The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity

At the mention of the black market, Jung Ju-ho’s brows furrowed.

“You want to mess with the black market? Hey, tell me honestly. Are you a spy sent by another department trying to kick me out of the competition?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s right, let’s be honest now. It’ll make things easier, okay? Please say it. Please!”

Was it so surprising to suggest getting rid of the black market while catching the Berserker?

“This is rejected. Absolutely not.”

“May I ask why it’s not possible?”

“I could talk about it for three days and three nights. Okay, let me summarize the black market for you. If the black market falls, South Korea will fall too.”

“...”

“Don’t you understand? It’s simple. The black market is where all the privileges and rights of every powerful group in South Korea are intertwined. It’s the only breathing space in this tightly regulated country.”

Jung Ju-ho explained that, currently, South Korea had strict regulations not only on guilds but also on companies. This was to prevent the power of guilds and the wealth of companies from surpassing the nation, but it had caused significant dissatisfaction.

It was the existence of the black market that allowed this part of the economy to breathe. It was a melting pot of guilds, corporations, politicians, villains, bureaucrat hunters, and all sorts of other people, creating an outlet for discontent. There was no accountability, no taxation, and it grew to the size it was today.

It didn’t get any bigger or smaller because it did not exceed the line allowed by the government.

“If you touch this, everybody who profits from it is going to try to kill you.”

I survived that situation in my previous life.

Anyway, I understood what Jung Ju-ho meant.

“It’s illegal, but it’s a neutral zone that everyone acknowledges.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s also a kind of fence to watch the villains who use it. Then it’ll be easier to understand their movements and catch them when we want.”

Jung Ju-ho didn’t deny it.

In other words, the black market interests were more intertwined than I’d realized, and there were many higher-ups involved.

It was also a breeding ground for villains.

“Because not everything in the world goes back and forth between good and evil. Don’t corporations or guilds need a place to breathe under tight regulations? They can launder money there and things like that. So scrap this plan.”

“Understood.”

“How’s this for a deal? I will no longer suspect you of espionage.”

“But does that mean I can go to the black market?”

Jung Ju-ho’s smiling face twisted.

“If you want to go, you can go. But why do you want to?”

“Reconnaissance. The Berserker might come.”

“There are several black markets, and the Berserker would show up where you’re going? Don’t you have something else up your sleeve?”

“Is this your Gift, Director?”

“I’m not a mind reader. If you want to, I won’t stop you, but please do it in moderation, moderation. Hah! But you’re the type to not listen, anyway. If you’re done, leave.”

Jung Ju-ho waved his hand, as if wanting to go back to his own business.

“Oh! And they say there’s a legendary pill there that’s good for hair growth. If you see it at the black market, buy me one. Don’t look at me like that. It’s for precautionary measures. Okay?”

I had never seen such medicine even before I regressed.

But Jung Ju-ho’s gaze was so desperate that I couldn’t refuse outright.

“I’ll look for it.”

***

As I walked outside, I saw that Jung Da-hyun’s eyes had become bloodshot over the past few days.

“You look very tired.”

“Really? I guess it’s because I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

She smiled faintly, and it made me wonder. I knew what was making her tired, and I couldn’t let it go unnoticed. I had to give her a little hint.

“Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?”

“Sure.”

We went to a café and had a drink each.

“How’d the talk go?”

“My proposal got rejected.”

“What did you suggest?”

“I proposed a mission to clear out the black market.”

I didn’t bring up the topic of the Berserker, afraid that it would startle her.

“That’s understandable. I don’t have a good impression of the black market either, but there’s so much tangled up in it.”

“I already got scolded by the Director about it.”

“He’s just saying that to protect you. The Director only speaks comfortably with those he’s close to.”

“But it feels like he keeps making unreasonable demands.”

“Unreasonable demands?”

I was about to say something, but I closed my mouth, thinking that baldness was a problem that was directly linked to a man’s pride. It seemed like Jung Da-hyun understood the meaning of my silence and didn’t ask any further.

I recalled my original purpose and changed the subject.

“I can understand your urgency, but torturing yourself like this is not the right way to do it.”

“Has Mr. Jun-ho ever been in a hurry like this before?”

“Yes, I was so desperate that I couldn’t wait.”

“That’s surprising.”

Although Jung Da-hyun was surprised, I was a really pathetic guy at this time in my previous life. I complained and vented my anger to my family, saying that the world didn’t recognize me, and I pursued power recklessly without considering the means and methods.

It built up and built up until I became the Blood Master.

I didn’t need to watch someone else make the same mistakes I did.

“Having some leeway is important.”

“Leeway, huh?”

“To become stronger, it’s more important to focus on the quality of your training rather than the quantity. You should always maintain your best condition and train. If you don’t feel well today, resting well will actually help you move on to the next level.”

“Quality of training...”

“Yes.”

“Thanks for the advice. I’ll treat you properly next time. Is there something you like?”

“When I made soybean paste stew last time, there were some ingredients that I unfortunately didn’t put in. It would have been much tastier if I had put them in.”

