Chapter 21

Chapter 21

While I was beating the living daylights out of Blink, Han Sangmin, I ended up being put in charge of the mission to secure the drugs the League had been supplying.

I’d subdued the villain as ordered, but one question drifted through my mind.

What was I running around so busily for?

It was true that I hated villains, and true that I was carrying out my duties as a public service Hunter. But if you asked whether eliminating villains was my greatest mission in life, the answer was no.

I had no such conviction, no such sense of duty.

The only reason I’d become a public service Hunter was because it was convenient.

But if it stopped being convenient? The merits of being a public service Hunter would drop.

So what was I supposed to do going forward?

“This is a headache.”

Without any intention of hiding my strength, it might be impossible to keep operating the way I had been—without my true identity being exposed.

Setting that aside, the idea of disguising a Black Agent as a villain and infiltrating deep into the villain world was quite astonishing.

Jung Juho sighed, saying that because of this, my existence had been revealed—but the choice was mine either way. I’d only become a Black Agent out of necessity, and if I didn’t feel like it, I could quit at any time.

It felt like the name of the League was reaching deeper and deeper.

I asked Jung Dahyun about the League.

“Dahyun.”

“Yes, Junho.”

“You said before that the League is a gang.”

“Yes.”

“So do you know who its leaders are?”

“Not exactly. There’s only speculation that Level 8 villains might be at the top. But I do have information on the three villains who created the League.”

Argos, Hell Master, Blackhound.

They were the League’s originators, and they were called the worst villains in the world today.

“No one knows how the three of them came together. But that combination became an unimaginable catastrophe for the entire world.”

“……”

Those three names were villains even I had heard of. Those three had still been notorious even after I became Blood Lord. But had I ever seen them in person? No, I hadn’t.

Why had I never seen them even once? Was that really a coincidence?

“Their strength is said to be unrivaled even among Level 8 transcendents. The United States attempted capture operations against them several times, but withdrew each time after suffering devastating losses.”

Perhaps thinking my expression looked grim, Jung Dahyun offered careful reassurance.

“Still, South Korea is a place where the League’s influence isn’t that strong yet, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“Well, from where I’m standing, it seems like it’s not Junho we should be worrying about—it’s those villains.”

“……!”

Startled by the voice from behind, Jung Dahyun shot up from her seat. Lee Sehee, who had arrived at some point and was wearing a smile, looked at Jung Dahyun with her chin slightly raised.

“Hello. It’s been a while, Junho.”

“It has.”

Since we weren’t alone, I used formal speech—and Lee Sehee’s expression immediately went flat.

“You can speak comfortably like you usually do. Suddenly switching to formal speech makes it feel distant.”

“……!”

As everyone around us who’d been pretending not to watch all froze in shock, Jung Dahyun was personally demonstrating just how wide those big eyes of hers could go.

“I have a prior appointment with the Director, so I’ll see you in a bit.”

Lee Sehee waved her hand lightly, gave a smile with her eyes, and headed for the Director’s office.

And then.

Every gaze inside the National Guard Bureau converged on me.

What?

*

To Jung Juho, who had spent his entire life as a civil servant, Lee Sehee was a burdensome opponent.

Despite being young—almost a child, really—she possessed sparkling talent, outstanding resourcefulness, and a natural pedigree and beauty on top of it all. She was like a brilliant sun.

With the major guilds’ upward momentum growing more fearsome by the day, and with someone as promising as her stepping to the forefront, it was no wonder control was becoming difficult.

Soon, her era would come.

“Thank you for accepting such a sudden request, Director.”

“How could I refuse a request from Team Leader Lee? Please, have a seat. Coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

A short while later, Lee Sehee lifted the steaming cup of coffee and took a sip.

“So, what brings you here?”

“I came because of a matter concerning Junho’s abilities.”

“I’m not sure I follow……”

“Junho is Level 7, isn’t he? Perhaps even higher.”

“……!”

“I assumed you would have already taken measures by now, Director.”

“Hmm!”

That look in her eyes, as if she knew everything—how should I put it? She must have known exactly how he would react. And yet, she inspired no hostility. That was Lee Sehee’s greatest strength.

Should he call her a sly one? If he were twenty years younger, he’d have groveled at her feet even if it cost him his liver and gallbladder. Marriage excluded, of course. That horrifying experience was enough for one lifetime.

“The Shinseong Guild’s intelligence network exceeds imagination, as always. How much do you know?”

“I have eyes and ears too, so I know the general picture.”

“Ha, at this rate, you’ll find out what color underwear I’m wearing today.”

“Fortunately, my interest doesn’t extend that far.”

Lee Sehee’s beaming smile clung to him persistently. In the end, unable to shake her off, Jung Juho heaved a deep sigh.

