Chapter 39

Chapter 39

A hell on earth filled with screams unfolded in every direction.

Executioner Woo Juwan had planted his beheading blade into the ground and stood surveying the carnage he had created. Every time the scar carved across his face twitched, the villains standing nearby trembled.

One of them cautiously addressed Woo Juwan.

"Um, boss. What should we do next?"

"We rest here today. Gather everything we need for now. Tomorrow we head to Cheonan."

"Understood."

The villain's expression brightened as he left. A short while later, watching the houses go up in flames, Executioner was thinking about something else entirely.

"The League is gone, but I haven't given up."

Ever since the League landed in Korea, Executioner had wanted to join. He wanted to leave this country that shackled Awakened and branded anyone who stepped even slightly out of line as a villain without mercy. And in the League's world, where you were treated according to your strength, he wanted to seize even greater power.

He craved the power to stride across the world as he pleased—the power to kill anyone who got on his nerves, whenever he wanted.

Executioner touched the scar that ran from his right forehead down to his left cheek and radiated killing intent.

"Berserker."

This scar was because of Berserker.

Killing that bastard was his goal. When he'd heard Berserker was joining the League, he'd looked forward to settling things—but instead, the bastard had annihilated the League's forces, and any chance of joining went up in smoke.

Now, if he wanted to join the League, his only option was to leave the country. His plan to gain power by joining the League's Korean branch had already been shattered to pieces.

From start to finish, Berserker had been nothing but a hindrance.

Moving these villain organizations was nothing more or less than venting his frustration.

The finale would be Cheonan, reduced to a sea of fire. After that, he planned to slip quietly into China and join the League.

By then, the villains who had finished looting came back, gleeful and rowdy. They were mayflies who'd all be dead before long.

"We rest, then we move."

That was when it happened.

"You're cooking up another shallow scheme, you mad dog."

"……"

A middle-aged man was approaching, carrying a greatsword.

At a glance, he looked perfectly normal. Handsome, even. But Executioner had once glimpsed the madness lurking beneath, and his expression hardened.

It was Berserker.

"Who sent you?"

"Shoot him."

The villains, emboldened after wiping out the villain response team and finishing their looting, aimed their guns.

But Berserker moved first.

Bang!

He hurled the greatsword in his hand, and a terrifying storm of Force erupted, sweeping through the villains.

The villains caught in the storm's range were torn to shreds before they could even scream.

That single strike turned the gathered villains pale as death.

"Hii! Hiiik!"

"He's a monster!"

"W-who is that?"

Executioner's next words set everything ablaze.

"Berserker."

"Been well, mad dog?"

"Why are you here?"

"My master has business with your neck."

"Master? Since when did you join the League?"

The word "master" put Executioner in a foul mood. That lunatic who ran wild without a care for anything in the world—he had a master?

Berserker picked up the greatsword he'd thrown and smiled.

"You think something like the League could be my master?"

"You're still insane. Today I'll cut off your head and head to the League."

"I hope word reaches your gut. Kehehe!"

* * *

Berserker and Executioner had clashed once, three years ago.

Executioner had been raiding a hunting team when he trespassed into Berserker's resting place. When Executioner killed the Hunters and tried to kill Berserker too, the fight began.

It ended in Berserker's victory. Executioner suffered a deep wound to his face and barely escaped. Berserker, exhausted at the time, couldn't pursue him either.

That crushing defeat had been like hell. Afterward, Executioner spent three years waiting for the day of revenge, focusing his entire life on growing stronger.

He'd heard that Berserker killed Kim Younghwan. But a transcendent who'd grown old and couldn't even wield his former might—Executioner was confident he could kill even that.

He'd sworn he would tear Berserker limb from limb if they met again, but the moment their blades crossed, reality came crashing back.

"You're weak."

"Y-you bastard."

They weren't even on the same level.

When had the gap grown this wide? Executioner squeezed out every last ounce of strength he had, but he couldn't even push back.

Clang, clang, clang!

Unable to withstand the force transmitted through the blade, Executioner's beheading blade was knocked away, and he was pushed back.

"Kill Berserker!"

At Executioner's shout, the villains hesitated. When he'd been handing them profits, he'd acted like he'd give them his own liver and gallbladder—but now that he was being pushed back by Berserker, his standing had plummeted.

Still, if Executioner died, none of them would be safe either. Realizing that, the villains couldn't just stand by. Each of them raised their guns and opened covering fire.

Ratatatata!

"That's nothing more than pressure-point massage!"

The moment Berserker's greatsword cut through the air, a massive surge of Force burst out in a crescent shape. It bisected every villain in its path. Not stopping there, it reduced even the walls of the building they'd been in to dust.

Over ten villains died in a single strike. Berserker didn't stop there—he charged straight at the villains firing their guns.

"Kehahaha!"

"R-run!"

A massacre unfolded. Guns were useless. Villains caught in Berserker's range were swept up by the greatsword's Force and torn to shreds.

Bang!

One villain threw a grenade, but even the scattering debris couldn't pierce the thick Force.

