The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity

While Wang Ju-yeol was having a conversation with Choi Jun-ho, Jung Da-hyun was called by Jung Ju-ho to the director’s office.

“Excessive suppression, considering preliminary measures as final a solution, and bypassing immediate superiors, you caused quite a commotion.”

“...”

A deep sigh escaped from Jung Ju-ho.

“Anyway, I managed to resolve it somehow.”

“What was Team Leader Wang’s reaction?”

“He was furious. He was demanding an explanation why you proceeded with the task without consulting others. And that you should have discussed the matter with your actual supervisor, which was him.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t think you would be the one to trigger the ticking time bomb named Choi Jun-ho.”

“...”

Jung Da-hyun tightly sealed her lips. Despite Jung Ju-ho’s persistent gaze, she refused to speak.

“You said you would handle Choi Jun-ho well, Da-hyun. Tell me why you did that.”

“It’s true that Mr. Jun-ho is a bit twisted. But at the same time, he’s right.”

“Do you know what you’re talking about?”

“If this incident followed procedure, could we have eradicated the drug organization?”

“...”

“You saw the ledger. From guild officials and high-level government officials to conglomerate executives. If we hadn’t informed the Director, it wouldn’t have been made public like this.”

“What I’m talking about is a procedural issue.”

Wang Ju-yeol’s outburst was also related to this issue.

But Jung Ju-ho and Jung Da-hyun both understood this matter.

If the ledger had gone to Wang Ju-yeol, it might not have been able to reach Jung Ju-ho.

As the leader of a special team that fought villains on the front lines, there was no one who didn’t know that he was a corrupt government hunter.

“I know someone who said something similar.”

“What?”

“They say government officials don’t get punished just because they do this.”

Jung Da-hyun gave a dizzying smile.

***

Jung Da-hyun, who had finally caught the director by the neck, had never felt as refreshed as she did today.

Although Wang Ju-yeol sent a terrifying gaze from a little way away, she didn’t care too much, as she was already used to bumping into him at every turn.

Instead, she was filled with a sense of accomplishment for completing the mission from beginning to end.

This feeling continued until she returned home. The drug cartel dismantling she had done with Choi Jun-ho left a strong impression in her mind.

It was clearly a series of actions that went beyond the proper procedure and even used excessive suppression.

But one word from Choi Jun-ho magically resolved everything.

“Government hunters don’t get punished.”

That’s right. A government hunter was literally a government official. Unless it’s a serious offense, most cases end with a light punishment.

Wang Ju-yeol, who was clearly receiving bribes while mingling with large corporations, was in a situation where he was making a lot of fuss. Therefore, the probability of being fired due to a minor omission on a mission was zero.

Patrolling the streets, discovering villains, and the process leading to dismantling the drug cartel. It was proactive, bold, and fast. It was a feeling of relief from the frustration she had felt in the tight system after becoming a government hunter.

It was all thanks to Choi Jun-ho.

Although records might remain of them ignoring the system, it didn’t matter much.

The place she moved to from the Sacred Guild, where wealth and honor were guaranteed, was the National Security Agency. If she didn’t have the belief of catching villains, she would have been satisfied with working in the Sacred Guild while getting as much profit as possible.

In the end, the reason for being a subordinate employee who listened well to orders was to not go against the will of the person in charge.

But what if she gave up on a promotion?

She could act as she believed.

By leaving the Sacred Guild, she had already given up on the hundreds of billions she could have earned in the future. Giving up on other things was very easy.

Why did she realize this simple thing only now? It felt like she became a fool.

“To catch a monster, you have to become a monster.”

She understood that now.

***

I want to be a proud older brother to Yoon-hee.

Since the sin I committed in my previous life was so great, I had a strong desire to atone for it. So, I even boasted about my first achievement as a government hunter for image-making purposes.

A sincere older brother who did his government work without causing any accidents.

How cool was that?

That was until Yoon-hee brought her tablet.

“Is this about you, Brother?”

On the screen that was brought in front of me, there were article titles that were somewhat different from what I talked about yesterday.

Government Hunter, Excessive Suppression Controversy?, Drug Organization Suppression, Violence Hidden Behind It, No Exception, Where Are the Villains’ Human Rights?, National Security Agency, Unanswered ‘Controversy’ About Excessive Suppression, etc.

They were making controversies out of nothing.

Among them, the highlight was an article titled “National Security Agency Protecting Awakened Individuals with a Lack of Ethical Sense!”

“Go Ye-jin? I should remember her.”

Yoon-hee’s eerie voice murmured towards me.

“Well, it’s true.”

“...”

