Chapter 15

It has been revealed that Jung Ju-ho had quietly been tracking down the whereabouts of the culprit responsible for the recent massive disappearance case.

The appearance of an unidentified Level 8 villain was a big crisis that could lead to the downfall of a nation.

After the massive disappearance incident of the villain organization Big Ten, Jung Ju-ho said that he had been cooperating with the National Intelligence Service to track down the Eraser, but failed to find any trace.

But it wasn’t without success.

“Recently, we received information that the organizations in Siheung and Gunpo were holding a meeting. And we caught a glimpse of information that mentioned the Eraser. The League was also mentioned.”

“...!”

Everyone’s expression turned to shock.

Even Jung Da-hyun did.

Was it because of the Eraser? Or because of the word “League”?

Before I could solve my doubts, Jung Ju-ho continued.

“Combining the words from both organizations, they said they knew about the Eraser. To verify if that is true and how much contact they have with the League, the Villain Response Teams from the two cities will move first. And we...”

Jung Ju-ho looked around and then spoke.

“We’ll catch the Eraser who comes out guided by the information.”

“Director, we can’t catch a level 8 villain.”

“I’m not telling you to catch them. The possibility of the Eraser coming out in the first place is low. We’re preparing for a worst-case scenario. If the Eraser appears, we’ll have level 8 hunters moving as well.”

Everyone’s face lit up at those words.

I sensed my colleagues’ trust in Level 8 hunters.

Were Level 8 hunters really that amazing?

I was curious about their level of expertise.

“Everyone, get ready.”

With that, the National Security Agency hunters began to move.

***

We learned how the agency had been tracking down the Eraser after Jung Ju-ho’s declaration.

The NIS’s ultimate goal in pursuing the Eraser’s trail was “reconciliation.”

A Level 8 villain was a walking disaster that could destroy an entire city if not handled properly.

Although they were responsible for the massacre, those killed by the Eraser were also villains. Among them was the vice-mayor of Ansan, but the value of the Level 8 awakened beings was so high that it could be ignored.

But as time passed, no trace of him could be found. The last report was that they seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Then, at a meeting of villains, the words “League” and “Eraser” appeared.

Jung Ju-ho and the NIS judged that the combination of these two words could disrupt the order of South Korea.

“When they hear that their name is being used, the Eraser might appear.”

The possibility was not high.

So, the villainous organizations were assigned to the Villain Response Teams in Siheung and Gunpo, with Jung Da-hyun  as the main liaison and other members serving as backups.

“If the Eraser appears, never face them head-on. Make contact first and keep as far away as possible.”

That was all the mission we were given.

While many of the villains inside the city were petty criminals, hunting them down on the outskirts of the city, in areas not controlled by the state, was more like a war.

In particular, they are big players in the black market, making money selling firearms, demon hearts, and other byproducts.

The way to weaken the villain organization was to eliminate this black market. But it was difficult to intervene easily because the black market had been formed to avoid the law and various interests were also intertwined.

“Can’t we just use brute force?” When I asked that, Jung Da-hyun shook her head.

Then, Jung Ju-ho added, “There’s no telling how much power there is in the black market because it’s united by interests. Even villains who are against each other use the black market to get things, so if you try to eliminate it, they’ll join forces, which is contrary to the strategy of the National Security Agency.”

‘Divide and conquer, make them distrustful, and subdue them without any harm.’

That was the method of villain suppression advocated by the National Security Agency.

From that perspective, black market raids would unite villains, rather than divide them.

However, I thought it was the most effective way to weaken the villains.

“If I am granted sole operational authority, I would like to try it. I will do my best.”

“Why not me?”

“Because you have to be promoted first, but Mr. Jun-ho has too many cases of excessive suppression, so it’s hard to get a promotion...”

I could definitely see why not.

Ignoring that, there were two villain organizations holding a joint meeting on the border between Siheung City and Ansan City.

Although the words “Eraser” and “League” were mentioned, the reason for the meeting was because of the demise of the Big Ten organization in Ansan.

The villains started moving to fill the power vacuum.

I and Jung Da-hyun waited on the outskirts of Siheung City.

“...”

I was watching the situation as it was unfolding.

I was concerned about the mention of Eraser at the meeting in Ansan.

