This guy being still alive was a total mystery. He definitely used the Full Recovery once, but after that, his heart stopped beating once again.
Could it be that Full Recovery was possible twice? But the Full Recovery I obtained could only be used once.
“How did you come back to life?”
“I don’t really know either.”
Full Recovery was a one-time Gift that disappeared when used.
“When your hand pierced through my heart, as I was dying, a change occurred in the Full Recovery that was vanishing inside me. The Gift’s disappearance stopped, and it reconstituted itself, restoring me. Then it activated again and disappeared. That’s all I know.”
“......”
I paused to organize my thoughts.
Until now, I thought that Blood Absorption was about taking away the Gift. Taking it away meant the person’s death.
But after hearing Berserker’s words, I thought it might not be the case. What if Blood Absorption was not theft but duplication? During the process of reading and copying the information, the opponent’s Gift still existed.
In Berserker’s case, since the Gift was a one-time use and could not be properly read upon disappearance, I forcibly restored and copied it.
So, was the headache worse this time because of that? I thought it hurt more because I was going crazy, but I was clearly in my right mind.
Until now, everyone I faced ended up dead, but Berserker survived due to his Full Recovery.
'I see. I get it. He truly has an incredible life force.'
At least it cleared up one question about Blood Absorption. This time, I’d let him go painlessly.
“Then, you shall die again.”
“Just a moment. I want to live.”
“Has your personality changed? You weren’t the type to beg for your life before.”
“After experiencing death twice, my thoughts have changed. Death itself isn’t that scary, but things I want to do come to mind. Above all else.”
Berserker looked at me.
“I saw a path through your strength. I want to hone my skills once again.”
That’s only if I let him live.
“Hone your skills in the afterlife.”
“...What do I need to do for you to let me live?”
“I don’t know. I have no reason to keep you alive.”
“I will fully cooperate with whatever you do from now on.”
“You’re quitting being a villain?”
Berserker shook his head.
“Even if I repented and turned back, the world would not accept me. It’s a world full of restrictions to keep the Awakened under control and the masses at ease, and I’m an outlier in it. I can’t do anything. You’re stronger and smarter than I am, so you’re in a better position. But we’re still similar, so I know you can understand me.”
“...”
Honestly, his words resonated with me a bit.
As I thought about it, another idea came to mind.
Perhaps it’s the world that’s strange; maybe I was normal, and it’s the world that couldn’t understand me.
In that aspect, Berserker and I saw things similarly. But should I keep that crazy guy alive just to have one secret friend?
“You’re fun to talk to, and it’s my first time using a smartphone. If you let me live, I’ll be your hands and feet in secret. I want to live.”
The guy knelt before me, even bowing his head.
Seeing that, I recalled how desperate I was when I was the Blood Master.
At the time, I prayed fervently that somehow I would get one more chance.
What would have happened to me if someone had been around to help?
...Maybe nothing would have changed.
In any case, after witnessing this guy’s determination to live, I decided to give him a chance.
Since he claimed he would become my hands and feet and since I alsoo had already obtained Full Recovery, I could just kill him if he didn’t listen to me and went on a rampage.
“From now on, just be content with dealing with villains.”
“Are you going to spare me?”
“Well, yeah. If you know anything about the League, tell me more.”
“I know it’s a group formed by powerful villains.”
I waited for more response from him, but instead, Berserker only looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“That’s it.”
“That’s all?”
“What more is there?”
I was the crazy one for asking a crazy person.
“Fine. And don’t try to escape by claiming you’ve joined the league.”
“Seeing you, I lost interest in the League. Don’t worry.”
“Alright. Then let me give you your first mission. Kill all the League affiliates who came to welcome you.”
“Sure.”
“When it’s done, get in touch.”
I let Berserker go.
***
Around the time I returned to Seoul and rejoined the National Security Agency, I received a message from Berserker.
Berserker - I annihilated the remaining forces of the League. I’ll send you the evidence if needed.
Me - Just send me a picture.
Berserker - Understood.
Beserker - [Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached][Image Attached]
This crazy guy sent pictures of the scene one by one. I briefly thought he might be normal for a moment, but he was just insane.
I greeted Jung Da-hyun and my colleagues inside before knocking on the director’s office door.
Jung Ju-ho, who was busy with work, looked at me with great anticipation.
“Where’s Berserker?”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“He’s a Level 8 Superhuman, so it wouldn’t have been easy. Rather, it’s a relief that you came back safely. But you didn’t kill him, you say?”
