Lee Se-hee still thought that Choi Jun-ho was someone hard to
figure out.
A person who was far beyond normal thinking.
Yet he claimed to be sane.
At first, she thought he was just lying. But after talking to
him, she realized he really thought that way. If he wasn’t a government hunter,
she would have believed he was a villain.
Still, his strong skills and unknown techniques caught her
attention. She investigated thoroughly in order to get closer to him and
succeeded.
She felt sorry for the villain who would be targeted by Choi
Jun-ho.
It was a refreshing feeling that everything was going
smoothly.
Until she entered the training room.
She was curious about what kind of training Choi Jun-ho would
give to Choi Yoon-hee and how she could build a personal friendship with the
other.
But what returned to her was a big shock.
“This is it.”
“.....”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I have to be okay.”
She stood up with difficulty from the seat, using all her
strength on her wobbly legs. But the shock from earlier didn’t diminish at all.
“I’ll be staying here a little longer.”
“Then I’ll go first.”
She watched Choi Jun-ho’s back as he left and then she sat
back down in her seat.
“I almost fell over.”
It was an honest emotion that had stripped away her pretense.
What Choi Jun-ho had shown was the momentum imitating that of
a demon.
The endless killing intent and hostility of a predator toward
its prey was on full display. Lee Se-hee remembered those days a few years ago,
when she first hunted demons.
Even though she had the ability to hunt them sufficiently, it
was still overwhelming.
It was a situation that every hunter experienced at least
once. In that sense, the momentum of the demon shown by Choi Jun-ho was like
that was like that of what hunters would feel during their first time hunting.
If hunters who faced this situation for the first time
experienced it, it could drastically reduce the likelihood of ridiculous deaths
or injuries.
“How on earth...?”
She was so surprised that she even forgot to ask.
One thing was clear: Choi Jun-ho was a person who surpassed
his expectations.
He was like a treasure chest full of unknown, and if you made
a mistake, he would eat you.
“I want him.”
She said with a smirk.
She must have gone crazy. Even if she had tricked him the
first time they met, it was crazy for her to desire a man who had tried to kill
her.
Was this why women were attracted to dangerous men? Was this
how it was classified? She didn’t think it’s the kind of danger where her life
would be in danger.
One thing was clear: Choi Jun-ho must be caught.
***
My talk with Lee Se-hee was quite timely, and it helped
Yoon-hee adapt to the momentum of the demon.
Yoon-hee asked why I was posing like a dog, but didn’t it
look more realistic that way? Most demons walk on all fours, anyway. The
important thing was Yoon-hee seemed to have learned a lot from this new and
unfamiliar momentum.
“Wow! I could have died for real.”
That was all I could do.
The next thing was for me to move like a demon and give her
some combat experience, but it would take the whole team to do it properly, so
I decided to pass that part.
When I thought about it, it felt like I was being too
overprotective.
But wasn’t being overprotective better than neglect? I handed
the bracelet I received from Lee Se-hee to her.
“Wow, it’s pretty. What is this?”
“A location tracker. Carry it with you whenever you go
hunting.”
“Are you crazy?”
There was a bit of a disagreement, but we agreed that she
would wear it when she went hunting.
After resolving Yoon-hee’s problem, I was left with my own
issues.
While the last Eraser case ended in a happy ending, two
problems arose.
The first was the Berserker, who shouldn’t have any contact
with me until 15 years later, but had shown interest in the Eraser.
I didn’t know what kind of changes that crazy person would
make if he were involved. It’s annoying not to know when and where someone like
that would show up. So, I needed to keep an eye on the Berserker.
The second was the versatility of ‘landmines’.
Originally, ‘landmines’ was a Gift specialized for one-on-one
close combat, and there were difficulties when facing multiple opponents.
I used to use it because it was the most comfortable Gift for
me. I planned to use a sword later on depending on the situation. But the naming
of Eraser changed that.
It bothered me when the Berserker said he was chasing the
Eraser. If I used a sword, it might be revealed that I was the Eraser.
Then I suddenly burst out laughing.
“Who would have thought I would be obsessed with peace?”
