Chapter 36

Chapter 36

“I’m Noh Gukcheol, Special Team Leader of the National Guard Bureau.”

“Choi Junho.”

Noh Gukcheol was the man who took over as Team Leader after I ousted Wang Juyeol.

Where Wang Juyeol loved to throw his weight around and stick his nose into his subordinates’ business, Noh Gukcheol hated interference and preferred to handle his own work quietly. On the other hand, he was extremely meticulous and insisted on doing everything by the book.

He’d also been my superior in my past life, but he left me alone—so much so that we barely exchanged a few words. He’d shown flexibility. That alone made him a fine Team Leader.

“Likewise, I look forward to working with you.”

“Have you reviewed the operation outline?”

“I’ll divide my men into half-squads at each key point. We’ll capture as many villains as possible, but per your orders, Transcendent, I’ll focus on minimizing damage.”

“Good.”

The plan for this villain-organization sweep was simple. I would raid the location where the small-time organizations had gathered to negotiate. They were to be captured, but whether they lived or died didn’t matter.

These bastards had made the already-chaotic security around Incheon even worse, thanks to the League. So the rule was summary execution the moment they were spotted, and capture only for those lucky enough to survive.

The National Guard Bureau would seal off the main points, and the villain response teams from each district of Incheon would cover the rest.

With this, I intended to wipe out the five hundred–plus villains running roughshod over the surrounding area.

“Then let’s begin.”

*

My method of intrusion was simple. From the mountain behind the abandoned building where the meeting was taking place, I built a staircase out of Force and landed on the rooftop. It took an absurd amount of Force, but that didn’t matter.

After cutting down the villains standing guard on the roof, I opened the door and descended, attacking the room where the bosses had gathered.

Without even bothering to see who was who, I twisted the necks of all eight organization bosses and the villains guarding them.

“It’s the Head Breaker!”

“Run! Run, damn it!”

“Don’t even think about fighting him! Just run!”

Gunshots rang out through the abandoned building. I spread my Force thin and deflected every bullet while killing every villain I could get my hands on, one by one.

I had no intention of letting them live—I tore apart everything I touched.

There were more villains fleeing than dying, but the escape routes around the building were already occupied by National Guard Bureau Hunters.

I killed the villains who resisted and made my way outside. It was pure chaos—some were climbing into the cars they’d arrived in, others were grabbing their belongings.

“Die!”

Villains who hadn’t managed to escape fired their guns, or swung their swords with expressions of utter desperation.

I killed them all too. When the screams finally stopped, I looked around and saw I’d killed nearly a hundred, including those inside the building. Watching the blood from the mangled corpses soak into the ground, I perched on top of a wooden crate.

By the time the blood had begun to dry, National Guard Bureau Hunters were appearing one by one around the abandoned building.

I asked Noh Gukcheol, who stood at the front.

“How many did you catch?”

“Over a hundred killed on site, and about a hundred captured. The rest escaped.”

“Good work.”

We hadn’t managed to kill them all, but the villain response teams—thoroughly fed up with the villains’ antics—would make sure the remainder paid dearly.

“There is a problem, however.”

“A problem?”

“Among the dead villains are some foreigners.”

Why would it matter whether a dead villain was Korean or foreign? They were villains either way.

“What’s the problem?”

“Sometimes their home countries kick up a fuss, claiming we killed their Awakened.”

“Even when they were killed for committing villainous acts?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t see why that would be a problem, but if it was one, then I just needed to make sure no problem arose.

I laid out the situation simply and clearly.

“Then here’s what we’ll do. Everyone who died here today was Korean.”

“Excuse me?”

Noh Gukcheol, and the Hunters around him, wore bewildered expressions.

“You said it’s a problem when foreigners die, so we just make all the dead Korean. Isn’t that the solution?”

“It’s not something that can be resolved that way. The captured foreigners could testify.”

“I heard Korean being spoken during the fight, so they’re Korean. And if that’s not convincing enough, we can just kill all the captured villains. Then they won’t be able to claim anything. Bring them here. I’ll handle it.”

“……”

I stared straight into Noh Gukcheol’s eyes. He was the first to back down.

“…I will follow your instructions, Transcendent.”

“Good. Every villain we killed or captured today is Korean. Now, I’ll leave the cleanup to you, Team Leader. I’ll be going.”

“Yes.”

Leaving the site to the Special Team, I departed.

*

That night, after the villain sweep operation, I sent a message to Berserker—the one who’d sent me photos of grilled wild boar, wild boar kimchi stew, and boiled wild boar—asking if he could take a call. Not three seconds passed before he rang me.

