I beca a beast that craved blood, intoxicated with power, causing havoc and destruction.
I killed everything I saw, everything that touched my senses, everything that annoyed my nerves.
Those who had flesh, those who had greed, and those who tried to use , I killed them all.
Bloodline, Blood Master.
Those were the nas the world called .
Sotis, my sanity would return, but only for a brief mont.
The thirst for blood quickly took over and robbed of control over my body.
Unforgivable self-hatred engulfed .
If I hadnt craved power, none of this would have happened. I just wanted to be stronger than others and better off than others.
The price I paid was a hand that never stopped shedding blood.
At so point, I no longer felt the thirst for blood.
Perhaps because I had achieved my goal of staining the world with blood.
When faced with incomprehensible situations, I began to question.
Once again, my consciousness began to fade.
***
The feeling of being controlled by madness was always the sa.
The world was hazy, as if covered in fog, and a heavy pressure crushed my chest. I struggled within it, unable to resist. Another , who had gone insane and seed to laugh at , ran out fearlessly and quenched his thirst for blood.
No matter how many tis I resisted, what I got back was ridicule.
Blood was a monster created because I couldnt control myself. The only one who could erase this monster was .
Every ti I had an outburst, I was swallowed by it, but I didnt give up and waited for an opportunity.
Blood was another . The abilities, experiences, and thoughts that Blood had were both his and mine.
At so point, my blurred consciousness beca clear, and my senses beca sharper.
I no longer felt the madness of the monster that was tornting my brain.
Did I overco it, or was the monster trying to deceive in a new way?
The reason why I released my guarded heart was because of the scent of the nostalgic sll that perated my nostrils.
My mothers bean paste stew.
The food that I thought I could never eat again.
I longed to taste it again, but I didnt have the courage to go and see them because my family might suffer more because of .
I had lived in regret for driving my family into a quagmire because of my obsession with blood.
I called him the monster, but ultimately everything was my fault. In a situation where I could not die on my own, the best I could do was regain my freedom, repent, and cut off my own life.
Apart from that, being able to taste my mothers food again was a great blessing to . Even if its just a dream or a deception from the monster, it didnt matter.
I thanked God and reached out reflexively. And I licked the content in my hand like the monster licked blood.
It was undoubtedly my mothers bean paste stew. It was delicious.
Jun-ho!
At the sa ti, a voice rang out.
As I listened to the sound, the surrounding scenery began to change.
In front of were my parents faces.
Jun-ho!
Was this a dream?
I thought it wasnt real because my parents faces were too young, even though they were already old.
I thought I would keep that appearance of my parents forever in my mind. But all I could do after causing them pain several tis and losing my body to that monster was to watch them from a distance once in a while.
Every ti I saw them, they were getting older. I cried tears of blood as I watched them get weaker day by day.
Its okay to call it a dream. I was grateful to be able to see this scenery again.
However, what my senses perceived was a vivid reality.
I couldnt distinguish between reality and dream and looked bewildered.
My parents were looking at with a disappointed expression.
Jun-ho. Why are you eating soybean paste stew with your hands?
With my hands?
I reflexively lowered my head, my hands were covered in soybean paste soup and bits of tofu, potatoes, and zucchini.
I thought it was a dream.
But what about this sense of reality?
No way...
I scooped up so more soybean paste stew with my hands and put it in my mouth again.
I could taste it. The savory taste of soybean paste, the softness of tofu, the taste of potatoes and zucchini.
This dream could not be so vivid.
Not the deception of that guy. I have returned to the past before I made mistakes.
Oh, Jun-ho! Why are you eating food with your hands?
Even with my mothers astonished voice and my fathers gaze that looked at like I was crazy, I laughed.
Its delicious. It tastes even better when you eat it with your hands.
I scooped up another spoonful of soybean paste stew with my hand and ate it.
My mothers food, which had a spoonful of longing added as seasoning, was truly delicious.
***
The world had not changed when I woke up the next day.
I wasnt going crazy again, and I didnt thirst for blood.
I really went back to the past?
I was grateful that I could face the sunlight with a clear mind.
The fact that I wasnt going crazy made happy to live in this world again. I had slept deeply, almost forgetting when I was always being chased and threatened with my life.
