The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity

Oh Jong-yeop, with blue bruises on both eyes, stretched out his body on the ground, lying flat on their back with their arms and legs extended outward.

He tried to drive away the handsome guy he had never seen before in front of his house, but the result was that he ended up with two black eyes.

This guy was an absolute powerhouse that he couldn’t handle. He was confident since he had reached level 2 not long ago, but he was still far from being enough.

Oh Jong-yeop frowned as he watched the guy nonchalantly brushing his hands as if he had just finished a light morning exercise.

“No matter what you want, you won’t achieve your goal.”

“How do you know what I want?”

“No matter what you say...”

“Okay, forget it. Listen to me. It’s a sensitive subject.”

“Grr!”

Feeling the force emanating from the whispering voice, Oh Jong-yeop clenched his fists.

He was an invincible opponent.

What on earth was this person’s goal? He already felt powerless because he couldn’t do anything for his younger brother, who was suffering from a rare disease. But when he couldn’t even stop the intruder from doing whatever he wanted, he felt even more hopeless.

“Don’t make that face. I came to help you.”

“Help me? How?”

“You’re struggling with your brother’s medical bills, aren’t you?”

“...!”

How did this guy know that?

Looking up at the guy with suspicion, the other slowly continued speaking.

“I owe your father a debt. I came to repay it.”

Oh Jong-yeop shouted in anger.

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

“What nonsense am I talking about?”

“My father abandoned our family and ran away as soon as Jong-soo was born!”

As expected, this guy had a different motive. What could it be? Was he part of a human trafficking organization? Or was he a creditor looking for the trash that abandoned his family?

His eyes were strained so hard that his vision turned red. But Oh Jong-yeop didn’t take his gaze off the other person.

In contrast, the guy seemed nonchalant.

“Oh, really? Then let’s just say I owe your mother a favor.”

“This bastard!”

“Anyway, just know that I came to help you. Stop fooling around. So how much is the hospital bill?”

“...”

Oh Jong-yeop didn’t answer. Then the guy started walking towards their house.

“Shall I take your younger brother to the hospital?”

“Just a minute!”

“How much is the hospital bill?”

“Why are you doing this? Did you come here to make fun of us because we’re poor and have nothing?”

Oh Jong-yeop screamed. He had done his best to keep his younger brother alive and well. But the world didn’t accept him and his brother. Maybe it would be better if this dirty world just crumbled.

“Sometimes luck comes your way as you live. Today, you have the opportunity to treat your younger brother, who has been suffering for a long time.”

“...”

“How much is it?”

“25 billion won...”

It was a sufficient amount to cause the downfall of a household. It was an amount that he, a level 2 awakened person, could never afford.

As if squeezing it out of him, he gave an answer that satisfied the guy.

“That’s a lot. Wait a minute. How much money do I have right now?”

The guy who was manipulating his smartphone stopped and scratched his head.

“I’m short of 2.498 billion won.”

“...”

“Just wait a little bit. I’ll get it soon.”

With those words, the guy got up and left. Oh Jong-yeop, who had been watching him, gritted his teeth at the thought of being mocked and stood up, his body torn to shreds.

What did he do wrong to deserve this ridicule? He wanted to kill his father, who had abandoned him and his brother, and he missed his mother, who had suffered and passed away.

Three hours later.

Oh Jong-yeop, who barely let go of his anger and was taking care of his brother, reflexively opened the door at the dull sound coming from outside.

The guy who had mocked him earlier in the day was standing in front of a huge demon’s corpse.

“This should be worth about 30 billion won, right? Bring a knife. Let’s dismantle it.”

“...”

The demon named Shavel Tiger, which corresponded to a 6th degree of danger, was caught by the guy.

***

“...”

Oh Jong-yeop stared blankly as the Shavel Tiger was dismantled and the loot piled up.

He still couldn’t believe the current situation.

The guy had mocked him and his brother, who were both in a desperate situation. He thought it would be a mockery, not a helping hand. But the guy who appeared again had hunted a demon that belonged to the 6th degree of danger.