I was about to protest my unfair treatment, but seeing Yoon-hee’s expression, I gave up on making excuses. It seemed like she had no intention of believing me from the beginning.

“Jung Da-hyun was there too.”

“Did you drag Sister Da-hyun into this, too?”

“Why do you say that?”

“No, if it wasn’t for Brother, Sister Da-hyun wouldn’t have done that. It’s obvious that it happened because of you.”

“Stop talking.”

“Well, I don’t care what the reporters say.”

“Huh?”

It was an unexpected response.

“It’s obviously the problem with the media. When a government hunter catches a villain, they may use excessive force, and the media criticizes that.”

“I didn’t know you were on my side.”

“No, it’s obvious that you caught the villain. But what’s the big deal? In my opinion, the media is the biggest problem.”

This was a problem not only faced by government hunters but also by large corporations and guilds.

“I thought about what Brother said. But there were similar cases with the hunters of large guilds, too. The media always criticizes them for not considering the collateral damage during demon hunts. But when you think about it, hunting as quickly as possible is the way to reduce damage, and the damage that occurs during the process is unavoidable. Brother and Sister Da-hyun were the only ones there, so Brother must have tried to subdue them clearly. These journalists didn’t consider that, did they?”

“Right.”

“If we treat someone as a perpetrator while they are carrying out official duties, how can they perform their duties properly next time? Tsk tsk.”

“...”

Yoon-hee seemed more annoyed than me.

Still, I gained one conviction.

“Thank you.”

“Why are you suddenly saying that? It makes me uneasy for no reason.”

“Just because. And I was curious.”

“What?”

“Is it okay for a government hunter to report the corruption of a superior even if they are a lower-level employee?”

I was obviously talking about Wang Ju-yeol.

Yoon-hee’s face turned pale, as if she had sensed the context.

“What are you thinking right now? You’re not thinking what I’m thinking, are you? Hmm?”

Even if I said no, she wouldn’t believe me.

Instead of answering, I just smiled.

***

After dismantling the drug organization, Jung Da-hyun and I had achieved a few successes.

The experience of that day seemed to loosen her up a bit, as Jung Da-hyun began actively searching for people with suspicious behavior or clothing that she had previously overlooked.

During the search, an innocent citizen even apologized to us, but we also arrested criminals with charges of incomplete crimes and minor offenses.

It was a positive change.

However, the threat was within us. It was Wang Ju-yeol. Despite being responsible for the special team that arrested villains in our organization, he was excessively restraining me and Jung Da-hyun, who were increasing our arrests.

Of course, I had no intention of just watching him do that.

I kept a close eye on Jung Da-hyun.

As someone who possessed the gift of intuition, she was the owner of a sharp sense. One of the most useful gifts I had when I was the ‘Blood Master’ was the intuition I gained by killing Jung Da-hyun, which reacted sensitively to the possessor’s senses.

Especially in crisis situations, this intuition had the greatest power.

I was able to escape danger several times with this ability.

Then, when they realized that I had gained this intuition, they tried to eliminate me by building an inescapable siege.

Intuition couldn’t avoid unavoidable dangers, but its usability was limitless as long as one was capable.

I recalled Jung Da-hyun’s last moments in my previous life.

Despite knowing the danger through her intuition, she went out to catch me. Her willingness to burn herself up until the end was impressive.

The ‘Blood Master’ in me ridiculed her and laughed. But at this moment, as I tried to live an ordinary life, I realized that that kind of sacrifice contained noble meaning.

Honestly, I didn’t even sympathize with that.

I only came to the National Security Agency at her suggestion out of respect.

I believed that if my efforts and her upright justice were combined, I would continue the life of a proud son of my proud parents and a proud older brother of Yoon-hee.

A peaceful life was essential, and stability in the surrounding environment was necessary. Wang Ju-yeol was a hindrance to that, so he needed to be dealt with.

However, Jung Da-hyun and I had different thoughts on the issue.

She thought it was better to leave Wang Ju-yeol as he was unless there was decisive evidence.

I decided to take action while watching it.

I saw this on the internet. It said, ‘Just pay it back.’ Since Wang Ju-yeol was a corrupt civil servant, we could catch him and find evidence.

Jung Da-hyun trembled as if she had detected something strange.

“Mr. Jun-ho?”

“Nothing.”

“Hmm.”

I was 100% sure. Jung Da-hyun didn’t believe that I was not up to something.

The gap in our thoughts wouldn’t be narrowed easily.

I avoided her persistent gaze, returned to headquarters, and then went home.

However, my destination was not my house. I followed Wang Ju-yeol because I noticed that he was moving differently than usual, and had been leaving work later for a few days.