He always whispered to . Give up the rebellion. You and I are separated, but ultimately the sa existence. It whispered to to beco one with him and beco the only unique existence in the world. I refused and wanted to get everything he had.
Every ti, he ca back with a sneer. And with a triumphant expression, he stained my hands with the blood of countless people.
Thats how I beca the worst villain in history.
In reality, I was a powerless 25-year-old unemployed person.
I got up from my seat, arranged the blanket, did so simple stretching, and went into the living room. The sound of the chopping board cutting ingredients and the sll of boiling soybean paste stew in the kitchen matched perfectly.
I took a deep breath and welcod the sll into my body. The more I did that, the more my mothers expression towards beca anxious.
Did you sleep well? You woke up early.
Yes, can I help you with sothing?
No, its okay. But are you really okay?
What do you an?
Uh... nothing. Never mind.
Haha.
Maybe it was because I had tasted the soybean paste stew yesterday. Even I thought I was crazy for doing it.
Was it insane for a person who was already labeled as crazy to engage in an act of craziness? I wouldnt have been able to face Blood normally otherwise if sothing wasnt broken inside . His mockery and deceit would have been too much for to endure.
Both he and I were broken. So the top priority was to not show any signs of being broken. How could I appear normal?
Should I catch a level 7 demon, even if its harmful? Then would my parents like when they saw their sons skills?
Eat your al.
Yes.
Wash your hands. Use the utensils to eat.
Okay.
Since yesterday, the eyes that looked at were full of sympathy. Maybe my actions were childish.
Even though they treated like a child, it was still good to be back in the past.
......
My parents didnt say anything special during the al. Even when I said I would clean up after the al, they didnt stop and just went back to work after finishing their al.
Alone, I sat in front of the computer and got lost in my thoughts. Should I catch a level 7 demon, even if its harmful? But would they be too surprised because its too big? Was there a small one among the level 7 demons?
I thought about it but couldnt co up with anything.
Focusing on the current situation, I had to abandon my plans due to circumstances beyond my control.
This ti was when I was at the peak of my unemploynt.
I was identified as an awakened person suitable for special abilities when I was a teenager. From the age of 20, I challenged large companies and guilds for three years, but suffered defeat.
After that, I was dejected and spent two years holed up in my room, putting a nail into my parents hearts.
That was , Choi Jun-ho, at the age of 25.
Although it may have appeared pathetic to others, my perspective as a killer with 25 years of experience was sowhat different.
I was innocent at this ti. I could have probably beco excellent.
I didnt kill just because I found soone irritating or was bored, and I didnt even suck blood unnecessarily.
But did I suck my parents dry with this lifestyle?
But if its not real blood, so it should be okay, right? Itll be okay.
Looking back on a distant past that had beco a distant mory, many old mories ca to mind.
At that ti, it seed like I didnt have any thoughts.
I just blad others.
I resented the world and my own incompetence, and it seed to lead to a desire for power, using any ans necessary to beco stronger.
I thought that if I only gained power, wealth and authority would co to .
The result of this nave thinking was the birth of the worst villain - Blood Master.
Although I gained the desired power, it was not without cost. My family suffered greatly as a result of my choices.
My parents, who suffered a lifeti of surveillance for raising a son who went astray.
A younger sister who couldnt blossom her talent despite having it, because of the sin of having the wrong older brother.
There could be no more mistakes. He wanted to beco a son that my family could be proud of, not a villain crazy for blood.
Then what would a son a family should be proud of actually look like?
What ca to mind at this mont was hunting a level-7 harmful demon.
Ill ask later.
I lay on the bed waiting for my parents.
***
What we want you want to beco?
Choi Jin-kyu and Lee Young-hee, who had just finished farming, blinked at their sons question.
They still hadnt adapted to their sons changed appearance, just like yesterday.
At first, they thought he might be crazy, but they decided it was better than wasting ti and resenting the world.
And now, he was starting to smile instead of having a stern expression.
Youve been worried all this ti. Im trying to co to my senses and do things properly.
...
I want our Joon-ho to beco a civil servant.
Unlike Choi Jin-kyu, who was still in a daze, Lee Young-hee quickly expressed her wish.
A civil servant?
Yes. Even that newly trained hunter is a civil servant, right? Not all governnt hunters hunt demons and arrest villains... right?