“Choi Junho is a public service Hunter of our National Guard Bureau.”

“And he’s also the older brother of Choi Yoon-hee, who belongs to our Shinseong Guild.”

“……”

“Yoon-hee’s talent is considerable. If she keeps building on it steadily from now, there’s enough promise that one might expect her to reach Level 7—perhaps even Level 8. Even just to take care of a prospect like that, I thought I should know about Junho’s situation. Looking at the bigger picture, it’s work done for the nation.”

The sly tongue kept wagging.

“Shinseong Guild happens to be a sponsor of the National Guard Bureau, and Junho has a connection with me as well. If we coordinate together, I think we could reach an agreement in a direction that benefits us both. If I’ve been imagining things on my own, I apologize.”

He’d been completely outmaneuvered.

Even if he took a hard line here, he couldn’t tear down the grand justification of looking out for Choi Junho and Choi Yoon-hee. Even for a member of Shinseong Guild, a talent who could rise to Level 8 ultimately meant strengthening the nation’s fighting power.

Looking at Lee Sehee, already convinced of her own victory, Jung Juho let out a hollow laugh.

“I was planning to have him carry out missions quietly for the time being.”

“You’ve got your work cut out for you, Director.”

“Because of that brat, the hair I lose per day has doubled. Doesn’t Shinseong Guild develop medicine for this sort of thing? If you do, please let me know. I’d gladly volunteer for clinical trials.”

“…I’ll stop by the research institute and look into it.”

“Just that much would be a blessing. Hah! Anyway, rest assured—we won’t completely exclude Shinseong Guild from future matters. We also want to maintain a good relationship with Shinseong Guild, and with you especially, Team Leader Lee.”

“You’re the most trustworthy partner among public service Hunters, Director. Thank you for trusting me.”

On the surface, the atmosphere was warm and friendly.

In reality, he had been ambushed and allowed a painful blow, while Lee Sehee had reaped a great gain—but.

Since he couldn’t just sit there taking losses, Jung Juho brought out a method he’d been considering on the off chance.

“Then could you make Choi Junho behave himself a bit? With your looks, I think even that brat would waver.”

At the heartfelt lament, the meaning in Lee Sehee’s smile changed. Just moments ago it had been confidence; now it was bitterness.

“Director, you’re not trying to kill me right now, are you?”

“…Surely not?”

“I’ll be going now.”

Lee Sehee, her confidence now completely wiped away, rose heavily from her seat.

*

After Lee Sehee entered the Director’s office, a brief silence settled between Jung Dahyun and me. Leaving out the matter of the monster’s heart, I told her about my first meeting with Lee Sehee and the reason we’d met regarding Yoonhee.

A short while later, Jung Juho and Lee Sehee came out of the Director’s office. But their expressions were strange.

Had they discussed something serious?

Jung Juho finished his greetings and went back inside, and Lee Sehee approached us.

That was when someone boldly stepped closer.

“Hello, Team Leader Lee Sehee. My name is Oh Jongyeop.”

“Ah! Jongsu’s older brother? I heard you’re friends with Junho. And that you have a remarkable gift.”

“Haha, yes. Thanks to it, Jongsu was able to find hope for a new life. Thank you.”

Oh Jongyeop, who hadn’t noticed Lee Sehee’s flashing eyes, smiled bashfully. Lifetime-single fool. He’d fallen for her completely, hook, line, and sinker.

“I only did what I could within my means. The thanks should go to Junho.”

“Your heart is as kind as your beauty.”

“Then between Dahyun and me, who’s better?”

“Huh? Th-th-that is……”

Oh Jongyeop stammered at the unexpected strike. Lifetime-single fool. Tsk tsk.

“I’m joking. I’ll greet you properly next time.”

“Y-yes!”

Oh Jongyeop stepped aside, and Lee Sehee, approaching where Jung Dahyun and I stood, stared intently at Jung Dahyun’s face before speaking to me.

“I’m borrowing Dahyun for a bit. Hey, let’s go eat.”

“You show up out of nowhere and what are you even saying?”

“I know everything. You’re in a slump, aren’t you? Times like this, forget the diet and just eat to your heart’s content. Let’s go.”

“Huh, huh?”

Lee Sehee and Jung Dahyun vanished in an instant.

Someone sincerely worrying about another person’s slump and cheering them on. So that’s what a friend was. She had a truly good friend.

“What, what! What is it!”

My friend, by contrast, seemed a bit lacking.

The leisurely atmosphere lasted only a moment.

The next day, news struck like a bolt from the blue.

“Berserker and Puppeteer have made contact.”

*

The moment Berserker and Puppeteer’s contact was discovered, an emergency alert was issued to the National Guard Bureau and every other government organization.