A hail of bullets poured down on Berserker as he strolled unhurriedly out of the explosion, but every round bounced off, and every villain his hand touched died.

Pshhh!

One insane villain even fired an RPG, but what they saw wasn't shredded debris—it was a smiling face.

"That one was quite a thrill."

What came back was death.

No weapon worked. How were they supposed to fight a monster like that? The villains lost all will to fight.

"Ugh! Aaaagh!"

"R-run! He's a monster!"

"Save me! Save—gack!"

Of the fifty-odd villains, fewer than ten managed to escape.

Amid the thick smoke and scattered corpse parts, Berserker and Executioner faced each other.

"Now we can have some quality time, just the two of us. Recovered some stamina? I'll give you credit for not running."

"…Who sent you."

The rumors about Berserker hadn't been exaggerated. If anything, they'd been understated because his opponent had been Kim Younghwan. This man was a transcendent who had reached Level 8. There was no way to win.

Despair fell over Executioner's face.

"My master is the one to whom I've devoted everything."

"Just tell me who your master is!"

"Kehe, not telling."

Sparks flew in Executioner's eyes as he glared at Berserker.

"Kraaah! Now you're toying with me?!"

"The weak are always toyed with. And you're the weak one. I get toyed with by my master every single time, too."

"I've trained to kill you! So why has the gap grown this wide?!"

"A common routine from someone with no talent. It's not even fun anymore."

"I devoted every moment to killing you!"

Executioner charged, howling. Watching him rush in like a moth to a flame, madness settled into Berserker's eyes.

"You don't know what true best effort is. Neither do you know death. Only after you've struggled with everything you have, gazing at the heaven above heaven, and had it all denied—only then can you say you gave it your soul."

"Kraaah!"

"Even your howling is like a little girl's. I'm sick of it now."

The moment Executioner swung his sword, a blue blade of Force formed behind Berserker.

It was the gift "Guillotine," manifested by gathering the Force scattered through the air.

The world called him Executioner because he enjoyed severing heads—but the real reason was that he possessed the gift Guillotine, which exploited openings.

It was the trump card he had hidden, never revealed even in their last fight.

The blade approached in stealth and was about to slice through the back of Berserker's neck when a blue barrier formed there.

"That tickles."

"Y-you! How…"

"Die about twice, and you learn."

Against Berserker's relentless assault, Executioner's resistance was meaningless. His sword broke, his left hand was severed, then his right arm was torn off entirely. Berserker watched him collapse, strength drained, and without a flicker of hesitation, took his head.

Thus ended the last days of a major villain who had roamed Chungcheong Province and North Jeolla Province like his own personal territory.

"That was just a warm-up. The gas money wasn't even worth it."

Berserker, about to habitually stomp on the head, paused. He needed to bring this to Choi Junho to complete the mission he'd been given.

He'd almost made a big mistake, even if only for a moment. That bastard was already eyeing Immunity to All Poisons at every turn. If he gave him an excuse here, there was no telling what would happen.

The madness that had filled his eyes moments ago vanished without a trace, and cold sweat dripped down.

"Almost forgot. I almost died."

Berserker took a long while before shaking off the goosebumps covering his body. His cold sweat had soaked through, but he felt relieved again and again that the chill had saved his life.

Then he pulled the smartphone from his pocket and began photographing the inside of the building.

* * *

The morning after he'd told Berserker to stop Executioner.

The moment he got to work, messages from Berserker flooded in.

Berserker—It's done.

Berserker—Got Executioner, got the villains too.

Berserker—[photo attached][photo attached][photo attached][photo attached][photo attached][photo attached][photo attached][photo attached][photo attached][photo attached]

Berserker—I'll preserve Executioner's head.

Berserker—Let me know if you need it.

"You already handled everything?"

I'd told him to stop Executioner, and he'd just killed them all.

Had he really rushed over at full speed the moment he got the call?

The speed was hard to believe even seeing it with my own eyes, and the results were greater than expected.

To think the situation would be over without me even needing to move.

I took the news and headed to the Director's office first.

"Director."

"Good morning. What's up so early? We agreed to leave for Cheonan at eleven."

"Berserker caught Executioner."

"Huh? Hng? What?"

Jung Juho's brain buffered for a moment at my words.

The information on Executioner had been delivered the previous evening. The strategy meeting and the relay to Berserker had happened late at night. And now, by morning, it was over.

"S-so Berserker catching Executioner means he killed him?"

"He said he'd cut off the head and preserve it."

"Is this kind of thing normally handled this fast?"

Berserker had moved quickly, that was certain. Even I found it absurd.

"Well, it's definitely resolved smoothly."

"That's true, but…"

"What's the matter?"

"It's already been reported up the chain. If Executioner is dead, I'll probably need to explain how it was handled and the circumstances."

Dismay settled on Jung Juho's face. The Executioner case involved other villain organizations, so he'd planned to report it to the higher-ups and request reinforcements.

"Berserker's identity might be exposed."

"Assume it will be, one hundred percent. A major figure like Executioner is dead, and no government organization made a move."

