The Crazy Villain Regains His Sanity

Chapter 51:

<There is a donation of 1 trillion won there. You can take it if you want, but only if you can survive in the hands of the Head Breaker.>

After the donation event, it became a big news story. What I had initially intended as a pure act of donation had turned into a scheme to dismantle corrupt charity organizations.

To an observer, it might seem like I had set up traps to dismantle them.

This somehow reminded me of when I told Director Lee Myung-hak to take care of his neck.

Back then, there was room for misunderstanding, but in this case, people could have taken this literally.

But I didnt see any articles pointing that out.

On the contrary

<Whats the hidden truth behind the 1 trillion won donation? What is the secret message Choi Jun-ho is sending to people?!>

Reporter Go Ye-jin seemed to be stirring the pot even more.

I told my parents about setting up a foundation when I didnt hear back from any charitable organizations.

I wont do it.

I was rejected in a single stroke.

Im satisfied with our current life, and I dont think its good for us to have an active role in this.

Thats right, were satisfied here too.

My parents were afraid of how their actions might affect their son. They also pointed out that setting up a foundation could make them a target for villains because it would involve a lot of money.

They werent wrong. There were still villains lurking in Seoul. I guessed my thinking was short on that part. I apologized to my parents.

Its okay. Were benefiting a lot from our son too.

Do what you want to do, Jun-ho.

Yes.

What I wanted to do lets think about it slowly for now.

The idea of donating was something that came out of nowhere and it just stuck. So it wouldnt hurt to think about it a bit more.

The next day, I headed to the Sacred Guild with Heartworker.

Heartworker, who visited the headquarters of the Sacred Guild for the first time, which was not only the top conglomerate but also the top guild in South Korea, looked around with wide eyes, then had a surprised expression when he saw Lee Se-hee.

Welcome, Jun-ho-ssi.

Lee Se-hee, wearing a white blouse and an H-line black suit skirt, greeted me.

Is he the one Jun-ho-ssi mentioned?

Yes, hes the one. Hes the one who will learn core processing in the future.

Im Kim Jong-hyun. Its an honor to meet you, Se-hee-ssi.

Yes, nice to meet you.

Heartworker, even when I gave him warnings, still persisted with a noticeable flirtatious tone in his voice.

Lee Se-hee, with her composed voice, offered a seat.

I heard about the charity organization. I didnt know you had such thoughts about donations.

I share the same thoughts as Se-hee-ssi.

This guy kept interrupting.

Ive just confirmed that my thoughts are quite different from yours.

Even if they wrap it in good intentions, many donations are just aimed for tax deductions or social recognition. Those organizations are after that kind of blind money. I understand you may be disappointed, but there are also many people genuinely volunteering to help those in need.

By the way, doesnt the Sacred Guild also make donations?

We do operate a foundation on a group level. But if you want to donate here, Ill have to decline.

It seemed like she had read my thoughts.

Lee Se-hee smiled.

You can trust the system, but not the people. When suddenly a large sum of money comes into play, desires that didnt exist before can surface. What I want to say is that you dont need to start big from the beginning. Start with a small amount, gradually increase it as you see how its working.

Having the authority to audit would seem unreasonable to them.

Yes, donation organizations have expenses that are essential for their operations. If we closely examine and cut these expenses too much, there may be situations where people want to help but are unable to do so effectively due to the financial constraints placed on the organization.

Even if those operating expenses are reasonable.

I might not have such intentions, but other people might not be the same. Lee Se-hee added.

I can recommend a few good places.

Youre as kind-hearted as you are beautiful.

Thank you.

Its nothing.

There was Heartworker, who was intruding without any sense of discretion, but Lee Se-hee didnt particularly show any reaction. I suppose this was the extent of her tolerance.

Since I had brought Heartworker here and my next appointment was nearing, I slowly got up from my seat.

Well, I have another appointment.

Was it the special lecture?

By the way, you were an Academy graduate, right?

Yes, so was Da-hyun. It was really nice back then. We didnt know anything, and it felt like a field trip. The competition among the kids, looking back now, was at an adorable level. If you find someone promising, please recommend them to me.

Isnt that last part your actual purpose?

I know right? If you go to the Academy, the kids will be quite happy. Since theyre still young, please look at them with fondness.

Kids need to learn responsibility to become proper hunters.

There had been numerous cases of hunters with terrible personalities abusing ordinary citizens.

Thats still happening now.

It was quite common to see cases of young, inexperienced individuals who were recognized for their potential, looking at the world with great confidence.

I intend to instill a strong sense of responsibility in these guys. Cultivating responsibility was not difficult. When one became engulfed in the thought, If I dont succeed in this, Ill die, anyone could complete the task they had been entrusted with.

I gestured toward Heartworker.

First, help him adapt. After that, Ill share the processing method.

Yes, now that hes part of the Sacred Guild, Ill take care of him.

Alright.