***

Wang Ju-yeol finished work quietly and clicked his tongue. He was not happy with recent events.

“In any case, those guys are the problem these days.”

It started with Jung Da-hyun, who came to the National Security Agency to catch villains with her sense of justice. She refused the full support of the largest guild in Korea, which could earn billions of won every year.

Above all, Jung Da-hyun was even more annoying because she was Jung Ju-ho’s niece, who had everything - talent, beauty, and connections. She was like a thorn that couldn’t be touched, even if she was his subordinate.

Still, he could handle Jung Da-hyun. She was a naïve young person who didn’t know how the world works, shouting for justice.

The problem was the guy who came in recently. He was the beginning of the problem.

A guy who crippled ten villains since he was an aspiring government hunter.

He even crippled the hand of the examiner when he took the practical test.

After he became a government hunter, it wasn’t like things got better. On the first patrol, I made 24 villains belonging to a drug organization disappear and also completely disregarded the procedural system.

Usually, even if a recruit had a rough temperament, they tended to refine themselves while complying with the organization, but this guy went beyond imagination.

The other even revealed his intention to kill on the first day. And that was clearly directed towards himself.

“Did those guys not make a ledger?”

If it’s an organization, even for their own safety, they would definitely make ledgers. They knew that it could be useful for negotiations in times of crisis. But there was no report from Jung Da-hyun and Choi Jun-ho. Even Jung Ju-ho, who received direct reports, showed no signs of suspicion.

That made Wang Ju-yeol uneasy.

Human imagination bred fear, and there’s a saying that “suspicion breeds disaster” for a reason.

Wang Ju-yeol, who was suffering from an invisible truth, came to one conclusion.

“Jung Da-hyun, Choi Jun-ho.”

These two were hiding evidence in some form and acting on their own.

Especially Choi Jun-ho. This guy must be dealt with.

The people he would meet today were also part of it.

Leaders of small guilds who committed illegal acts from behind. They were thugs who could be easily pushed away if one had the heart to do so, but could also be quietly used from behind.

They mainly manage underground markets, illegal gambling establishments, and drug trafficking, but with one drug organization flying away, the fire was on their heels.

“There’s something suspicious about that guy’s skills...”

For some reason, he couldn’t even check the guy’s level measurement data himself.

Externally, he was declared level 5, but it couldn’t be confirmed by the data.

***

“Jung Da-hyun is running rampant.”

“This is why we can’t move. Everyone just looks around.”

“The team leader needs to step up.”

Guild masters, who met at a high-end Korean restaurant, complained. As their main income was dependent on the underworld, the cooperation of the special team leader was absolutely necessary.

Listening to their story quietly, Wang Ju-yeol made up his mind. He had to get rid of the arrogant Choi Jun-ho. He believed Jung Da-hyun, who was wavering between duty and a sense of justice, could still be controlled.

“Of course, I will step up. But you have to eliminate one person for me.”

“Are you talking about Jung Da-hyun?”

“Even so, she’s a bit... “

Wang Ju-yeol lowered his head at the guild masters’ reaction.

“Not Jung Da-hyun. It’s a new recruit who hangs out with her. That guy is egging Jung Da-hyun on and causing chaos together.”

Their faces brightened at his words. If it wasn’t Jung Da-hyun, then it was a different story.

They had already dealt with many government hunters who were rashly chasing their sense of justice.

“If it’s just a new recruit, we can eliminate them easily.”

“We’ll make sure to kill them for invading our organization.”

“We promise to watch your back. We only trust the team leader.”

“Of course.”

Squeak.

At that moment, the door to the room where they were in opened. It was a young man in his mid-twenties. He entered the room with a calm expression, as if it were his own home.

“Who are you?”

“How dare you come in here?!”

“Get out!”

The guild masters shouted in surprise at the sudden intrusion. Their shouts were directed at the appearance of an uninvited guest. On the other hand, Wang Ju-yeol was shocked to see the young man’s face directly in front of him.

“Choi, Choi Jun-ho! Why are you here...?”

“Didn’t I tell you about my skills last time? I’m confident in chasing, surviving, escaping, and assassinating. And I’ve recently acquired a new skill that I’m confident in.”

Before anyone knew it, Choi Jun-ho had reached Wang Ju-yeol. Everyone froze in awe at his ghostly movements.

“Arrest the criminal. And collect evidence.”

“You!”

Wang Ju-yeol aimed for Choi Jun-ho’s neck using an unavoidable attack. As someone who had reached level 6, his movements were fast and strong.

Crack!

With a gruesome cracking sound, Wang Ju-yeol’s shoulder sank deeply.