The Berserker opened the door of the dilapidated warehouse that wouldnt be strange even if it collapsed right away. The interior reeked of blood and musty odors that assaulted his sense of sll, but it was sothing that he had already gotten used to.
His steps halted in front of a corpse whose head and limbs had been torn off and whose chest had been blown open. It had been artistically torn apart.
A foolish death befitting a fool.
That was the blunt comnt that ca out of his mouth.
The other had acted so superior, but now he faced such a ridiculous death.
No, it might be a testant to how formidable the Head Breaker is.
The fa of the Puppeteer, known as the immortal, was not fake, so it would be right to say that the Head Breaker, who found and killed him, was remarkable.
......
Standing in the room, Berserker closed his eyes and let the residual Force flow through the room. He could see the scene in the room hours ago. He could see the Puppeteer controlling the puppets, the blue eyes piercing through the room, the lightning bolts piercing through the signals the Puppeteer had created.
It was an unimaginable amount of murderous intent.
A madness that could drive soone insane just looking at it.
Kukuku!
Berserker laughed, shaking off the madness that threatened to consu him.
I dont know how much of what Ive seen is real.
Everything was pure chaos.
The Puppeteer wasnt foolishly caught and killed. What were the eyes that appeared in the room, and what was the lightning bolt that penetrated the flow of Force?
No matter how many tis he read it, he couldnt understand everything.
In the end, he gave up and left the abandoned house, arriving at a place about 5 kiloters away.
In the wake of an intense battle, Berserker tried to sense the flow of the battle between the Puppeteer and Head Breaker.
However, this ti, it went awry. The Head Breaker fought with lightning that destroyed everything it touched. But there was no sign of it here.
Instead...
...Why do I sll the scent of the Eraser?
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldnt understand. He couldnt sense the Head Breakers combat style, and it was only the presence of the Eraser that filled the air.
Are the Eraser and Head Breaker the sa person? How could that be possible?
Did a governnt hunter have a reason to impersonate a villain? He tried to piece together the puzzle with various clues, but the pieces didnt fit, so he gave up.
Instead, he assud the opponent to be the Eraser and accepted the flow of Force.
...!!!
Berserkers eyes widened as he felt a dull slap to his chest. A massive, incomparable surge of killing intent and madness swept through him.
Was this truly sothing a person could have? All Berserker could do was take a deep breath as the creatures re presence threatened to consu him.
...All the more reason to see the Head Breaker.
He couldnt wait to see who the hell this guy was.
Pushing his thoughts aside, Berserker shouted toward the dense forest.
Co out.
...
How long do you plan on watching?
...Its just a contact liaison.
What appeared was a man dressed as an ordinary office worker with an ordinary face. However, what he sensed from the other was a level of skill that could be active in a top-tier guild, reaching Level 5.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldnt co across soone like this.
Smiling, Berserker thought that sothing interesting was about to happen.
Where are you from?
Im from the General Operations Team of the Sacred Guild. I am Assistant Team Leader Lee Young-tan.
Did they send you to monitor ?
Im only instructed to directly deliver a ssage to you.
Speak.
Its a ssage from Head Breaker. He said Berserker will be here, and that I should contact him once I et you.
As they spoke, he took out his smartphone and extended it towards the Berserker.
...
Berserker looked at the phone and reached for it. A mont later, the phone rang. He didnt know how to connect the call, so Lee Young-tan told him to swipe to the side. A voice ca from the other side of the phone.
-Berserker.
Is this the Head Breaker? Do you have sothing to say to ?
-I will kill you soon, so dont make any arrangents and stay put.
What?
-Set a date and ti of your choosing, and Ill make it worth your while. Lastly, have a quiet al and contact again. You can use text if you prefer. You know how to use it, right?
The call was then disconnected. The Berserker, who had been blankly staring at the smartphone, burst into laughter.
Heh, hahaha! Hes insane!
Crack!
The smartphone shattered into pieces.
......
Berserker stared at the shattered phone. Lee Young-tan, unfazed, pulled out another smartphone and held it out. Berserker looked at it wordlessly and accepted it.
To prevent it from breaking and losing a ans of communication, he put it in his pocket.
He regained his composure and laughed again.
Hehehe, itll be fun.
Crazy bastards.
Whether its the guy whos trying to attack Berserker, believing that he wouldnt get killed.
Or the guy whos laughing at the idea of him being killed.
Both of them were the sa.
Only Lee Young-tan, caught in the middle of the crazies, tasted death.
***
After dealing with the Puppeteer, I headed to the Sacred Hospital where Yoon-hee was hospitalized. Choi Yoon-hee, single room. Even if its not a major injury, its a prioritized benefit. I guess this is why people want to join the Sacred Guild.