I sincerely reflected on myself. I told myself that I would
not repeat my crazy actions from the past, but I had never said that I would be
weak and submissive.
In the first place, these concerns would have been
meaningless to my past self.
“Just get rid of it.”
***
Although over a dozen villains who had been active in the
city were arrested in droves, it was unusual that it did not cause any
problems.
There was no excessive suppression. Even though Choi Jun-ho
had arrived, everyone was amazed that the limbs were still intact.
When everyone asked in surprise, Choi Jun-ho smiled and left
an ambiguous statement, “A genius idea changed the paradigm of arrest. It just
costs money.”
Apart from that, daily life flowed peacefully.
Jung Da-hyun thought it was the calm before the storm.
Stories about the League were slowly coming to life, and sightings of infamous
high-level villains were being reported.
Sooner or later, action would be taken. And she vowed to play
a major role in that mission.
“Jung Da-hyun, Choi Jun-ho, to the director’s office.”
“Yes!”
At Jung Ju-ho’s call, Jung Da-hyun went into the director’s
office with Choi Jun-ho.
“You’ve worked hard leading Choi Jun-ho all this time. I’m
sure he has gotten used to the duties of a government hunter in our agency by
now.”
“It was a natural thing to do.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Miss Da-hyun. I still have a lot to
learn.”
Jung Ju-ho puffed up as if to take advantage of Choi Jun-ho’s
words.
“Not enough. The skill of arresting villains! When you go out
once, at least ten people get injured. This time, they seemed intact. Did you
change your tactic? Why is the outside intact but the inside is shattered?”
“You’re too kind.”
“I’m not praising you!”
Jung Ju-ho shouted with a face that was about to burst.
She had seen that expression before when she wanted to move
from the Sacred Guild to the National Security Agency. It was like looking at
an incurable accident scene.
Whenever Jung Ju-ho dealt with her not as a subordinate but
as a niece, he complained, “You were so innocent! And the next thing I know,
you’re acting like a nuclear fried chicken.”
After barely calming down his anger, Jung Ju-ho let out a
thin breath.
“Da-hyun, as you know, Choi Jun-ho has skills that are too
valuable to only deal with petty criminals.”
“…Yes.”
“That’s why I want to give Choi Jun-ho some solo missions.”
“What? But Director! Mr. Jun-ho is still a grade 9 and
doesn’t have much experience.”
“As someone who believed in his skills so much, it’s awkward
for you to talk about his rank.”
“...”
Jung Da-hyun bit her lower lip and remained silent.
“Choi Jun-ho, you can handle it, right?”
“I’ll do my best if you give me the task.”
“No, you can’t do your best. You’ll kill them all.”
“I’ll do my best to save them.”
“See, if you don’t try your best, it means you’re killing
everyone.”
Jung Ju-ho, who was relieving his stress by babbling
meaningless words, spoke to this side with a more relaxed expression.
“Anyway, it’s simple. I want to give Choi Jun-ho some solo
missions because you’re too weak, Da-hyun.”
“...”
It felt like a sharp arrow was piercing her heart. Her legs
felt weak, but Jung Ju-ho’s expression remained cold.
“If you don’t want to be a burden to your subordinates,
become stronger. Then you can share the task together.”
“...”
“Go ahead. I have something else to talk to Choi Jun-ho
about.”
“…Yes.”
With nothing more to say, Jung Da-hyun staggered out of the
director’s office.
She didn’t know what she was doing as she returned to her
seat. She thought back to the conversation she had just had with the director,
her face blank.
The truth was clear.
In the end, it was because of her own weakness that this
happened. If she had been stronger and reached level 7, she would not have been
excluded like this.
Yes, Director Jung Ju-ho was right. She was weak. She was
more accustomed to being called a genius than hearing her own name since
childhood, and she was famous for being a member of the Sacred Guild and the
National Security Agency, but that’s all. In the future, there would be
opponents to face, not only at level 6 but also at level 7 and higher.
“I need to become stronger.”
Jung Da-hyun bit her lips so hard that she could taste the
bitter blood and made up her mind again.