With Lee Se-hees trustworthy voice behind me, I left the Heartworker in her care.

There shouldnt be any problems, right?

***

Kim Jong-hyun was in high spirits.

Entering one of the best guilds in South Korea, and working with such a beautiful superior was beyond imagination.

Accepting Choi Jun-hos proposal was the best decision of his life.

However, I felt something strange after Choi Jun-ho left.

It felt cold.

The surrounding air had dropped about 5 degrees? No, it felt like it had dropped by 10 degrees.

Whats going on? What was this? Feeling puzzled, Kim Jong-hyun noticed that the source of the cold was right in front of him, Lee Se-hee.

She had a markedly different expression from a moment ago.

S-Se, Se-hee-ssi?

First, address me properly. When you address me from now on, please call me Team Leader.

Haha! Yes, Team Leader.

Dont laugh. Does Kim Jong-hyun laugh in front of the Team Leader?

Kim Jong-hyuns mouth remained closed, concealing a calm but underlying intensity.

Lee Se-hee seemed to like that expression.

Alright, Craftsman Kim Jonghyun. Theres something you need to remember. Ill say it once, so make sure to remember.

Yes, yes!

It was cold and imposing.

The gentle, warm, obedient, and devoted face that Lee Se-hee had shown in front of Choi Jun-ho was all a lie.

Right in front of him was a predator ready to pounce and tear his throat apart if he revealed even the slightest vulnerability.

Was this how people from Seoul were? Or was it just Seoul women?

Jung Da-hyun and Lee Se-hee were both terrifying.

First, I am the head of the Sacred Guilds overall team. Think deeply about what that means. Second, you were brought here by Choi Jun-ho, but youre now a craftsman at the Sacred Guild Research Institute.

The chilling aura emanating from Lee Se-hee was as sharp as if it was slicing through thin skin.

There was no room for dissent.

All Kim Jong-hyun could do was nod.

Lastly, I hope we can both be more careful with each other. I see Craftsman Kim Jong-hyun as a promising talent in the company, and Craftsman Kim Jong-hyun sees me as the head of the team. Do you understand?

Yes, I understand. I understand, so please

The moment he answered, the pressure that had been pressing down on Kim Jong-hyun seemed to disappear as if it had been washed away.

The air, which had been chilly just a moment ago, felt so warm that he wondered if it even happened.

Alright. I look forward to a constructive relationship with Craftsman Kim Jong-hyun in the future. You can leave now.

.

Eventually, Kim Jong-hyun was forced to get up from his seat and walk out. He didnt regain his senses until an employee approached him and led him to the research institute.

Seoul women are frightening.

***

The proposal for a special lecture had been coming in for a long time. And I accepted the offer to build a friendship with Go Myung-hak and observe the Academy students.

I accepted the offer because I wanted to get to know Go Myung-hak, a retired but prestigious Transcendent, and the headmaster of the Academy.

What I felt as I stepped out into the world and lived in society was that the more allies and the fewer enemies one had, the better.

It was the same for Lee Chan-taek.

I personally had no interest in Lee Chan-taeks life or death, but I chose to save him after observing various situations. The result made me Lee Chan-taeks benefactor, creating a situation where Avant-Garde considered me as their friend.

Now, I was not just someone who indiscriminately kill.

I also have a personal reason for visiting the Academy.

Like other kids, there was a time when I earnestly wanted to come to the Academy in Seoul when I was in my teens. It was a new experience for me to become a professor for just one day.

Now that I thought about it, how were my teenage years?

It was colorless and odorless.

I was one of those kids in the class that you wouldnt notice if they were gone.

Lets just say it wasnt a pleasant time.

The reason I wanted to observe the students of the Academy was because there were some guys who would become villains in the future.

A villain was literally a social evil. It would be better to eliminate them before they cause greater harm if possible.

For now, I planned to see how things were first. If theyre already irreversible, remove them. If theres room for rehabilitation, train them to death and make them human. If they died in the process, so be it.

When I arrived at the Academy, I met Go Myung-hak first.

Thank you for accepting the request. I have high expectations for the special lecture by Transcendent Choi Jun-ho.

Even so, I am not as knowledgeable as the professors at the Academy. It seems Ill only be able to address a few issues Ive observed while working in the field.

The experience in the field is always important. While the professors here are excellent, its easy for their senses to become rusty when theyre away from the field. Even the professors go hunting or visit guilds during vacations to familiarize themselves with the field. Transcendent Choi Jun-hos insights will be of great help to the students.

Today, the class I was giving a special lecture to was Class A, where only the most outstanding students at the Academy gather. Furthermore, they would be the ones to step forward for the battle exchange when foreign delegates arrived.

The future of the Awakened in South Korea.

I recalled the information I had researched in advance.

I heard there are a few troublemakers in Class A.

Go Myung-hak smiled awkwardly.

When I looked at the accident records, it didnt seem easy to just attribute them to the immature actions of young children.