A moment later, something the President had said came to mind. He probably had a rough idea, but I wasn't sure how things would shift once it came out as fact.

For now, judging by Jung Juho's reaction, it didn't seem like things would go badly.

"Let's go meet Berserker first."

"Me? Why?"

"If Berserker is exposed, I'll be the one managing him. If I need to coordinate with him, wouldn't it be easier if you're the Director? Or should I hand him over to the Foreign Cooperation Management Bureau or the Anti-Monster Defense Front Bureau?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then let's go meet him."

"Uh-huh."

Jung Juho nodded with a reluctant expression at my words.

* * *

To meet Berserker, Jung Juho took Choi Junho and three National Guard Bureau Hunters to the National Guard Bureau safehouse on the outskirts of Gwangmyeong.

No matter how much the world had changed, Berserker helping the country? The world was running in strange ways.

This surreal phenomenon became reality the moment he saw Berserker entering the safehouse.

"I'm Jung Juho, Director of the National Guard Bureau. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Berserker, Lee Gwangjin. To meet the Director of the National Guard Bureau—what an honor."

His first impression was that of a normal person. There was a blazing light in his eyes and a meaningful smile on his lips, but it wasn't particularly off-putting.

"Thank you for catching Executioner. We're in your debt."

"Mm."

He gave a single small nod and said nothing more. If there were ill feelings, he'd have poured something out—but there was none of that. Was he really insane?

Berserker held out the box in his hand.

"This is Executioner's head. I preserved it."

Opening it slightly revealed the face of Executioner Woo Juwan.

"…Confirmed. Thank you again."

"I only handled what was asked of me."

He'd spoken casually the entire time, but that was actually more comfortable. If Berserker had used formal speech? He'd have been even more suspicious.

This man was a lunatic.

So he'd come prepared to deal with a lunatic, but the man wasn't one, and that was confusing.

He couldn't understand why this normal-looking man was called Berserker.

"Because of this incident, it's become partially known that you're cooperating with the nation, Berserker. Will that be all right?"

"It happened because I acted as I pleased. I'll have to accept it."

What is this, this kind of normal response? Normally he should be throwing a fit, refusing to accept it, shouldn't he?

Jung Juho was thrown into confusion.

The Berserker he knew was the maddest of all madmen.

So why did Berserker feel like a normal person?

Had he gone insane himself? Had he caught some disease where lunatics looked normal?

Jung Juho found his answer close by.

"In exchange, the three Bureaus—including the National Guard Bureau—won't bother you anymore."

"That's good news."

"Shouldn't you be a little happier about it?"

"Kehaha! Wonderful. Are we done?"

Yes, it was Choi Junho.

The number-one contributor who was thinning his hair and making Chief of Staff Choi Myungguk shit blood.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing."

Watching that bastard, Berserker felt mild in comparison.

When you down capsaicin every single day, ordinary spice can only feel mild.

'I'm sorry for no reason.'

Jung Juho inwardly apologized for having named the maddest villain he knew as Berserker.

* * *

Most Hunters belonging to the South Korean government are hired for the purpose of maintaining public order.

The majority of them are defensive in nature, handling villain arrests and preparing for monster attacks, but there are also teams dedicated to hunting.

However, they couldn't match the guilds when it came to treatment, so their numbers were few and their skill level wasn't high either.

The government had offered various benefits to try to secure skilled hunting teams, but the treatment lagged behind in every respect. As a result, extremely few hunting teams produced dependable results.

Their only advantage was that they were given top priority in securing hunting grounds.

But there were plenty of monsters, and plenty of hunting grounds.

"A Grade 7 Corrupted Monster, Black Wyvern, has appeared! I repeat. A Grade 7 Corrupted Monster, Black Wyvern, has appeared!"

The sudden turn of events threw the hunting team into chaos.

This was an area where Grade 5 Corrupted Monsters appeared, yet a Grade 7 Corrupted Monster that should have been far away had shown itself.

"Why is a Black Wyvern appearing here!"

"Team Leader, what should we do? There aren't many hunting teams nearby either."

"I heard the ecosystem has been changing recently, but I didn't think it was this bad."

Amid the urgent situation, the Team Leader made a careful judgment.

If they gathered the nearby guild hunting teams to respond, they could all be wiped out instead.

"Advise the nearby hunting teams to retreat, and we pull back too. Then we call a transcendent."

"What? But the current transcendent hasn't been proven in hunting."

A young Hunter on the same team spoke with a dissatisfied look.

He was the youngest transcendent, but he hadn't even formed a hunting team yet—a half-baked transcendent.

They were supposed to entrust their lives to someone who hadn't even been properly verified.

But the Team Leader shook his head firmly.

"Becoming Level 8 at that age means he has talent. Even if he has no hunting experience, he should be able to handle a Grade 7 Corrupted Monster."

"Still... hah, understood."

The young Hunter, who had been about to argue once more, ended up nodding.

"Contact him immediately, and we'll split into three groups to confuse its line of sight. Move, now!"

The transcendent call sent right after was delivered to the Blue House.