The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity

Keyeeak!

Garam, who had been howling miserably, collapsed, trembling all over.

Struggling to support itself with its tattered legs, it eventually fell to the ground.

Thud!

Watching all of this, I lightly clicked my tongue.

“Well, this is a bit unexpected.”

Hunting Garam, who hadn’t reached the Plus tier stage, wasn’t difficult. However, it was much tougher than I had anticipated. Was it because the hatchling died? If I had kept it alive and used it, this fight might have been much easier.

After neutralizing Garam, I attempted Brainwashing, just like I did with Nuri.

I had thought about experimenting to see if a level 8 monster could be tamed.

At first, Garam resisted strongly, but with repeated brainwashing, it gradually weakened.

The resistance lessened, and it responded obediently to my messages. Just when I thought it was being tamed, Garam’s eyes flickered for a moment, and then it rushed towards me, bursting with killing intent.

Kyaaah!

It was different from the other level 8 monster I had seen so far.

While the power was less refined, the intensity of the rampaging Force was similar to Nuri’s.

This phenomenon could only mean one thing.

“Monster awakening.”

It was astonishing. For a brief moment, Garam’s power rivaled that of the Plus tier stage. It’s presumed Gift, gravity manipulation, caught me off guard for a moment.

Eventually, though, it was knocked back down. I tried to resume my brainwashing, but Garam’s next move surprised me.

Staring at me with eyes full of life, Garam’s gaze turned blurry and then lost its light.

It had taken its own life.

Could it be that rather than submitting to brainwashing, it chose to end its life?

I didn’t expect a monster to have this level of intelligence.

I silently watched for a while as the Earth Dragon’s corpse lay defeated beside its hatchling.

“……”

It would have been better if there’s another one.

Wouldn’t parents supposed to be two entities?

Since the spouse and kid had died like this, it would be nice if the partner also appeared so it could be together with its family.

However, even after a while, it did not appear.

Shouldn’t it have caught the scent of blood? But I couldn’t sense anything nearby.

“Did this guy give birth on its own?”

After waiting for about 10 more minutes and not seeing any sign, I contacted the Blue House.

* * *

Choi Jun-ho’s reconnaissance mission was part of the Blue House’s preemptive response.

In the course of history, humanity adopted a strategic stance in hunting level 8 monsters. This approach was driven by the inevitable need to confront other monsters when exploring areas where their reactions were detected.

What if a level 8 monster revealed itself while dealing with another monster?

Rather than risking the entire hunting team being annihilated, it was better to establish a defensive line and wait for the level 8 monster to appear.

The reason the Blue House could move like this was solely because of Choi Jun-ho’s presence.

Unofficially, his presence was that of a Transcendent, but perhaps he had already surpassed that.

“Unusual reaction!”

An emergency report came from the Blue House, which was monitoring the Andong direction.

An urgent report was sent to the Blue House, which had been attentively monitoring the direction towards Andong.

The appearance of a level 8 monster was a matter of national survival.

No, powerful nations no longer perceived significant threats from level 8 monsters. They had consistently hunted and accumulated data, building up expertise in monster hunting.

However, the Plus tier monster that appeared was a being capable of bringing even powerful nations to ruin.

Monsters continued to appear, but it took a long time to replenish the fallen awakened individuals.

Cheon Myeong-guk rushed without considering any dignity, issuing immediate orders before promptly heading to the president.

“A Level 8 monster has appeared. It’s in the direction of Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do.”

“That’s where Transcendent Choi Jun-ho is.”

“Yes.”

Though it was an urgent situation, the president’s expression remained calm.

Did he trust Choi Jun-ho, or did he trust the awakened forces of South Korea?

Cheon Myeong-guk believed it was both. With Choi Jun-ho there, he expected preemptive measures to be taken.

The president’s gaze turned to Cheon Myeong-guk.

“Is it a Plus tier level?”

“It’s unclear.”

“I hope it’s not Plus. It’s still challenging to deal with. Transcendent Choi Jun-ho, the transcendent but accidents can happen unexpectedly.”

Meanwhile, a report came in, and Cheon Myeong-guk reported with a bright expression.

“It’s not a Plus tier.”

“Then it should be easier to hunt. Good, move out right away.”