The danger level was a grade that could only be hunted by awakened beings of that level or a team of multiple awakened beings of levels 4-5.

The other caught it like taking a walk. It was surreal even just to watch.

One thing was certain. The luck that this person had talked about had come to him.

Oh Jong-yeop asked the guy who was smiling as he tasted the blood of the Shovel Tiger, holding its heart in his palm.

“What’s your purpose?”

“I told you. I came to pay off the debt to your uncle.”

“You said it was my mother earlier?”

“Oh, did I? Then let’s just say it’s your uncle.”

“....”

He was someone with whom normal conversation was impossible.

“Even if it’s just the magic stone, it should be enough for medical expenses. Do you think it’s not enough?”

“I might even have some leftover.”

“Then use the remaining money to eat well. Nutrition is more important after you receive treatment.”

The guy who said that reached out his hand.

“What?”

“Give me your phone. I’ll help your brother get admitted to Sacred Hospital.”

“Sacred Hospital...?”

“I know someone there. They’ll help if I ask. Will you let me help?”

Oh Jong-yeop heard it and muttered, “I tried to kill him, but just didn’t succeed.”

Was he really asking for help from the person he tried to kill?

Meanwhile, the guy who finished entering the number handed him the smartphone.

“Dispose of the by-products discreetly. You can handle that much on your own.”

“Of course, no, of course. Thank you so much.”

“I think I’ve built up good karma from my past life’s mistake.”

Regardless of what the other said, he felt at ease because he had the real money in his hand.

“Oh, and there’s something I want to ask.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“Do you know an organization called Big Ten?”

“...”

As soon as he heard those words, Oh Jong-yeop’s face turned pale.

Big Ten was a villain organization that operated in Ansan, and it’s where he went looking for a job to pay for his brother’s hospital bills.

If it hadn’t been for the ‘favor’ he received today, he would have seriously considered their offer.

“...I have nothing to do with Big Ten.”

“I know they made an offer. Just tell me their location.”

“Yes.”

Under the penetrating gaze, Oh Jong-yeop divulged every piece of information he knew.

“I have to go check it out.”

Feeling as if he were possessed by a ghost, Oh Jong-yeop asked, “Who exactly are you?”

“I’m a Grade 9 Government Hunter.”

The person who said those words disappeared without a trace.

“...”

Oh Jong-yeop, who had been watching with a dazed look, regained his senses.

Although the other was full of lies, the favor he showed was real.

What could be the reason for showing such a favor?

The contents of his head were all jumbled up, but one thing was certain.

Oh Jong-yeop looked at his sleeping brother, Oh Jong-su. His brother’s face, which was always twisted, was comfortable today.

“I will find him. And repay the favor in my own way.”

***

To be honest, meeting with Oh Jong-yeop was more disappointing than I had thought.

He was a friend who had helped me until the end, but as soon as I saw him today, I realized.

The Oh Jong-yeop in front of me was not the Slash Oh Jong-yeop that I knew.

There was no friendship that had been built up through being chased by hunters between us. To him, I was just a stranger he met for the first time today.

For me, providing Oh Jong-yeop’s brother with medical expenses was a kindness based on our past life’s connection, but for him, it was an unexpected stroke of luck.

So I didn’t bother to tell him to become a government hunter like I had originally planned. Once his brother was cured, he could have the ability to live as he wanted. I didn’t want to take charge of his career.

Live the life you want.

It was a kindness I could offer to my friend, who I had killed with my own hands.

“...I have to deal with this quickly and leave.”

And now, I was heading to the headquarters of the villain organization, Big Ten.

They were currently active in Ansan, but in about ten years, they would expand their influence throughout the southern part of Gyeonggi Province. They used all kinds of dirty methods, such as kidnapping families and turning them into drug addicts, to lure awakened people living in the suburbs into drug trafficking and smuggling.

Ironically, the reason why they were able to become so big was because of me.

At that time, when I went crazy, I started moving north, which was the opposite direction from where my parents were in Cheongju. Big Ten grew by taking advantage of the gap where the government’s attention was focused on the north to arrest me.