“Berserker expressed his willingness to cooperate and begged to be spared.”
“Berserker? That crazy guy begged to be spared?”
“Yes. But can we use Berserker?”
Jung Ju-ho nodded vigorously.
“Are you serious? Of course we can! Why wouldn’t we?”
“But he’s a villain...”
“No! Berserker might be mentally unstable, but he’s clear in his targets. The hunters he killed were scumbags with bad records. If we can use a Level 8 Superhuman, that’s not a problem. If anyone complains, tell them to take it up with Berserker.”
This evaluation of Berserker was a bit different from what I first heard.
“And we don’t have to disclose this to the outside. We have that much autonomy. He’s not planning to give up being a villain and return to living as a regular person, right?”
“That’s not his intention.”
“Then it’s settled. Let’s use him as a special agent, like Blink.”
“Although I didn’t kill Berserker, I achieved a small accomplishment instead.”
I showed Jung Ju-ho the picture of Berserker wiping out the League forces that landed in Korea.
“...Hey, he’s not going to listen to me, is he?”
“Would you like to meet?”
“No, I don’t think he’s going to listen to me, he smells strangely like you.”
“...”
“No, I don’t think he’s going to listen to me, he smells strangely like you.”
I don’t know why he kept comparing me to Berserker.
But wait, did that mean I was crazy too?
***
Before the Level 8 assessment, I took a vacation and headed to Cheongju to my parents’ house with Yoon-hee, who had been discharged from the hospital in good health. She had been eating special meals at the hospital, so she seemed healthier and kept nagging me about everything.
“This car is so lame. Can’t we change it?”
“I’m broke. If you have complaints, buy one yourself.”
“I don’t even have a license.”
“I’m asking you to buy it and then I would drive.”
“......”
Having successfully silenced Yoon-hee, I focused on driving. She pouted and expressed her dissatisfaction openly, but that would easily go away once she tasted our mom’s food.
As we arrived at our hometown house in Cheongju, Yoon-hee dashed toward my parents standing in front of the house.
“Mom! Dad!”
“Yoon-hee! How have you been?”
“Seems like you’ve been doing well.”
“Yeah, I’ve been doing well.”
I was glad she didn’t mention her hospitalization. If she did, we would have heard a lot of nagging. She’s quite clever with handling things.
“Has Jun-ho arrived too? You must have had a hard time driving.”
“Yeah, it was tough.”
“Yes.”
After exchanging greetings with my parents, we headed home. Looking at the pest control equipment still effective in the orchard, it seemed that it would be necessary to catch another wild boar before its effects wear off.
Gathering together as a family was enjoyable. My parents were genuinely happy to hear that I had become a government hunter and that Yoon-hee had joined the Sacred Guild.
Yoon-hee took this opportunity to ask our parents that she wanted them to live in Seoul, but they refused.
“We’re still capable of working, and we’re that old to live off our children. We’ll think about it when you’re fully established.”
“It won’t take long.”
“Then find a good man and get married!”
“I’m too busy with the guild, and besides, Choi Jun-ho is watching me like a hawk. Do you think it’s easy to meet a guy?”
“Why are you calling your brother like that? And Jun-ho, are you trying to stop Yoon-hee from finding a man?”
“I haven’t interfered.”
“That’s not considered interfering?”
Yoon-hee’s expression turned stern, and I fel frustrated.
I hadn’t done anything. I had just thought that it would be nice if I could meet any guy trying to date Yoon-hee.
“Ask Brother instead of me! He might be in a relationship sooner than me, you know?”
At Yoon-hee’s words, our parents smirked. It was a mocking laugh.
“Jun-ho with a girl?”
“Yoon-hee, I don’t think you should put a girl in a pitiful position...”
“No, I’m telling you, the women he’s had contact with are amazing.”
Yoon-hee tried hard to turn the conversation target to me.
The conversation then shifted to our lives in Seoul. Yoon-hee explained the process of joining the Sacred Guild and tried her best to explain how Lee Se-hee and I met, but our parents didn’t believe her at all. Instead, they advised her to watch dramas in moderation. Yoon-hee did need to cut down on watching dramas, though.
In the end, Yoon-hee gave up trying to convince them and explained the perks she received at Sacred Guild. Her parents showed great interest in things like using the Sacred Hospital facilities, which were areas of particular interest for their generation.
“Is Jun-ho adjusting well?”
“Yes. There’s a lot of help around, so it wasn’t hard for me to adjust.”
“Ah, and by the way, Brother’s mentor is Jung Da-hyun, who is famous as a genius Awakener...”