“I’ll immediately contact the Sacred Guild, which we contracted with earlier, to prepare a response plan.”

The newly appeared danger Level 8 monster was named Garam.

Even if it wasn’t a Plus tier level, it was far from being easy.

The president judged that the goal of the operation had been achieved.

“First, contact Transcendent Choi Jun-ho and order him to retreat.”

“Yes! Right away…”

As Cheon Myeong-guk was about to move, a secretary rushed over with an anxious expression.

“Director!”

The president and Cheon Myeong-guk’s gazes locked on the secretary at the same time.

“What’s wrong?”

“The reaction of the danger level 8 monster has disappeared.”

“Disappeared?”

“Yes! Completely disappeared.”

What on earth happened? The gaze of both the President and Cheon Myeong-guk met. Both had bewildered expressions on their faces.

After a moment, the President spoke with a confident voice.

“What happened? The probability of it being related to Choi Jun-ho is high.”

“I think the same.”

“The fact that the reaction disappeared is undoubtedly…”

The probability of good news rather than bad news was high.

Because Choi Jun-ho was on the scene.

Whether it’s a person or a monster, if it fell into his hands, who would come out unscathed?

As various thoughts crossed their minds, Cheon Myeong-guk’s smartphone loudly rang.

“It’s Transcendent Choi Jun-ho.”

“Take it.”

“This is Cheon Myeong-guk speaking.”

As soon as the President gave permission, he answered the call directly. After a while, his expression lightly solidified, and he nodded continuously as he answered.

“What’s the matter?”

Cheon Myung-guk replied with a disappointed voice.

“He says he hunted the Level 8 monster, and he asked for a team to handle the aftermath.”

“As expected.”

“Yes.”

Was a monster with a danger level 8 this easy to hunt?

They were putting all their effort into preparing to face a monster that could threaten even the nation. However, it was captured as easily as a person grabbing a child’s wrist.

An individual could never surpass the nation.

Absolutely not.

This was a belief that the Cheon Myeong-guk had steadfastly upheld.

However, today, seeing Choi Jun-ho, it felt like my convictions were shattering into pieces.

A monster, which could be a potential threat to the nation’s existence, was being handled with surprising ease.

“Hahaha! Excellent, excellent!”

The president laughed uncontrollably, unaware of how Cheon Myeong-guk felt.

* * *

While on a reconnaissance mission, I ended up capturing a level 8 monster.

This situation had actually happened.

I discovered a young Earth Dragon and, as a joke, asked it to bring its parents, only to end up capturing the real parent.

Literally a situation created by coincidence upon coincidence.

I hoped another one would attack, but that was a failure; it seemed the other sensed the danger and escaped.

Although the hunting results brought in close to 1 trillion in revenue, the content of my hunting the monster named ‘Garam’ was completely distorted.

It was the work of Jin Se-jeong.

“To calm the citizens trembling in fear due to the appearance of a plus tier monster, Transcendent Choi Jun-ho made a decisive decision. He went to Andong and achieved a feat, which we will package as a triumphant accomplishment.”

“……”

The ability to package even this situation was remarkable, or should I say, frightening.

I just went to collect my paycheck, and while I was there, the monster just happened to show and I just captured it.

Her ability to add meaning to that was beyond imagination.

I thought that was impressive on Jin Se-jeong’s part, but it seemed she didn’t plan to stop here.

“Transcendent-nim. This is not the end of the matter. Did they say that Garam’s corpse will be exhibited tomorrow? This time, you must participate in that event.”

“I didn’t participate last time.”

Was there a reason to participate?

If I went, I would just be photographed by a bunch of mysterious fans calling me “Oppa” even though some of them were older than me.

I was hinting that I didn’t want to go, but Jin Se-jeong decisively cut my words.

“So you have to participate this time.”

“I would like to know why I have to participate.”

“Yes, first of all, the spotlight should be on Transcendent-nim. If you leave it like this, the government will take credit for hunting Garam. But it was you, Transcendent-nim, who hunted Garam. People need to know that.”

Was it important to reveal who did the hunting?

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

She said, as if reading my inner thoughts.

Jin Se-jeong looked into my eyes and emphasized once again.