When I walked in, I saw her dressed in patient clothes and blushing bright red.
She told not to call our parents, and I listened because her injuries werent serious. It wasnt like her intestines had ruptured or her stomach had split open and spilled out.
I heard from the nurse that she ate three full bowls of rice. One bowl alone was impressive. Even the als and side dishes I cooked at ho would run out quickly. When I asked if she had eaten them all, she would make a fuss, as if she was being accused unfairly. Its like the culprits habit of loudly protesting. I put down the fruit basket.
Are you okay?
Huh? Why are you here? Im getting discharged tomorrow, anyway.
My little sister got hospitalized, so I ca to see if shes breathing.
Should you say that to your injured little sister? But thanks for coming. If it werent for you, I would have almost died.
I shook my head at the awkward way she said it.
No, you did great. You held out really well.
Still, I feel how useless my abilities are. Should I have worked harder? No, cancel what I just said!
Yoon-hee tried to take back her slip of the tongue, but I heard everything.
When you get discharged, Ill train you even harder.
No, I misspoke. Its already enough.
I dont think so.
The training is already enough. I was talking about Gifts.
Gifts?
Im just ranting because I think it would be different if I had a Gift. Not everyone has them.
The percentage of hunters with Gifts was very low. However, most top-tier hunters possess Gifts.
Gifts could grant special strength to hunters.
In the early days of the Awakening, so nations resorted to human experintation to unlock Gifts, but the results were unsuccessful. I was probably the only one who could determine an Awakeneds type of Gift through blood consumption.
I watched Yoon-hee and threw out a bait.
What would you do if there was a way to have Gifts?
Is there really such a way? Seriously?
I pretended to ponder for a mont before nodding my head.
There is.
Then tell ! I want to have a Gift too. I want to beco stronger.
Its a sowhat dangerous thod.
Its okay.
Perhaps its because of her desire for strength. It slightly bothered , making rember of the ti I yearned for power before becoming the Blood Master in my past life.
No, that desire would disappear if I kept on training her. When she let go of power, other desires would also fade away. I should use the pretext of Gift awakening to do that.
For now, focus on getting proper treatnt and improving your condition. Lets talk about it again later.
Okay. I rember everything you said, so dont say you dont rember later.
Sure.
When Yoon-hee had a Gift, she would be an even better Hunter.
But I have to draw blood from near her heart. Wouldnt she freak out?
I decided to think about the aftermath later.
Oh! By the way, did you really watch it?
Huh?
Were you watching fight with the puppet?
I thought she was half-unconscious, but she rembered the situation accurately at that mont.
No.
It seed like you were watching.
......
Her narrowed eyes relentlessly pursued . I could try to do this a few more tis in the future, so theres no reason to reveal it so soon.
Well, theres no evidence. Are you sure you didnt imagine it?
No, it was real! And take that.
Yoon-hee pointed at the large pot on the table.
What is it?
Open it.
I took the lid off and checked the contents.
Greeting with a delicious sll was an Aul Boars head. Its pupils followed my gaze.
It was a miso hot pot made with the head of an Aul Boar. How was this here?
Sister Dahyun brought to improve my health. Didnt Brother recomnd it? Are you crazy? Are you insane? Are you out of your mind?
This is a nourishing dish.
Although Ive had rice soaked in broth before, I cant stand the eyeballs that follow along. Sister Dahyun said that the eyeballs are the most delicious, but how can I eat those? Brother, you eat them.
Sure.
I went ho with a bowl of Aul Boar head miso hotpot at Yoon-hees insistence.
It was an unexpected significant gain.
***
As I returned to the National Security Agency, news broke out about Kim Yong-hwans death, causing the overall atmosphere in South Korea to beco somber.
It was the death of a Level 8, none other than Kim Yong-hwan. Although he had weakened with age, his shadow lood large, causing significant repercussions.
Consequently, stories about Jung Ju-hos responsibility erged, but it subsided when it beca known that I had captured the Puppeteer. However, within the demoralized governnt organizations, it was lanted that control had completely shifted from the governnt to the large-scale guilds.
According to their opinions, it had beco practically impossible to capture the Berserker without the cooperation of the large-scale guilds. Although the governnt promised to allocate funds for the cultivation of Level 8 Superhumans, the money would rely end up in soone elses pockets.
Once I obtained the non-arrest privilege, I would crush them.
Anyway, the situation was moving as Lee Se-hee said. At this rate, I would have a lot to demand when the negotiating table was set.
Co in.
In the brief interval, Jung Ju-hos face had sohow beco thinner. The only reason his expression wasnt completely dark was that the puppeteer had been eliminated, preserving his dignity. My only fault was that I didnt bring the body.
Should I go and get it now? It had been a few days, and its too late. Next ti, I would remove the head beforehand.