Jung Da-hyun’s eyes twinkled more than when we talked about training.

“Is there such a magical ingredient? What is it? Please tell me!”

“It’s the head of an owl bear.”

“Owl bear’s head... I’ll try it!”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

I wonder if she would like it if I brought back an owl bear’s head from the black market once I went there.

***

My first visit to the black market in this lifetime brought back memories.

Back in the days when the Blood Master turned everyone against me, my consciousness was in poor shape. The black market was the only place I could get what I needed, as I was always hunted down.

As for me, I just quietly bought what I needed at the black market and disappeared.

After my conversation with Jung Ju-ho, I only found out that there were probably people surveilling me whenever I visited the place.

Black markets were usually held once every 20 days to a month, open from evening to dawn, and close in the morning without a trace.

A black market was usually located on the outskirts of the metropolitan area.

It is close to the port and belonged to the sphere of influence of large corporations and guilds, where villains could also access.

“So the zones are divided.”

Once the black market was opened, it was usually divided into three or four zones, and that’s how the boundaries were drawn by faction.

Returning to the past, I was worried that I would be denied entry, but my worries were unfounded as I was immediately allowed in.

“I haven’t been here in a while.”

The reason for visiting the black market was nothing special. Since giving up the operation I proposed, I wanted to personally explore and find ways to weaken them through other means.

Villains gained power when they absorbed the city’s displaced residents, arming them with firearms to attack Hunters.

As firearms were still effective for low-level Awakened, the black market’s firearms were often taken by villains.

They raid hunters, and among those hunters that they could possibly attack was Yoon-hee. And when they got stronger, they would attack provincial cities, and my parents were in the provinces.

To me, that’s enough reason to weaken the black market.

It would be even better to completely eliminate it.

“It’s the same as before.”

There were exactly two categories of people in the black market.

Those who bought items, and those who sold them.

Both customers and merchants were quiet. There was no reason to attract unnecessary attention and reveal their identity through their voices.

The only conversation that took place was when exchanging the value of goods.

As I look around in silence, it occurred to me that the black market was a place of strict understanding. I could now see why Jung Ju-ho tried to stop me.

It didn’t seem like it would be easy to clean up once I had killed everyone here. It’s not easy to chase them down one by one.

If Jung Ju-ho failed to cover for me, my existence would be exposed, and while villains might not care, large corporations and major guilds certainly wouldn’t just sit by and watch.

I appreciated the fact that he was trying to strike a balance in the midst of so many incidents that I caused. Jung Ju-ho wanted me to not become a villain because I was useful. I was a government hunter myself, so I tried not to kill villains when I arrested them.

Only those I could convince, of course.

The most reliable way to gain recognition as a superhuman and wield authority is by having your level measured. I didn’t mind the attention because I already experienced it when I was the Blood Master.

I could endure the inconvenience around me. However, I wasn’t sure what kind of impact it would have on my family.

“It’s not here.”

I looked around in case I could see the Berserker, but I couldn’t find him. I had heard that he often showed up at the black market to buy necessary items, but maybe today was an exception.

Then I found something familiar.

It was the heart of a level 4 demon. I had dealt with a lot of level 3 and 4 hearts when I was on the run, as they were reasonably priced and easy to cash in.

“How much is this?”

“20 million won without tax.”

“......”

“If you’re not buying, get lost.”

I was shocked and just ignored the cursing.

When I sold it to a merchant in my past life, I sold each one for 3 million won. Was I taken advantage of? I had visited the black market several times, but I wasn’t interested in the price because I didn’t need anything.

I wonder if the other items I sold before were the same?

While wandering around the black market, I searched for the items I sold in my last life. They were being sold for three times the price I sold them at, and sometimes even twenty times more.

Now I understood why those black market merchants risked their lives to approach me.

“I was such an easy target.”

If they were right in front of me, I would have smashed their heads.

Feeling shocked by opening this Pandora’s Box, I moved to the outskirts of the black market in a trance.

When I first visited this place, I thought the black market was a win-win situation for everyone. You could sell unnecessary items and buy the necessary ones at a slightly higher price.

I was the only victim among them.

It seemed that life was not worth it in front of profit. I realized how daring one could be when they were obsessed with money.

Then I had a fleeting thought.

“It seems like a good idea.”

The black market was a place where various factions were intertwined. Jung Ju-ho was worried that those factions would turn into my enemies if I destroyed this place.

So, what if I gradually ruined it?

Let’s say there was a villain who visited the black market. He had to have basic skills and a considerable purchasing power since he visited this place. He must be a dangerous guy.

What if that villain went missing after visiting the black market?

And not just one or two, but a steady stream of them?

Villains would be afraid, and the black market would lose customers.

I didn’t have to be so bold as to eliminate them. I just needed to do it consistently enough to instill fear in them.

Getting rid of villains was legitimate law enforcement. I just had to be careful not to get caught.

And when the Berserker also appeared, that’s a good thing.

After leaving the black market, I began to look for sacrificial lambs.