What do you think, Father?
When their son asked, Choi Jin-kyu felt the touch of Young-hees hand next to him.
It was a signal to agree, but he couldnt simply ignore his sons gaze, which appeared to hold the entire world within it.
Although the sudden change was still unfamiliar, as a father who wanted to draw a better future for his son, how could he hold back?
I think its good to focus on the fact that youre going to try again. To put it another way, it would be good if you did what you wanted to do.
But I dont really have anything I want to do.
Then why dont you think about it now?
Why are you saying that to Jun-ho, whos attempting to organize his thoughts?
Although Lee Yeong-hee shouted next to him, Choi Jin-kyus gaze was fixed on his son.
Its not just words. If Jun-ho finds what he wanted, he could get a good job.
Youre saying that even though you know its not easy?
It depends on Jun-ho. What do you think?
Before that, Im curious about what you think, Dad. How about being a governnt hunter?
Not bad.
Really?
You get assigned to relatively less risky missions, serve the country, and get paid without any delay. If you like stability, its the ideal job.
Then Ill do that.
Youre not considering other options?
It seems like the easiest. And Ill be at ho more.
The son paused for a mont, looked his parents in the eye, and spoke.
And since you said you like it, Mom and Dad, I want to do it too.
.......
A mont of silence fell after hearing their sons sincerity.
Choi Jin-kyu was deeply moved, and his wife seed to be touched too as she sniffled with tears.
Their nave son had grown up overnight.
Well done!
Of course. Its not just about the size of the reward; stability is also important. If its you, Jun-ho, youll do well.
But to beco a governnt hunter, you need to at least reach level 1.
Even with his wifes hand poking his side again, Choi Jin-kyu spoke firmly.
Level 1. Can you do it?
Level 1 was Jun-hos ultimate goal. Of course, the current Jun-ho, who had regressed, didnt care at all.
But what about reaching level 9?
***
Our Jun-ho has changed a lot.
n are bound to mature at so point.
They said that, but they didnt expect their son, who used to be a troublemaker, to change so suddenly.
They thought he had reached an irreversible situation, like when he shoveled the soybean paste stew with his hands.
But they were quite satisfied with the decent deanor he showed after that.
Can he do it?
Hell manage. Its not just about attitude, after all.
But its difficult to be recognized as an awakened individual...
Well have to find a way. Well believe in him and support him.
Thats true.
Believing in and supporting their son wasnt as easy as it sounded, but they resolved to try this ti.
By the way, level 9? Jun-hos exaggeration is really sothing. Who does he take after?
Hmph!
***
I think it was a pretty good decision to follow my parents advice and choose this career path.
When I thought about how I struggled with being labeled a villain and constantly being pursued before I was able to fully control my abilities, becoming a governnt hunter seed like the best choice.
Being a governnt hunter ca with a respectable civil servant status, a stable employnt guarantee, and a reasonable workload. Plus, even though its not much, I would have so authority.
The power of authority was such an incredible feeling. There was no better proof of my determination to change and start a new life than standing on the side of authority. As for money, I could just catch a few demons or collect bounties on so villains heads when I had the ti. I wouldnt have to worry about running out of money as a governnt hunter.
Now that I had made my decision, its ti to put my plan into action. My plan was to go to Seoul and take the governnt hunter exam. My younger sister, Choi Yoon-hee, was currently preparing for a job search at our Seoul house where we stayed two years ago.
Shes another painful thorn in my side. This ti, I had to help her without hindering her progress. However, I was a little worried about teaching her since I had never taught anyone before.
Ill definitely get better if I keep practicing until I die, right?
If soone hadnt gotten better, its because they had already died. So its inevitable that they would improve. The key was to find the right balance for my younger sister.
I climbed up and down the mountain to wake myself up from being a freeloader and to make plans for the future. Then, I suddenly stopped in my tracks and headed towards my parents orchard when I saw the landscape.
I was thoughtless.
Trying not to kill people or spill blood didnt necessarily an I had reford.
The scale of the orchard, which was not imdiately apparent, was a testant to my parents hard work.
In a world where monsters appeared and everything was in turmoil, I took a walk around the orchard after seeing the apple trees ruined by harmful monsters that had combined with native creatures, and then went ho.