If it was a simple impersonation, I didn’t care. When I was the Blood Master, there were countless people who committed crimes in my name. They were eventually arrested by authorities or killed by me.

But it was the evidence that might remain beyond my reach that was the problem.

I worked pretty hard to clean it up.

Honestly, I admit it.

In the past, I was too crazy to hide or erase my tracks. Sometimes, when I came back to my senses, I erased them, but only to delay the chase a bit. It was hard to say that I had reached the level of an expert. So I didn’t know if there was any trace left somewhere.

In the end, I knew what I was going to do. I’d check the information about Eraser from the villain meeting.

   “Mr. Jun-ho, do you think Eraser will show up?”

“I don’t think so.”

“I have the same thought.”

I remembered that Jung Da-hyun was in charge of that scene. Why did she think the Eraser wouldn’t show up?

“The Eraser doesn’t want his identity to be revealed, so he chose to ‘evaporate’ rather than be bothered.”

“....”

“They probably killed them all. We still haven’t found their bodies. They’re a chillingly cruel and dangerous villain. We have to catch them.”

As I watched Jung Da-hyun speak with a stern expression, I remembered my past life.

I wondered what would happen if it was revealed that I was the Eraser. Would she think I was a villain? I didn’t want to find out.

One thing became clear: there was no good that could come from being found out.

“We haven’t received any radio transmissions since earlier.”

“That’s right. What could have happened?”

“I’ll go check it out.”

“How about waiting a little longer?”

I shook my head.

“Time is of the essence in this suppression mission. I’ll go nearby and check it out. I’ll let you know if anything happens.”

“Okay.”

After getting Jung Da-hyun’s approval, I opened the door and stepped outside.

The chilly air prickled my skin. It seemed to chastise me for creating a false identity. I checked my comms as I headed to the meeting.

It was well past the appointed time, but I hadn’t heard from them, and they hadn’t responded to my calls.

Then, as I approached the factory, I got a call.

As expected, there was a problem. The caller urgently requested help, saying they couldn’t make contact with this side. Upon seeing that the radio was dead, I started moving.

As I arrived near the agreed-upon location, a person wearing tattered clothes and a blood-stained coat approached me.

“Are you the backup? I’m Kwak Young-sik, the head of the Villain Response Team in Gunpo City.”

“I’m Choi Jun-ho from the Villain Task Force.”

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes. I came first because I couldn’t contact the communication team.”

“Ah!”

Kwak Young-sik’s face turned grim, as if sensing that they lacked power.

“How’s the situation unfolding?”

“We fell into an ambush. There were twice as many villains as the previous intel suggested. We fought hard, but over twenty people died, and thirty became prisoners.”

“Did you see the Eraser?”

“I didn’t see anyone who could be them.”

“Then it was a gathering of a large organization, and you were wiped out by the bait they threw out.”

“Yes.”

Kwak Young-sik bowed his head.

I watched him for a moment before speaking up.

“Can you guide me?”

“You’re not going back?”

“I’ll confirm the number of villains first and report back. I’ll need your guidance.”

“Okay.”

I followed Kwak Young-sik’s reluctant guidance and arrived near the abandoned factory where the two villain organizations were located.

It seemed that a battle had just taken place, as fresh blood still clung to the cement floor.

Over ten people were guarding outside the factory.

“The rest are inside. There are over 50 of them.”

“I see.”

“Are you not going to turn back now?”

My eyes met with Kwak Young-sik’s in mid-air. Knowing the constant ‘anxiety’ that lingered beyond his pupils, I acted first.

“What are you doing?!”

Kwak Young-sik was shocked and tried to dodge, but my hand reached his stomach first.

The powerful landmine pierced through his skin and destroyed his ribs, organs, and spine.

Unable to withstand the aftermath, Kwak Young-sik’s eyes trembled as he stared at his pierced stomach.

“You betrayed and sold out your colleagues.”

“...”

“If you’re someone who got betrayed over ten times, it’s easier to see.”

Without listening to my words until the end, Kwak Young-sik choked and collapsed to the ground.

I had learned that the most common way for a government hunter to die at the hands of villains was when there was a traitor among them. Kwak Young-sik had tried to dress himself up convincingly, but he couldn’t control his emotions beyond his eyes.

