CH 12

The mass disappearance of villains that occurred in Ansan.

The news of the disappearance of more than 50 villains was announced when the people who had been kidnapped by the villain organization “Big Ten,” which had been operating in Ansan, were released.

As soon as the report was received, government hunters and police, including the villain task force, were dispatched and hunters from Seoul joined the scene.

The analyst who saw the scene shook his head and exclaimed, “I’ve seen many scenes, but I’ve never seen a disappearance scene this clean.”

The villains belonging to the Big Ten had been competing with several multinational organizations located in Ansan. According to the analyst, their level of danger was much higher than their level due to their extensive combat experience.

Each and every one of them was a presence that was close to a disaster for civilians. However, it was clear from the evidence left at the scene that they had been massacred without even putting up proper resistance.

The names mentioned were also dazzling. Berserker, Executioner, Dollmaker, Black Reaper, and other dangerous villains in South Korea were mentioned.

However, when you look at their abilities and tendencies, it was clear that they were not the culprits.

So a new name, Eraser, emerged. It was the emergence of a giant villain that could shake the national power of South Korea.

Some of the truth behind what happened at the factory was revealed when a support department hunter with the Replay Gift arrived.

“This, this is a one-sided massacre. Ahh!”

As she replayed the scene, she fainted with a scream.

Two hours later, as the person with the Replay Gift regained her composure, she screamed in a pale voice.

“You, you must never confront them! Never!”

She explained that she had only seen a few moments. This was something that only awakened individuals who had reached Level 8, the area that dominated force, could do.

Replay added one more piece of information here.

The culprit was purely evil.

It was a one-sided act of violence committed by a being with absolute power. Like a young child, innocently tearing apart the wings of a moth, suddenly tearing off its body.

The analyst spoke in place of Replay, who could no longer speak.

“Perhaps this attack on us was a kind of amusement for the culprit and a warning for us. That’s why Replay was allowed to see the situation on-site. They are saying that if we keep chasing after them, we will become their prey.”

“I’ll make a note of it in the report. Thank you for your hard work,” said Jung Da-hyun, who had been watching the scene.

She nodded her head with a firm expression.

The number of strong villains was increasing day by day.

That was why the momentum of the villains was getting stronger.

She had come out of the Sacred Guild to eliminate the villains.

However, the villains with powerful strength were playing with this world as if it were their playground, mocking the people who lived correctly and trampling on them.

“...”

If it was Choi Jun-ho, would he do things differently?

Unhesitating hands, firm standards. Would he have ignored the warning left by the culprit?

Perhaps Da-hyun thought that if it were Choi Jun-ho, he could have even caught the culprit.

She could not know where his unofficial Level 7 limit was.

Confidence that came from overwhelming power. His own firm standards. Freedom that was not bound by the justice of the world.

That was the charm that Choi Jun-ho possessed.

On the other hand, she felt pathetic about herself. The moment she realized the opponent was a Level 8 villain, she gave up the chase.

She justified it to herself with the excuse that she couldn’t push the people gathered here into death.

“Sir.”

Jung Da-hyun woke up from her reverie at the analyst’s call.

“Finish the investigation and search for the bodies. And start the manhunt for the villain that would be called ‘Eraser’. Gather any evidence that can be related to him.”

“Yes.”

“And also report on anything related to the vice-mayor of Ansan. That part is the most important.”

Evidence emerged during the investigation that the vice-mayor of Ansan had stayed at the scene.

“Understood.”

***

Recently, I was finally reprimanded. I succeeded in arresting Wang Ju-yeol and clearing out the villains involved, but there were overlapping issues such as missing reports, independent actions, and the arrest of a superior officer without proper evidence.

Originally, I could have received a heavier punishment, but it was only one month of suspension.

It was a level of punishment that barely had any effect.

When I arrived early in the morning, Jung Da-hyun, who had worked overnight the previous night, greeted me with a tired face.

“Mr. Jun-ho, did you rest well yesterday?”

“Yes, I slept well. How about you, Miss Da-hyun?”

“I had an emergency mission yesterday, so I couldn’t sleep properly because of the investigation.”

“Then how about some soybean paste stew for lunch?”

“Soybean paste stew is my love.”