“You already generously give the government the credit for capturing Nuri. Right now, the president is a sensible person who expressed gratitude to Transcendent-nim. But will he keep expressing gratitude? Typically, people tend to take things for granted after feeling thankful once or twice. At some point, the government might focus only on the hunting results, and it may become a natural perception that Transcendent Choi Jun-ho is expected to do the hunting. Why is it that the Transcendent-nim did the hunting, but the government should take credit for the results?”

“……”

“There’s a saying, ‘you stand to lend and kneel to receive.’ I don’t want the government to artificially present and distribute the accomplishments you, Transcendent-nim, have achieved, as if handing out small favors.”

“I agree.”

It’s a reasonable statement.

However, what Jin Se-jeong misunderstood was that I would stay silent.

I didn’t have the slightest intention of staying still.

Did they see me as some kind person? Well, her being a regular person, it’s not that odd to see me that way.

Jin Se-jeong’s expression relaxed when she heard that I agree with her opinion.

“Even if you decide to compromise later, make sure to take care of your own interests. If I overstepped, I apologize.”

“No, you didn’t overstep at all.”

“That’s a relief. Honestly, I was really nervous.”

…It didn’t seem like that, though.

But there was nothing wrong with Jin Se-jeong’s words.

It’s not that I didn’t know.

I just thought it was annoying and uncomfortable, so I didn’t pay much attention. However, thanks to Jin Se-jeong’s words, I now knew that even when deciding to give up, there’s a specific process to follow.

In simple terms, it’s not about putting on a show of effort.

Ironically, such advice was what I need.

“If there’s anything you think I need to know in the future, please advise me.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, yes. I’ll do that. In fact, there were so many things I wanted to tell you.”

I realized with a start when I saw Jin Se-jeong smiling broadly.

…I made a mistake.

I found myself stuck in the never-ending chatter of Jin Se-jeong, unable to escape.

Still, it was a worthwhile time.

* * *

The square was crowded. Countless people, looking at the 30-meter Earth Dragon Garam, exclaimed in awe. Despite it being a lifeless body, fear kept some at a distance, making it hard for them to approach.

To the ordinary citizens, monsters were such beings.

A source of terror that destroyed the foundation of their lives and threatened their very existence.

To dilute the fear of monsters, the government displayed them like this after hunting. It was a kind of protest and advertisement, saying that they weren’t that big of a deal.

Lee Se-hee and Jung Da-hyun were in Gwanghwamun Square, where Garam’s body was exhibited.

They conversed from a distance away from Garam’s corpse.

“It’s new to see it like this.”

“Yeah.”

“Congratulations on reaching Level 7.”

“Thank you.”

“…”

For a moment, silence fell between them. Lee Se-hee saw that Jung Da-hyun was feeling awkward.

Like a good kid.

Perhaps she was being considerate because she thought her pride might be hurt.

While it’s true that her pride was wounded, there was no need to outwardly show it. Instead of expressing these negative emotions, she could consider using them as nourishment for her personal growth.

At times like this, she would comfort herself in this way.

“”I’ll work hard too. Falling behind doesn’t suit my temperament. Besides, I might become a Transcendent first, right? So don’t get complacent just because you’re ahead.”

“Yes.”

The atmosphere became slightly awkward again.

This time, Lee Se-hee didn’t say anything.

The citizens were in a festive mood. They were enjoying themselves, not because South Korea was being liberated from the threat of monsters by hunting Garam, but perhaps because they needed moments like this to have a reason to celebrate, even for a short moment.

A little later, the presidential limousine appeared in a place slightly away from the square. Choi Jun-ho got off first, received security, and then the president disembarked.

There were no security personnel around except for Choi Jun-ho. The president’s trust and confidence in him were palpable.

And Choi Jun-ho.

Dressed in a black suit with full makeup, he looked like a Hallyu star playing the role of a bodyguard. (T/N: This is what Koreans called people who are famous even outside of the country.)

As expected, cheers erupted from all directions.

But why did some people in their 40s look like they’re calling him “Oppa”?

‘Well, it’s because of the trustworthy image that seems like he can handle anything.’

Lee Se-hee watched with a newfound admiration for Jin Se-jeong.

“Cool.”

“…Yes. But whose idea is it to dress him up like that?”