***
I had never seen Jung Da-hyun look so defeated. I know it’s
shocking to hear that she’s not good enough, but if I became a black agent and
took on dangerous missions, she would likely be a liability.
After all, she still needed to improve her skills, but should
I help her with her training since she had been helping me?
Come to think of it, since I taught Yoon Hee well and made
her the chief recruit of the Sacred Guild, maybe I had some talent for
teaching. She rolled around cursing me all the time, but she thanked me after
passing the exam. I should talk to Jung Da-hyun about it.
“Okay, the observer is gone. Can we talk freely now?”
“I’ll listen.”
“How far are you willing to go?”
“How far are you willing to let me go?”
“Hey, why are you being so scary? Can’t you cut me some
slack? I’m losing my mind because of you these days.”
Instead of answering, I smiled. It was meant to be
comforting, but Jung Ju-ho’s expression darkened, as if he had misunderstood.
“I’m always grateful to you, Director.”
“I wonder what crime I committed in my past life. I really
lived a good life. Ha! Even if you rampage, there are conditions. It won’t
violate the justice upheld by our National Security Agency. There won’t be any
innocent victims, preferably it’s something I can handle. And tell me in
advance. That’s all I ask. Can you do it?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Make sure it’s not just lip service! Jung Da-hyun, this is
the problem, the problem. Why did you bring such a troublemaker? No, it’s a
good thing you brought him. It would have been a lot worse if this guy had been
somewhere else. Yes, I sacrificed a hair of my head and saved the world. I
can’t go and whine about it when my efforts should be appreciated from above.
Ugh!”
I wanted to ask if he’s making an excuse for his hair falling
out, but I held it in.
Even though I was out of touch with the world, I knew it
wasn’t polite to attack someone who was losing their hair.
***
I seriously thought about what I could do. And I came up with
my first meaningful mission as a black agent and wrote a draft of the operation
plan and brought it to Jung Ju-ho.
It’s a perfect operation that could build a great
contribution for the National Security Agency while ensuring that no innocent
victims were harmed.
However, I was not sure if Jung Juho could handle it after
the job was done.
Jung Ju-ho was caught off guard after seeing the title of the
document.
Berserker Arrest Operation
“Hey, aren’t you the assassin who came to kill me for real?
Did Yeom Gi-chul send you? Or is it Park Beom-su? Just kill me in plain sight!
Stop turning me inside out!”
Jung Ju-ho yelled.
“Why Berserker?”
“I think unpredictable elements become variables. It’s better
to remove them in advance.”
“Do you plan to check the black market since he sometimes
reveals his identity there? Do you plan to mess with the black market?”
“Is that not allowed?”
“For now, let’s put that story aside and talk about Berserker
first. Why do you think there’s an order of only watching Berserker and not
touching him?”
“...”
Maybe it’s because he’s one of the strongest villains in
Korea with pure brute force. Before he was called the Berserker, Lee Kwang-jin
was renowned for his powerful swordsmanship, and even in his mad state, he was
said to have improved rather than diminished in finesse.
However, Jung Ju-ho’s words were different from what I
thought.
“Because he’s crazy.”
“Yes?”
“It’s because he’s crazy. You never know where he’s going to
go, especially with the Berserker. One minute he’s helping the Hunters, the
next he’s wiping them out because he changed his mind. He’ll kill the villains
he’s working with because they’re a nuisance, and then he’ll round up the
demons and send them back to the city because it’s a killing season, and that’s
just the tip of the iceberg.”
Jung Ju-ho took a light breath.
“If you still want to catch them, I won’t stop you. But I
want you to know one thing. The Berserker is the craziest, most insane villain
I’ve ever seen in my life, or in the world, for that matter.”
“......”
I remained silent.
The Berserker was insane, no doubt about it. That’s a clear
fact.
I was normal now, but I was a crazy villain in my past life.
And the worst one at that.
But the Berserker was the craziest villain?
“Hoo!”
I couldn’t even show Jung Ju-ho what a really crazy villain
was.
I felt frustrated with a strange sense of pride.
HAHAHAH, he needs to show him what crazyness really looks like.
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