It was a moment when I learned that it’s good to have someone at work with similar tastes.

When not working outside the office, I usually handle paperwork related to other departments, and it was very easy to handle this task.

In the end, reviewing documents was about determining whether there were any abnormalities. One could distinguish between what was problematic and what was not by using their intuition. Sometimes problematic documents came up, but when they didn’t, the work was finished in no time.

“Did you enjoy your vacation yesterday?”

While enjoying lunch, I answered obediently to Jung Da-hyun’s question.

“Yes, it wasn’t bad because I met some friends. I went to visit a friend’s younger brother who was very sick.”

“Oh...”

“Don’t look at me like that. Although it’s a rare disease, it seems to be well under control.”

“That’s really fortunate.”

“My friend would have been comforted to know that you were concerned, Miss Da-hyun.”

“Yes.”

Although I was curious about why Jung Da-hyun asked, I didn’t ask her because of her serious expression.

Humans were animals that continuously think and reflect repeatedly. Thinking was good because it could lead to discovering answers and finding new directions.

Anyway.

Something big happened in Ansan.

Although I successfully removed the bodies, it was outrageous that the perpetrator was still at large.

It was a fairly grandiose name.

South Korea was in an uproar over the possibility that a Level 8 villain had appeared.

People around were filled with concerns about what kind of political changes the appearance of the perpetrator might bring.

At such times, it was tricky to admit that Big Ten had been cleaned up.

If I could only say that the villain was actually a government hunter or a normal person, this commotion might calm down a bit.

It would be a great loss if I had to work overtime and prepare for this unnecessarily.

That being said, I couldn’t reveal it now. I had decided to remain silent to protect my freedom to walk around confidently in broad daylight.

Even though I had come back to my senses now, my family was still a sore point. I wanted to comfort them for the pain they had endured because of me and help them to feel better.

“Instead of getting into trouble, why don’t you focus on what you’re doing and work hard? Then Mom and Dad will be happy, won’t they?” Yoon-hee said, but I still thought it’s not enough.

This was true for both my parents and my younger sister who was pretending to be carefree in front of me.

Tomorrow, Yoon-hee was going to take the test for the Sacred Guild.

As the largest guild in Korea, the Sacred Guild required a three-stage offline evaluation to take the test. She had to pass everything and then take the practical test tomorrow.

I thought that she would pass.

However, I didn’t feel like just waiting for her to come back from the test. I wanted to prepare something to wish her luck.

Then I remembered something I saw on the internet.

People also make chocolates for Valentine’s Day.

What if I made a gift to wish her success in the test?

Determined, I stopped by the store to buy the necessary supplies while Yoon-hee went out to do the final check.

***

Tests always came with tension. If the tension was too high, people might not be able to perform at their best and make mistakes.

However, in the final check-up process today, Choi Yoon-hee didn’t feel any tension at all.

It’s not because she felt vague difficulty or bleakness about the test. She felt like she had an easy task to accomplish, even though the test was tomorrow.

Is this...complacency?

She didn’t expect to have this kind of thought about the test for the Sacred Guild.

She wondered if I was being complacent, but when she thought about it calmly, she realized it wasn’t. Underlying it was the memory of relying on her older brother until now.

Even if he ended up having many enemies, I’m confident of his abilities.

There might be a loose screw in his head, but at least she was certain of his abilities.

She still wondered why he became a government hunter, but if he’s satisfied with it, there’s nothing more to say.

She wished he would take care more of himself. In that regard, she was glad that Jung Da-hyun was there to take care of him.

Since they’re both working together, I wish they both could do well.

Jung Da-hyun was one of Korea’s most talented people.

Although the controversy surrounding her appearance in the Sacred Guild had decreased somewhat, her beauty, skills, and charm were all top-notch, making her more popular than most girl groups.

On the other hand, her brother, who seemed to have a loose screw, was...

She regretted comparing him to Jung Da-hyun.

His skills are good, so if he just gets his act together, he could have potential.

Thinking that far, she realized she was looking too far ahead and snickered.

The next thought was about getting out of being unemployed.

Choi Yoon-hee, who had stayed up late packing, returned home, where she was greeted by a sweet scent that was different from usual.