The moment the call connected, I got straight to the point.

“I’ve got a job for you.”

—What is it? Someone you want killed? I hope it’s someone who can get my blood pumping. A villain organization that’s been getting on your nerves would be fine too. I’ll make sure the results satisfy you.

“Not that. First—are you good at controlling your strength?”

—Why are you asking?

“I asked if you can control your strength.”

—If you use your power sloppily, you get tracked. Any seasoned villain can control their strength as a matter of course. That’s how you move without leaving a trace. Besides, if you can’t even control your strength, aren’t you just a subpar brat?

Sorry for being a subpar brat.

Quietly stacking up Berserker’s karmic debt, I stated my business.

“Do an instructional spar.”

—Me? An instructional spar? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.

“I think you’re the right man for it.”

—I agreed to do anything you ask, so I’ll accept. If you’re telling me to teach, they must be no ordinary sort. I’ve been bored lately, so this should be fun.

Bored, my ass—he seemed to be living the natural human life just fine. Judging by the photos he sent now and then, he had a full set of top-of-the-line camping gear.

According to Oh Jongyeop, the endpoint of camping addiction was a camping car, and Berserker would be crossing that line any day now.

“I’ll text you the time and place.”

After ending the call, I sent Berserker the time and location.

*

The day of the instructional spar arrived.

“I’m curious who it is.”

Jung Dahyun followed behind me with a bright expression.

Dressed in comfortable training clothes, she radiated curiosity about the person who’d be coaching her.

“……”

Berserker was genuinely insane. What if she ends up disappointed?

I figured it was possible—after all, the person coaching her wasn’t exactly in his right mind.

“Get in the car for now.”

I got into the compact car with Jung Dahyun and drove out to the outskirts of Seoul.

“We’re going pretty far? I thought we’d go to a training facility.”

“The person involved is more comfortable out here. There he is.”

When we arrived at the meeting spot, I saw Berserker sitting in a relax chair. A camping car was parked behind him. He’d already been here.

Jung Dahyun and I got out and approached.

“……”

The closer we got, the more Jung Dahyun’s expression hardened. She’d recognized his face.

Berserker, on the other hand, looked at her with pure intrigue.

“So this is who I’m coaching? I didn’t expect such a young lamb. This should be interesting.”

“Oppa, this situation is…”

“Ho? ‘Oppa,’ is it?”

Berserker looked at me. His gaze was so obnoxious I wanted to pluck his eyes out.

“In her prime, isn’t she? So fresh and nice to look at.”

“……”

Jung Dahyun looked at me with a questioning gaze instead of answering.

“Berserker had a change of heart and decided to help me. The Director knows about this too.”

“I swore loyalty to Choi Junho. I declared that I would beg for my life from him and devote my body and soul to serving him.”

“……”

That lunatic was adding unnecessary details for no reason.

“Berserker’s insane, but he’s highly skilled with plenty of real combat experience. He’ll be a help to you.”

The Level 8 measurement spar had been the same—sparring with someone without hurting them was extremely difficult for me.

With someone low-level like Yunhee, it was possible, but Jung Dahyun was Level 6, so finding the right balance was hard.

Back when I was the Blood Lord, I could just kill everyone, but that wasn’t an option now, which made things difficult.

Maybe it was efforts like this that kept me sane.

I spoke to Jung Dahyun, who was conflicted.

“If you’re not comfortable learning from a villain, you don’t have to.”

“No.”

Jung Dahyun, having composed herself, wore a resolute expression.

“I know Berserker is a different kind of villain from the ones who commit evil deeds. It’s still hard to understand, but I can’t pass up the chance to spar with a Level 8 transcendent. I’ll do it.”

“Good.”

I approached Berserker, who was grinning ear to ear.

“I just need to spar, right?”

“Yes.”

“No payment? You’re just going to work me for free?”

“What do you want?”

“Anything’s fine.”

“……”

“For your information, I came up from the ends of the earth after receiving your proposal.”

Why the hell were you all the way out there?

Figuring I had to give him something, I thought for a moment before recalling that his Full Recovery had been erased.

“I thought of something to give you.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’ll tell you about a gift you can obtain.”

“……!”

Surprise flickered across his face. He really was expressive.

“You know my ability, right?”

“Suddenly I feel motivated. I thought I’d have to search every last corner from the bottom up. How far should I push in the spar?”

“To the point where she thinks she’s going to die.”