No one would recognize the Puppeteers face even if I brought it back, anyway.
So, its true that you eliminated the Puppeteer?
Yes.
No, I an... Hes called the Immortal, so how did you defeat him?
The Puppeteer used the wavelengths of the Force to manipulate puppets. I found the source of those wavelengths and he was there. The physical strength of the Puppeteer was insignificant.
Did you bring the corpse?
I smashed its head. If necessary, Lee Se-hee can testify.
Was it necessary to go that far? Its regrettable, but I suppose I have to accept it.
Jung Ju-ho, who was scratching his head, said,
Still, Im alive thanks to you. It was chaos when Minister Kim Yong-hwan died. That person too. When you get older and your skills decline, you should retire gracefully instead of being greedy, tsk tsk!
Its fortunate that it was handled well.
Jung Ju-ho was officially my backup, so I hoped he would stay motivated and help for a long ti.
Anyway, I owe my life to you. I wonder how it would have turned out if youre not there.
The atmosphere seems serious.
The governnt side wanted dead. Its true that Kim Yong-wans character was not the best, but he was still reliable in a way. If hes going to die so hopelessly, he should at least solidly groom a successor. Tsk tsk! From my perspective, it will be hard to find soone else from elsewhere.
......
On the other hand, if you reach Level 8 now, your value will increase. Its not bad for you. Its funny that soones death can benefit soone else, but thats how it goes.
He smiled bitterly. While he was relieved that the annoying human was gone, he knew that he would be at a disadvantage in any future battles for dominance with the larger guilds.
Chief.
Yeah, what?
If I reach Level 8, can you help with negotiations?
The probability of refusal was high. Jung Ju-ho had lived his entire life as a public servant and remained loyal to the country, so he might think that my actions infringed the national interest.
However, to my surprise, Jung Ju-ho raised the corner of his mouth.
Jun-ho, honestly, Ive been waiting for you to say that.
What?
Honestly, where can you find soone as knowledgeable about the governnt as ? Ive been a governnt hunter my whole life, and theres nobody above that I dont know. Those elites, where did they co from and what have they been up to? Theyre all hiding sothing.
Please share that information later.
I already found potential targets to eliminate.
...I take back what I just said about knowing what they're hiding. I now cant rember it. As one grew older, they not only lose their hair but also their mory. Anyway, since you asked for my help, Ill support you wholeheartedly. Arent you from the National Security Agency? Ill take the lead.
I could have obtained that information. Its a sha.
But if I provoke a few more tis, the necessary information would probably pour out.
I thought you were going to say it was against the national interest.
Never mind. If you dont get it, the others will. Did you see the money weve allocated for Level 8 training this ti? Its all blind money, and Id much rather spend it on wooing you than going into those assholes. Ill make sure the governnt gets it right this ti. Just trust .
I trust you.
This guy had a lot on his plate.
By the way.
Yes?
Im planning to capture the Berserker.
You havent given up yet?
Jung Ju-ho, who was laughing cheerfully, was shocked and grabbed his head.
Did he think it couldnt be done?
***
The connection between Berserker and I went back to my previous life.
He was a lunatic who wanted to create his own world based on different criteria from others.
He did not reveal that he was Level 8, nor did he reveal his Gift until right before his death.
This ti, the fact that he was Level 8 was revealed, although the information about his Gift did not.
However, I rembered the words he said to , which made think he was an unusual guy.
He called it a mont of the stars.
Berserker chased after talents that could inspire him.
Perhaps it was because of that he chased after the traces of the Eraser. He said to face sothing more terrifying than death itself and even dared to embrace death in order to catch a glimpse of that mont of the stars.
I didnt know if he saw it until the mont of his death. However, his obsession with power was real. He was 60 years old when he died. He had hidden various tricks to beco stronger instead of deteriorating in skill.
Berserker - When will you co?
Berserker - Ive already arrived.
Berserker - Waiting is boring. Perhaps this is also a seasoning for enjoynt. Hehe!
Berserker - [Attached photo]
Berserker - If you have ti, you can co early.
I wonder if it bothered him that I asked if he knew how to send a text.
He had been sending texts for the past three hours.
Why did he send a selfie of himself? The photo size was ridiculously large.
I departed exactly on ti.
When I arrived at the designated location, I saw Berserker sitting on a tree stump, just like in the attached photo.
Youre on ti. I was getting tired of waiting.
Why did you co early?
I couldnt contain my excitent.
Crazy bastard.
Hehehe!
He laughed even when insulted. Maybe Jung Ju-hos words were right. This guy was truly insane. If I spent ti with him, I might beco tainted as well.
Did you fill your stomach with enough food?
Plenty. I also have sothing Im curious about.
What is it?
Are you the Eraser?
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