“There’s a famous person in the industry named Jin Se-jeong. Why? Ah.”

Lee Se-hee raised the corner of her mouth.

Jung Da-hyun flinched at the look in Lee Se-hee’s eyes as if she had found a toy.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Do you feel like you’re being robbed?”

“No, not at all.”

Although Jung Da-hyun denied it, Lee Se-hee’s smile deepened.

Resignation settled on Jung Da-hyun’s face as she felt completely dried up. Once Lee Se-hee caught on, she would cling on until the opponent raised the white flag.

“I understand. When a star, originally known only to me, gains popularity with the public, the sense of loss can be significant. Our lovely Da-hyun, were you very uneasy about it?”

“No, not really.”

“I know, I know.”

Lee Se-hee patted her shoulder with a mischievous smile, and Jung Da-hyun slapped it away.

How annoying!

Lee Se-hee grabbed Jung Da-hyun’s hand and made a sound like reading a Korean language book.

“Ah, Level 7, Jung, Da, hyun, catches, people.”

“Sehee, don’t make trouble.”

“But I’m not.”

In response to the playful reply, Jung Da-hyun burst into laughter.

* * *

Time passed smoothly.

Every once in a while, there would a reaction similar to when Garam appeared, and I would go out to scout, but no monster would show up.

Were they scheming against each other or something?

This was definitely not a good phenomenon. The fact that there were reactions, but no discoveries suggested the possibility of Level 8 monsters turning into the Plus tier stage.

Two months had passed since the hunt for Garam, and all the level 8 monsters that had appeared were now plus tier.

Scholars called this the overall upward leveling of monsters. Like awakened individuals, monsters were rapidly improving their levels through fierce survival competition.

The government named the next appearing Plus tier monster ‘Soye’ and the Sacred Guild successfully bid for the hunting rights.

Lee Se-hee was preparing a lot, saying that she would show the capability of the Sacred Guild this time.

However, an unexpected incident occurred.

– Oppa! It’s chaos right now! Unni clashed with the Director!

A desperate voice came from Yoon-hee.

The sister must be Lee Se-hee, and the director was Baek Gun-seo.

What did their clash have to do with me?

– Oppa, you’re involved.

“Me?”

Yoon-hee, saying that it’s an internal guild matter but that it will spread everywhere by tomorrow, warned me not to tell anyone else and to keep it to myself before starting to explain the details.

In a nutshell, Baek Gun-seo’s pride was hurt because Lee Se-hee put me as an observer for the hunt.

From Lee Se-hee’s perspective, it was insurance to minimize sacrifices, but from Baek Gun-seo’s perspective, it seemed like she didn’t trust him.

People’s pride really did get hurt over trivial things.

However, not everyone thought that way. Some argued that even the hunting know-how of the Sacred Guild should be strictly managed. And in certain circles, there were people who considered it a mistake on Lee Se-hee’s part.

Why? Was the hunting method of the Sacred Guild so special?

Anyway, it’s not like I had an intention of forming a hunting team.

“Got it. I’ll take care of the rest.”

– You’re not trying to turn things upside down, are you?

“Do you think I would do that?”

– Well, I’m thinking with a 99% probability that you would.

…Like a ghost. How did she know I was thinking of doing just that?

“Not like that.”

– Don’t make people around me uncomfortable for no reason. This is my workplace.

“Sure.”

After ending the call, I sorted out the recent situation in my mind.

It’s not unusual for opinions to differ within the guild.

Although Baek Gun-seo seemed to cherish Lee Se-hee, the event when he turned away from her at a crucial moment was a real event that happened in the future.

Whether unable to contain the disturbance or not, the next day the media began to chew on and enjoy the <Sacred Guild Discord>.

Two days later, at the meeting for the hunting expedition, key members of the Sacred Guild, including Lee Se-hee and Baek Gun-seo, participated.

Even at a glance, there was a chilly atmosphere between the two. In the midst of this, Lee Se-hee subtly glanced at me.

It’s probably related to me. Since my name also appeared in the media.

Or maybe, just like Yoon-hee, she thought I would cause trouble.

It seemed not easy to gain trust from people.

So, I abandoned the idea of overturning things and approached Baek Gun-seo, asking kindly.

“What exactly is your complaint?”