Now, I was ready to move alone.

“I can’t.”

I tried to contact Jung Da-hyun via radio to secure more time, but there was no response.

If I couldn’t even contact her, I had to suspect radio interference and take action.

That meant there wasn’t much time left.

There were about 50 villains.

I was the only government hunter.

This was a situation where unexpected accidents were likely to happen.

“I need to handle this quickly.”

***

The thing that surprised me the most about becoming a government hunter was that I valued the lives of villains much more than I thought I would.

More precisely, I disliked it when state-affiliated awakened individuals were constantly in the news for excessive repression.

So the best a government hunter could hope for was to capture them alive and well, the next best was to capture them unharmed, the third best was to capture them even if they were wounded, and the worst was for them to die or be missed during the capture.

However, there were exceptions everywhere.

During a covert operation, a government hunter could kill a villain on the spot if they felt that their life was in danger, and they wouldn’t be criticized.

As a government hunter, I had yet to officially kill a villain.

So even if I killed all the villains here, wouldn’t it be considered legitimate self-defense?

After all, I did go to some pretty nasty lengths to capture them alive.

   Or not.

   I wasn’t planning on letting them live to begin with.

After dealing with the villains near the entrance, I didn’t hesitate to move forward.

“Monster!”

The process of being initially enthusiastic to attack and then being overcome with fear after more than ten people were killed was the same. But they couldn’t pass me, who was occupying the entrance.

I believed in repentance. But I think not everyone could repent.

A miracle happened to me, and I went back to the past before I committed a crime. But others didn’t have that opportunity.

Villains were just that - villains.

Killing them to prevent accidents was much more efficient than keeping them alive to benefit society. That’s the conclusion I had reached.

“I don’t have time. Let’s finish this.”

I approached, leaving only the bosses of the two organizations behind. As I approached, wiping the sticky blood off my hands, the two contemplative figures stepped back.

“Oh, don’t come any closer! Do you know who’s behind us?”

“The Eraser is our backing!”

He’s right in front of you now.

“Tell me what you know about the Eraser. If it’s useful, I’ll spare you.”

“I was going to tell you anyway...”

Thud!

I crushed the heart of the man whose only response was a desperate gasp for breath. I kicked away the collapsing body, habitually licked the blood off my hands, and spat it out. Gift amplification? This was some trash Gift I had never seen before.

I turned to face the remaining boss.

“To be honest, I’m not that curious. You don’t have to tell me.”

“I’ll tell you everything. Just spare me!”

“Go ahead.”

“The, the Berserker is on the Eraser’s trail!”

A completely unexpected name popped up.

“The Berserker?”

“The Berserker said he had a way to get information about the Eraser, and told us to spread the word. He said he would deal with the Eraser himself when he showed up. He said he wanted to see the Eraser.”

“...”

This was a flow that I never expected.

The Berserker and I didn’t meet until 15 years later in my last life.

It seemed like that mentioning the Eraser’s name was part of the Berserker’s plan.

The puzzle was solved, and I had no more questions.

“Thank you for telling me. Then let’s get this over with.”

“I know more information! Please spare me!”

“I don’t want to.”

“Ahh!”

I put my hand over his head as he fell to the ground and crawled away.

   “Stop, Choi Joon-ho!”

   With a booming voice, Jung Jun-ho’s figure separated me from the boss, and he blocked my uninjured hand with his sword.

Crack!

The Force of the landmines intertwined with the Force of the sword, creating one powerful explosion after another. The blue Force shattered into chunks, crushing the corpses on the ground.

After seeing Jung Ju-ho’s face, I retreated and quickly stopped using my landmine Gift. My fist felt quite numb.

I thought he was just a talkative person, but he was also quite skilled.

“This guy knows information about the League and the Eraser. From now on, I’ll take care of him. Is that okay?”

“Yes, Director.”

Since I had no intention of using my hands anymore, I raised my arms.

“We’ve made a huge mess.”

Jung Ju-ho sighed as he looked at the factory full of shattered heads.

I wonder if he thought it was fortunate to have saved at least one person.

It’s a shame.

Pop!

“......”

Jung Ju-ho’s expression stiffened as he turned his head back. The boss he had wanted to save was dead, his head half shattered.

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