“I’m back.”

“Oh, you’re back?”

“What are you doing?”

This... smelled like crap.

As she approached the dining table, she could see what her older brother had prepared.

“A good luck present for you passing.”

On the day before the exam, Yoon-hee received an invitation from her brother for a large-sized piece of Yeot. (T/N: traditional Korean taffy).

The feeling... wasn’t particularly good.

***

After giving Yoon-hee a good luck present and dropping her off at the exam site the next day, I headed to the Sacred Group headquarters nearby.

“How may I assist you?”

As I approached the front desk, a well-dressed woman smiled and asked.

“I’m here to meet Director Lee Se-hee.”

“Do you have an appointment with the director?”

“No, I don’t.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s difficult to contact her if there’s no prior appointment.”

“Just tell her that Choi Joon-ho is here.”

“I’m sorry. There are so many people who ask for that, you see.”

“I see.”

“Yes, I’m sorry again.”

I faced an unexpected difficulty. I had thought about asking Jung Da-hyun for Lee Se-hee’s number, but I hadn’t bothered to ask because not all goodbyes in the world were beautiful. Considering how the former left the Sacred Guild.

Should I go back and find out her contact information today?

As I pondered, I saw a familiar face coming into the building.

“Hey, there.”

“...!”

The person who saw me seemed surprised and quickly looked around before hurrying over to me. It was the bodyguard that he had seen before at the National Security Agency.

“Why have you come here?”

“I came to see the head of operations.”

“Why?”

“It’s personal.”

The bodyguard’s expression hardened, either because I didn’t reveal the reason, or because he was scared.

Was it because I broke both his arms last time?

I tried to smile to ease the tension, but his expression only worsened. Disappointed, I waited quietly for his response, and he spoke cautiously.

“I’ll report to the head of operations.”

“Please do.”

He approached the front desk employee and spoke to her, and I could hear that a meeting had been scheduled for 30 minutes later with a much more polite expression.

We took the exclusive elevator and arrived at the 35th floor in no time. When the door opened and I stepped outside, I saw Lee Se-hee wearing simple makeup and round glasses, unlike last time.

“Welcome, Mr. Jun-ho.”

“I’m sorry for coming here so suddenly.”

Lee Se-hee sighed deeply at my apology.

“Please let me know in advance next time. You have to give me time to prepare. I can’t meet people like this usually.”

I was not sure what’s different from usual.

When my inner thoughts came out, Lee Se-hee smiled and handed me her business card.

As I put it in my pocket, Lee Se-hee looked at me with bright eyes.

“So, what brings you to see me? Did you suddenly feel sorry for how we left things the last time we met?”

“That’s not it.”

“Please feel free to speak informally to me. I’m the same age as Dahyun.”

I was still talking with Jeong Da-hyun using formal speech, but in this situation where I came to make a request, it was only polite to listen to the other person.

“I want to make a deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

“A friend’s younger sibling is sick. I want to admit them to Sacred Hospital.”

“...Sacred Hospital is controlled by my father. It may take some time.”

“I’m not asking for it to be free. I’ve prepared an urgent fee.”

I took out the Shavel Tiger heart that I had prepared in advance.

“That’s...”

Lee Se-hee’s eyes widened.

It was the Shavel Tiger heart with a Level 6 danger level. It looked like a blue gem and was a useful energy source in itself. It was not easy to obtain something that had a level 6 Force.

I began to inject Force into the heart.

Zap! Crackling!

The chaotic Force that had been moving inside the heart began to surge. I untangled the threads of Force that were hanging on the tips of my fingers and neatly organized the Force that was standing in the heart, so that it could be fully utilized.

To give an analogy, it was like reorganizing the twists and turns of a flowing river into a straight line.

When the intense and boiling force had completely stabilized, the heart became a blue gem. It was a processing technique that I had learned in my previous life, when I was a villain worse than a credit defaulter and had to eat and live.

“I’ll take a look at that.”

Lee Se-hee looked anxious and reached out her hand, but I pulled back slightly.

“Wait a minute! How did you do that? And what’s with that processing method? Why are you pulling back? Please show it me.”

Lee Se-hee grabbed my arm and pleaded like a child who had just had her candy stolen.