Thats why we often find ourselves in difficult situations.

The era of the first-generation Awakened, who initially had no significant background, came to an end. With the transition to the second and third generations, powerful forces that spanned generations started to rise and assert themselves.

The lineage of their family and their background in the guild made it difficult for Academy professors to handle.

It was the emergence of a new aristocratic class similar to conglomerates before the appearance of monsters.

Nevertheless, even aristocrats ate and fought the same way, and their blood was just as red.

If the Headmaster wishes, I can relieve your worries. Unforeseen accidents can happen at any time.

While Go Myung-hak fell into silence, I examined the attendance book. Among the five classified as troublemakers, three of them were familiar names.

If I remembered them, they were either going to be killed or needed to be killed. Future villains were mostly being molded in their adolescence.

Even so, I was quiet during my teenage years.

Those kids have only strayed for a moment. They still possess purity. Wont you give them a chance, just once?

Do you believe people can change, Headmaster?

I dont believe so. But I think its possible when the right opportunity arises.

Its a statement I didnt empathize with. The cost of eliminating them was much cheaper than the cost of trying to change them.

Why choose such a difficult path? The probability that these kids will become proper hunters in the future is slim. From what I see, theres a higher chance theyll become villains.

Its a conviction coming from someone who used to be a villain and experienced their previous life.

But Go Myung-haks choice was to lower his head.

Please.

I wondered if he was doing it for the sake of the actual students or if it was because I intended to eliminate them all. If hes averse to the idea of killing, maybe I should just say that I would make them invalids next time.

I pondered for a moment, then decided.

Since youve put it that way, Ill take a closer look and make a judgment.

Thats more than enough. Thank you.

Only then did Go Myung-haks expression brighten.

***

The kids can be mischievous, but theyre all good kids.

I followed the class A homeroom teacher Lee Hye-ri as she explained about the class A students.

She mostly boasted about the students. She was a professor who didnt make a big deal out of the problematic aspects, portraying everything in a positive light.

It seemed like a style that the students found approachable. The kids running around and Lee Hye-ri looking flustered were vividly imagined in my mind.

When we arrived at the classroom, it was exactly the starting time of the lecture. As we entered, there were around thirty or so teenage students.

Today, the special lecture will be given by Transcendent Choi Jun-ho. Everyone, applause.

Clap, clap, clap!

With applause that lacked sincerity, I stood at the podium. Unlike the insincere applause, the eyes directed at me sparkled with curiosity.

They all had well-refined aura. A sign of good training, I suppose.

Thats also the problem.

Giving power to kids who didnt even know their own limits. When giving them power, its best to firmly lay the groundwork to prevent misuse.

This is Choi Jun-ho. There must be some people here who dont recognize my face.

No one here doesnt know you!

Thats right!

In response to someones shout, the other students echoed. Was this the future of this country? Better than the Jabalchi villains, I suppose.

Todays special lecture topic is the correlation between using Force and using Gifts

Excuse me, Professor.

A brazen voice interrupted.

When I shifted my gaze to the source of the voice, I could tell right away that it was a guy who had overly groomed himself. Though he looked over 20 years younger than the face in my memory, I recognized him.

Yang Joo-hyuk, the future villain known as the Inner Clown.

The only son of Guild Master Yang Gil-su of the mid-tier guild Hoyeol, he was known for his talent and caused all sorts of turmoil before becoming a villain.

The reason I remembered him was simple.

He claimed he would become the second Blood Master and roamed around, causing trouble. After making such a claim and looking for me, he got beaten by Berserker and was handed over to the Hoyeol Guild.

In other words, a fashion villain. I remembered Berserker saying that he was pretty good, though.

Thinking about it, hes quite the unusual guy to survive even after falling into Berserkers hands.

Professor, weve already taken the class on the topic youre going to teach. Could you tell us something different?

Boldly interrupting the words of a professor as grand as the sky.

During the National Guild Union meeting and in various other situations, I realized that people had a common prejudice.

The mistaken belief that I would never lay a hand on them.

Especially in this country, where minors were protected by strict laws.

Did he think that I wouldnt touch them because of that?

If so, it was a very big misconception.

I wondered how Cheon Myeong-guk and Jung Ju-ho would have looked if they had heard such words.

One would probably have had a very uncomfortable expression, and the other would have clutched his head.

What do you want to know?

The method of dealing with villains! Professor, youve faced countless villains so far, havent you? Well become hunters in the future and may have to deal with villains during hunts. We want to know how to respond.

From the way he spoke with a sly smile the whole time, it was obvious he was joking.

If youre going to crack jokes without understanding the subject, you should ensure they match my style.

Well, thats not a bad idea.

It is, isnt it? I always have these great ideas.

Come up here.

Yes?

He looked at me with a puzzled expression.

You want to know how to deal with villains? Stand here.

I pointed to my side.

Youll play the role of the villain.