.”
“In any case, just trust me. If you won’t listen, I’ll beat some sense into you by force.”
“Choi Jun-ho is genuinely strong.”
“Stronger than me?”
“It won’t be easy.”

When the answer he wanted didn’t come, Franz’s brow creased deeper.

“Youth’s strength counts for little. Are you disrespecting your own teacher?”
“I’m not disrespecting you.”
“Tch, young people these days don’t understand respect. Let’s go.”

He clicked his tongue and strode ahead. Behind him, Lora released a long, weary sigh.
She could only wonder what would happen when a stubborn teacher met a half-mad Choi Jun-ho.
She hadn’t suddenly developed a precognitive Gift.
So why did she feel like she could see the future coming?

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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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