Since they didn’t pay the price last time, they must pay the price this time. Even if one just looked at the sins they had committed so far, they were people who could only contribute to the world by dying.

My plan was to sweep the base and make them disappear. Then, there would be confusion in the investigation, and I could exclude myself from being suspected. In addition, if they were missing instead of dead, their bodies had to be found first.

When I arrived at the location that Oh Jong-yeop had told me about, rough-looking men were wandering around the old factory area. I headed towards the place where the most men were gathered.

One of the men who spotted me stepped forward.

“Stop! Who are you?”

“Me? I’m a government hunter.”

“What...?”

Before he could answer, I grabbed his head with my hand. After blowing up his head with the landmine Gift, I pulled out the sword that was in his hand.

“Let’s finish this quickly.”

It was an old, poorly maintained sword. As soon as I used a Gift on the sword, it began to be wrapped in a sticky red stream of blood.

It was Oh Jong-yeop’s Gift—‘Slash’.

A gift that cut everything it touched. It’s a unique gift that’s hard to match against opponents who were at a higher or similar level than the user.

As the gruesome red sword cut through the air, the bodies of the villains were shredded into pieces. The more blood flowed on the ground, the darker the blood on the sword became.

After cutting down the three men with guns, I went inside the factory. People inside had already detected the disturbance outside.

“It’s the enemy!”

Amidst the loud alarms, the villains drew their weapons.

The numbers alone looked like they exceeded 50. I didn’t know why they were gathered like this, but after occupying the entrance, I leaped into the midst of the villains.

“Chaahk!”

The moment the crimson force was released from the sword, over five villains were struck down.

Unlike the landmine Gift where he had to touch the target directly, the slash Gift was optimized for facing multiple enemies, even if it was less accurate.

I didn’t care and started swinging my sword to kill them one by one.

Among them, those heading towards the entrance were my top priority. I cut their necks, separated their upper and lower bodies, and even sliced them vertically.

As I quenched my thirst for villain’s blood, I cut them down one by one with precision.

In just five minutes, over 40 villains were killed.

“Mo-Monster!”

“We can’t handle this!”

“Run away!”

Just as I was about to deal with the remaining villains, a hazy figure darted out and rushed towards me at a terrifying speed.

Pu-kang!

I reflexively raised my sword, but the old sword shattered into two.

Amidst this, the other person’s left fist, imbued with tremendous strength, flew into me. As I bounced back with the remaining part of the sword, the other’s right fist followed suit and rushed towards me.

However, I easily cut off his right arm with the Slash.

“Yiik!”

The guy’s left arm was then also cut off.

Thwack!

As soon as I saw the pale face of the guy who’d just been killed, I had to suppress a shudder. His head, caught in my slash skill, had shattered into pieces.

“Oh, it’s Muscle Cat.”

It wasn’t until I saw his decapitated head lying on the ground that I realized who he was.

Muscle Cat was a notorious villain with a bounty of over 500 million won on his head. He was famous for targeting burly men and killing dozens of them.

He was also incredibly agile and estimated to be at level 5, so we were told to report him immediately if we ever found him. But my mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.

“Should I just take the head and go? Or should I take a photo for proof?”

Sometimes people could collect a villain’s bounty anonymously. But if I left any trace, I would be caught eventually. Since I had no intention of revealing what happened here today, I decided to give up.

I picked up the sword lying on the ground and dispatched the other villains. As I was about to enter the inner office, two people suddenly appeared.

“Surrender! I surrender! I’m the boss of Big Ten!”

Without a word, I cut off his head. My gaze then fell on the skinny, sixty-something man standing next to me.

“I, I’m the vice mayor of Ansan...”

“What do I care?”

Without waiting for him to finish, I chopped off his head too. When no one was left alive in the factory, I looked around.

“Ah.”

The gruesome remains of the dismembered body were scattered around the floor and walls, covered in flesh and blood.

The scene of the massacre where more than fifty corpses were wriggling around was a view that I frequently saw when I was crazy.

The sticky feeling of blood stuck to my hand brought back old memories.

I killed too many people than I thought.

I let out a sigh, feeling my head getting cold.

“When will I finish cleaning this up?”