Seems like the number of harmful monsters has increased lately, I said.
A bitter smile appeared on my fathers lips in response to my question.
Until recently, everything was fine, but they say the monsters are evolving. Its ti to use more expensive extermination tools.
How expensive are they?
Very. And the more the monsters evolve, the higher the price.
Ill take care of it.
Do you have a way?
Yes.
If its dangerous, dont do it.
Its not particularly dangerous. Just a little inconvenient?
Being pursued was annoying, and even though I was an awakened, monsters that ca without warning was a hassle.
After years of running away, I knew how to chase away monsters. No matter how strong the villain was, they still had to eat and sleep.
In fact, later on, I got tired of it and just killed every monster I encountered.
Sure, Ill leave it to you.
It wont take long.
I went to my room, changed into comfortable clothes, grabbed the truck keys, and went outside.
Extermination tools were used to drive away lower-level, harmful monsters.
Should I use sothing around level 3?
***
The son who left around lunchti was missing until evening. Lee Young-hees worries were only heightened by the fact that his smartphone, their only ans of contact, was also left behind.
Is he going to be okay?
Hell be fine.
Isnt he pushing himself too hard? He might be acting hastily to show he has changed.
I didnt see any signs of that.
Thinking of her sons casual deanor as he went out to grab a drink in the neighborhood, Choi Jin-kyu let out a deep sigh.
He took the truck with him. We should have asked where he was going!
Lee Young-hees voice beca quite impatient, and Choi Jin-kyu shook his head.
Lets wait a little longer.
At that mont, they heard the sound of a truck engine outside.
Jun-ho!
Lee Young-hee got up from her seat and raced out the door, with Choi Jin-kyu following closely behind.
Outside, the couple saw a huge object in the trucks cargo hold.
W-what is that?
Can you turn on the lights, please?
Although Lee Young-hee wanted to ask what it was right away, she turned on the outdoor light with the intention of confirming the identity of the thing on the truck.
And then she almost fainted.
A b-boar?
A giant boar, twice the size of a normal wild boar, was lying in the cargo hold.
Its an environntally friendly hazardous waste extermination device. Just a mont.
......
When Choi Jun-ho went inside, the couple left alone looked at the wild boar with blank expressions.
The wild boar, classified as level 3 danger, was a ferocious monster that even skilled hunters would risk their lives to hunt.
Its uncontrollable ferocity and tough skin that could withstand bullets made it the greatest threat to farrs.
But their son had caught it.
At that mont, the wild boars body twitched.
It, it just twitched. Its alive, isnt it? said Lee Young-hee, startled.
Although Choi Jin-kyu didnt show it, he also felt his heart drop.
A little while later, Young-hee grabbed their son, who was bringing the container, and asked, Jun-ho, its not alive, is it?
I caught it clean.
Are you in your right mind now? Why did you bring the monster alive?
Its okay.
Choi Jun-ho put the wild boar, which was possibly hundreds of kilograms, or even a ton, on the ground in the cargo hold.
......
The couple was at a loss for words as they watched their son nonchalantly put down the massive wild boar. The more surprising sight ca next.
When Choi Jun-ho grabbed the wild boars neck and twisted it, the sound of bones creaking accompanied the neck turning a full circle.
Kwuiik! Kwuii!
The wild boar, with its eyes wide open, struggled to go berserk, but its breath was cut off in an instant.
Afterward, blood poured out like a waterfall into the container.
......
The unbelievable sight dumbfounded Choi Jin-kyu and Lee Young-hee.
When encountered in the mountains, the demon to avoid most was being handled by their son like a toy.
This wild boars danger level is level 3, so if we spread blood in the orchard, the lower-level ones wont approach. If we hang its bones, they would know that there are higher-level predators around and they wont co close. After all, the extermination tool mimics the scent of the top predator. Its a structure where prey doesnt linger where predators are present.
Choi Jun-hos hand dug into the wild boars belly. After rummaging inside, he pulled out his bloody hand and brought it to his mouth, licking the blood as if tasting a delicacy.
A broad smile spread across his face.
Ah! The blood is fresh. The sll and taste are strong. Itll definitely be effective as an extermination tool.
......
The couple couldnt say anything to their son who's smiling innocently with bloodstained lips.
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