Beyond that, a national guild alliance meeting was convened, where the government side argued for reducing hunts out of caution against villain attacks, while the guild side argued for maintaining the original number—and the two sides clashed sharply.

The two villains were both notorious for operating alone. Berserker possessed the strongest raw combat power among South Korea’s villains, and Puppeteer was an immortal villain who could never die. No one could easily predict what catastrophe their alliance would bring.

“They’ll probably try to defeat them one by one.”

Jung Dahyun, her expression bright—perhaps things had gone well with Lee Sehee—stood beside me. She said that if two villains estimated at Level 7 joined forces, they could never be stopped except by a Level 8 transcendent, so that was how the government would move.

“Berserker is an unpredictable villain, but Puppeteer is troublesome. I think both the government and the guilds will move to take them down.”

There was one more reason they couldn’t commit just any half-baked force: Puppeteer’s nature.

The gift “Puppetry,” which could draw out the strength and potential a corpse had in life, effectively increased Puppeteer’s power the more corpses there were.

“You might end up having to move, Junho.”

“That remains to be seen.”

Originally, Berserker was my responsibility, but with Berserker and Puppeteer joining forces, the initiative had passed to the government. Only a few people knew about my abilities, so other measures would probably be taken.

Given Jung Juho’s tendency to avoid troublesome matters, he would want to deploy a Level 8 transcendent rather than me.

But since I believed Berserker might be Level 8, and I knew my turn would eventually come around, I decided to watch and intervene when the time came.

My prediction hit the mark exactly.

“In preparation for Berserker and Puppeteer’s cooperation, Honorary Minister Kim Younghwan will be making the arrangements.”

Honorary Minister Kim Younghwan. The only Level 8 transcendent belonging to a government organization.

At seventy this year, still hungry for power, and evaluated as past his prime—but the fearsome name of Level 8 hadn’t gone anywhere.

The mood naturally brightened.

Jung Juho’s expression, by contrast, remained grim.

“We’ll use the hammer and anvil tactic—elite forces will pin down the hard-to-kill Puppeteer, and in the meantime, the Minister will handle Berserker. Overall command of the operation will be handled by the Blue House Awakened Security Office, and we’ll form the encirclement as one axis.”

Though the time had been short, the operation’s completeness was considerable.

No wonder that back when I was Blood Lord, the moment I showed myself, they swarmed me like a pack of wild dogs.

Core personnel from the three so-called major bureaus—the National Guard Bureau, the Foreign Cooperation Management Bureau, and the Anti-Monster Defense Front Bureau—would be mobilized, along with regional villain response teams.

“Everyone is to stand by until the order to commence the operation is given. And Choi Junho.”

“Yes.”

“Follow me. I have something to discuss.”

I followed Jung Juho into the Director’s office.

“Berserker has slipped out of your hands—are you all right with that?”

“Yes. Given the circumstances, I think it can’t be helped.”

“Good, I’m glad you understand. There’s something you need to do in this operation.”

“What is it?”

“You remember the villains captured during the operation with the Foreign Cooperation Management Bureau last time. Interrogation on their end confirmed that Puppeteer is behind them.”

“I see.”

“But we couldn’t extract any further information. They said sealing had been placed on them.”

“Meaning?”

I recalled the ability I’d been forbidden from using after I used it on Wang Juyeol.

“Permission came down from above. Use your ability to extract information from them.”

“Understood.”

It was a good opportunity. I’d use this chance to raise my proficiency with Brainwashing.

*

After Choi Junho left, Jung Juho, now alone, scratched his head.

“Are they keeping me in check already?”

No matter how much one tried to hide it, a sharp awl always pokes out.

The name of Head Breaker Choi Junho had spread by word of mouth from government agencies to the major guilds.

Perhaps even the Berserker Capture Operation, a secret National Guard Bureau operation, had leaked.

It was probably also why Red Snake Kim Younghwan had pointedly ordered the Berserker Capture Operation withdrawn.

“Greedy old bastard……”

But given that he was the only Level 8 transcendent the government could mobilize, and that he was the Minister, there was nothing Jung Juho could do but badmouth him behind his back.

Jung Juho’s trials didn’t end there.

A subordinate entered with a knock, bearing a report.

“Director.”

“What is it?”

“We’ve received contact from the United States.”

“Why the United States, all of a sudden?”

The United States had lost influence since the appearance of monsters, but it was still an ally and the hegemon wielding the greatest influence.

“Th-they said they’d like to conduct a joint operation with Head Breaker……”

“Refuse it.”

“Pardon? Then at least a reason—”

“Tell them we’re busy.”

“U-understood.”

The subordinate left, and Jung Juho clutched his throbbing head.

“Poking around from every direction, these bastards.”

He could feel himself nearing his limit.