“It could leave psychological trauma.”

“If she gets devoured by trauma, then that’s as far as she goes. Push her mercilessly. Just don’t kill her.”

“That’s my favorite level. Understood.”

Looking at Berserker’s crazed smile, I nodded.

Whether she used this opportunity as a stepping stone for growth was up to Jung Dahyun.

*

The spar unfolded as fiercely as a real battle. Berserker truly pushed Jung Dahyun without mercy, as if he meant to kill her.

Every time Berserker’s greatsword tore through the air, the shockwave sent strands of Jung Dahyun’s hair scattering into the void.

The hair tie that had held her ponytail was cut, leaving her hair in disarray, but she had no time to notice—she had to keep her senses razor-sharp against Berserker’s blade.

“You’re useful.”

Berserker carried out my orders faithfully. His attacks toward Jung Dahyun were laced with thick killing intent. Facing them, she had no choice but to respond with everything she had.

Otherwise, she would die.

The moment you squeeze out everything you have—that’s what becomes the stepping stone to the next level.

“Not bad? As expected, the woman my master-to-whom-I-owe-everything cares about!”

“I’m going to tear that mouth of yours open…”

While I was deciding how to deal with Berserker’s runaway mouth, Jung Dahyun’s movements began to grow more and more bewildering.

She seemed to have hit her absolute limit. From here on, if she couldn’t squeeze out reserves beyond that limit, it could lead to serious injury.

She needed to use Intuition—to see beyond it.

Only then could her talent bloom on the foundation of all the effort she’d built up.

“That’s it.”

With all distractions completely stripped away, Jung Dahyun began moving on instinct with her gift activated.

It was the stage where Intuition blossomed into Insight. To be precise, the second stage of Intuition. Reading only Berserker’s momentum and minute movements, Jung Dahyun painted a future close to precognition and barely evaded.

“Oh! Ohhh! Good!”

Berserker let out a light exclamation.

But Jung Dahyun’s valiant effort ended there. When Berserker mixed in feints and false openings through his tempo control, her senses were thrown into disarray, and she was sent flying before she could last even five exchanges.

“This seems about right. Want to go further?”

“This is perfect. Good work.”

“I merely followed my master’s orders.”

I pretended not to hear and approached Jung Dahyun, holding out a recovery potion.

A moment later, color returned to her face.

“Remember that sensation from just now. To reach Level 7, you’ll need to use it freely.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Rest. I need to talk to Berserker.”

Leaving Jung Dahyun to rest, I walked over to Berserker.

“Let’s settle up, then.”

“Good.”

“You know from last time—I can obtain gifts inscribed in blood.”

“That’s how my Full Recovery was taken.”

“By applying that, I can also read information about gifts inscribed in blood. Last time I was too busy copying your gift to look, so I need to see your blood again.”

“Fine by me. Go ahead.”

Berserker puffed out his chest. Completely defenseless.

Just what part of me did this lunatic trust so much? It was baffling, but I wasn’t enough of a bastard to test his trust.

My finger dug in beside his heart. Having broken it twice already, I knew the exact location.

Blood poured from the hole in his chest. I sprinkled a recovery potion, then ingested his blood.

Reading the information inscribed in it, I grimaced.

“You crazy bastard.”

“What is it?”

“How much monster blood and meat have you eaten?”

“That shows up too? Flatbread made from fresh monster blood is an excellent ingredient.”

“Why are you eating their genitals?!”

“I heard it’s good for stamina.”

You crazy son of a bitch. So you do have a use for it?

It seemed he hadn’t even bothered to drain the poison while eating monsters.

He’d consumed so much poison that gifts related to monster traits and toxicity were densely inscribed throughout. Among them, the pinnacle gift was Immunity to All Poisons. The strongest passive gift, allowing one to endure all poisons and status effects.

And Immunity to All Poisons was inscribed in Berserker’s blood.

To think I’d lay eyes on this legendary gift.

“……”

I want it. I coveted it.

My eyes burned with greed as I looked at Berserker. His eyes, meeting mine, shook violently, and he hunched his shoulders.

Why is he acting like that?

“…Please spare me.”

“What?”

“What do I have to do to be spared?”

“Who’s eating you? I’m not killing you. Not taking it.”

Still, it was a bit of a shame.

When I smacked my lips, Berserker flinched and quietly positioned himself behind Jung Dahyun.

Startled by his sudden movement, Jung Dahyun flinched and stepped to the side.

Berserker moved with her and stood behind her again.

“What are you doing?”