She kept forcing connections. Didn’t she know meeting someone naturally was the best? So, why was she forcing this?
“...”
I quietly watched the scene. Despite the bickering between my younger sister and our parents, I didn’t mind. This moment was what I wanted to protect. My goal moving forward was to preserve this kind of moment.
To do that, I needed to climb higher and gain more privileges.
“Oh, and I’m planning to take the Level 8 assessment in a week.”
“What...?”
“Level 8. Didn’t I mention it?”
“...”
“Why are you telling us now?!”
Did I not mention it to Yoon-hee either?
After a while, even our parents were astonished.
***
The existence of Choi Jun-ho, who appeared like a comet, turned the government upside down. It was because a Level 8 challenger appeared in a completely unexpected manner.
Level 8 could not be achieved by just anyone. From a young age, talented individuals with a genius potential were nurtured through systematic education and accumulated experiences. Countless candidates were created, and only one among them would rise to Level 8.
Choi Jun-ho, however, was an anomaly, who rose from the ground one day.
It wasn’t as if he had shown exceptional abilities in his childhood, and him becoming a government hunter had happened just six months ago. Especially the rumor that he was actually a level 9 was a huge shock to the Blue House.
The arrival of a Level 8 was a savior for the government, but also a concern. There had been an insufficient verification of Choi Jun-ho’s abilities. Although his achievements in the past six months were remarkable, his tendencies were considered highly risky.
The secretary dispatched from the Awakening Security Office, which oversees awakened individuals, grasped onto this point and fretted.
The secretary was a grade 1 government official.
Though the other held a higher position, Jung Ju-ho’s attitude toward the secretary was rigid.
“So, are you saying it’s my fault?”
“It’s not about that; I’m curious why you didn’t share the information.”
“How could I have known that he was a level 8 expert? I thought he was just a highly skilled newcomer we nurtured.”
“But you should have at least shared it with higher-ups.”
“And if I had shared it, do you think they would have believed me? That a 25-year-old was a level 8?”
“At least I wouldn’t have been treated like a clueless idiot.”
In the end, it was about saving face. Jung Ju-ho let out a faint laugh.
“So, what did the higher-ups say?”
“They want us to capture him, by any means necessary.”
“And how are we supposed to do that?”
“He’s a government hunter, so naturally, he must have ambitions for a public position. We should focus on that aspect and dig deeper.”
“I don’t think you’re being sincere.”
The secretary nodded.
“We’ll first confirm whether he really is a level 8 before devising a specific negotiation plan. The director is personally preparing for it. Apart from that, it’s hard to believe that someone in their 20s could be level 8. We, as well as the world, have our doubts.”
“He should be level 8.”
And a very skilled one at that. However, he didn’t mention it up to that point.
Those rigid government guys, whether they’re idiots or geniuses, they needed to get slapped in the face to come to their senses.
The new head of the Awakening Security Office was resourceful, but it’s impossible for him to change the bureaucracy alone.
Probably, if it’s revealed that Choi Jun-ho was Level 8, he would become a valuable premium commodity. To capture him, one must pay a hefty price. The Director of Awakened Security Office would also suffer quite a bit.
Still, as a fellow member of the same office, he gave the secretary a piece of advice.
“You need to come up with a plan after reading Choi Jun-ho’s report.”
“I’ve read it.”
The secretary said cautiously.
“But was that report authentic?”
“The wording has been heavily sanitized.”
“Well, it looks like there’s trouble ahead.”
“You need to be mentally prepared. That’s the only way you can catch him.”
“I’ll submit the report to the higher-ups. I can’t provide a definitive answer about the negotiations, as the Director will handle it personally. Fortunately, since the Director has some capabilities, there won’t be much to worry about.”
“May you have good fortune.”
In the end, the secretary obtained only a few pieces of information about Choi Jun-ho and returned without much gain. Jung Ju-ho confirmed the government’s rather careless attitude but thought things might improve a bit when the Director of Awakened Security Office stepped in.
The thought of one of the highest-ranking members of the Korean Awakened speaking directly to Choi Jun-ho made him laugh involuntarily.
“He had to face someone troublesome.”
To be honest, he was curious about how the people who encountered his madness would react when it’s directed towards the government.
Choi Jun-ho would cause them problems.
His current receding hairline was because of that guy.
“I shall not be the only one who should suffer from Choi Jun-ho. We should all have a taste.”
That guy’s ‘flavor’ was too extraordinary to savor alone.
