Regression Gluttony! Villain Recycling
Regression gluttony! Villain recycling. A highly dangerous endeavor. Lee Seoryul spoke boldly, but it wasn't something that could be taken lightly as her words might suggest. The real question was whether villains could truly be controlled and effectively utilized—or if problems wouldn't arise. Those concerns inevitably took precedence.
But Lee Seoryul believed in the potential of the Punishment Unit based on her knowledge from the previous regression. More precisely, she knew the method to make it possible. If she could borrow the power of a certain Awakener in Japan, villains could be fully controlled and turned into combat assets. Just like in her past life.
To avoid repeating the path of the previous world—which had ultimately failed and led to destruction—she had to learn from those failures and utilize anything that could be used. Villains as manpower were no exception.
The gate disasters were only growing more severe. For humanity to survive and triumph over those calamities, they needed to abandon common sense entirely.
"Keeping that much firepower locked away feels like such a waste, doesn't it?"
"It is a waste. Honestly, it's too much of a waste. But... you know there have been similar attempts before, and they all failed miserably, right?"
Villain. The term didn't just mean any Awakener who committed crimes. People make mistakes in life, and even if the crime was serious, as long as they weren't societal misfits or outright antisocial, they wouldn't be branded villains. In other words, those slapped with the villain label were truly irredeemable scum.
The heavens must be blind—why grant such trash these powers? What a goddamn waste! It was the kind of thing that made you mutter involuntarily.
And indeed, unable to stomach that waste, attempts to harness villains had been made worldwide multiple times. But they rarely succeeded. Villains lived up to their name—wild and uncontrollable. Persuasion didn't work, intimidation barely fazed them. In the end, they were treated like useless lumps and tossed into Awakener detention centers...
But if Lee Seoryul was right—if those villains could actually be mobilized as proper forces? It would be revolutionary. Hunter resource management would gain breathing room, creating much-needed leeway.
That possibility tempted even Kang Sora.
"You confident? No—do you have solid grounds for this?"
She must have spoken with conviction because she believed in it. But Kang Sora pressed on whether there was actual basis to back up that confidence. Lee Seoryul smiled faintly.
"That's why I'd like to make a trip to Japan this time—to secure that basis."
"Japan?"
"Yes. There's a crucial puzzle piece there that will complete my plan."
"Hmm..."
Interesting. The corners of Kang Sora's eyes curved like a crescent moon as she looked at Lee Seoryul. That bold demeanor... How long had it been since she'd seen such promising talent? Not since Seo Dami.
In this narrow country, these likable kids keep popping up. No wonder I can't give up on it.
She let out a soft giggle. Genuinely pleased, regardless of anything else, Kang Sora decided to support her just to see how far Lee Seoryul could go.
"Fine. Give it a shot."
She granted permission freely, offering authority and responsibility alike. Let her run wild and see what happened. Success would be great; failure would at least be valuable experience in raising a junior.
"Thank you."
Kang Sora smiled warmly at Lee Seoryul's resolute voice, which promised no disappointment. Then, suddenly...
"By the way, how did you know the method to control villains is in Japan?"
It was a question that might seem out of the blue, but she couldn't help asking. Lee Seoryul exuded an aura far beyond that of a rookie agent, and it came with a sense of deep secrets. Still, curiosity won out.
"Ah, that... I saw it in a novel."
Lee Seoryul reflexively name-dropped Lebalheonda without thinking. Lies got easier after the first one. It was half an excuse for justifying civilian surveillance and half sincere.
"A novel again?"
Kang Sora let out a scoffing laugh.
"Fine, let's go with that."
Apparently, in her mind, the "novel" Lee Seoryul mentioned had become synonymous with some shady, hard-to-pin-down informant.
"No, really—"
Lee Seoryul blinked, her face saying that's not it at all, but...
"I get it, I get it."
The wall of generational prejudice was thick. In the end, Lee Seoryul sighed inwardly, thinking she'd just investigate later using her own authority.
It would've been nice if others had picked up on the oddity and started digging into the novel and its author, but things didn't go as she hoped.
The evidence she'd fabricated to match the Association's corruption in the novel had gone unpublished. It was all too sensational, like something out of a trashy webnovel—crimes that would tarnish national prestige if exposed. So, after some damage control, it was relegated to internal files accessible only to a select few with clearance.
That didn't mean no punishment—it still allowed legal proceedings without issue, and the government was begging for exactly that approach.
In short, Lee Seoryul's ploy to make people suspect the novel had only amplified suspicions among a few, including Seo Dami, without broader impact.
Well, at least she was on track to become a key player as the president's confidante. Once she succeeded with this Punishment Unit and leveraged the achievement, investigating tls123 as a person of interest wouldn't be too late.
So she thought—until...
"What the hell?!"
Lee Seoryul witnessed a reason to push civilian surveillance immediately, consequences be damned. The latest episode of Lebalheonda featured something eerily similar to her "purpose" for the Japan trip.
"The story's getting too serious—too heavy. That's no good."
Pacing was key. Flooring the accelerator endlessly led to burnout and rapid episode depletion. Yoon Sungjin felt it was time to ease off the gas.
Daily life segments. Just as sweet soda hits harder after bitter sweet potato, major plot beats gained momentum from lighter interludes.
I need something to refresh the mood.
Yoon Sungjin sensed it was time for a daily life arc.
How should I spin this?
The protagonist couldn't just abruptly go on a food crawl after shedding blood and fatigue—that lacked context. Even daily life needed justification. Lost in thought on how to craft a natural breather...
The news anchor's voice drifted from the TV, used as white noise for focus.
"...Ah! That's it!"
A lightbulb flashed in the dark room. An idea sparked.
It's about time to introduce a new lead heroine, right?
He planned to handle national pride episodes in bulk during the Black Gate arc. But teasing one early as lubricant before wrapping the Association arc wasn't bad.
"Chaotic domestic scene. Protagonist flees abroad with little sister for a Japan trip. Facing potential last raid at Black Gate, he makes family memories. Then a Gate Break erupts in Japan. Protagonist shines. Japanese hunter heroine saved, falls for him."
A classic hunter genre cliché, plotted out smoothly.
This is it! No hunter story skips stuff like this!
Yoon Sungjin wrote gleefully.
If it's a trophy heroine, better make her grand and flashy.
To avoid repeating the Hayunha fiasco, he carefully crafted the new heroine.
"Give her a power that doesn't overlap any real hunter."
There were plenty of female fire users besides Seo Dami. Yoon Sungjin still felt wronged thinking about it.
So this time, he'd create a heroine with a completely original skill.
"Geas."
A staple in subculture.
"Japan means contracts and vows, right?!"
Basing it on that, Yoon Sungjin built the heroine. Research confirmed no real Awakener used such a skill.
No backlash from fans claiming it matched some hunter this time. Smirking confidently, he wrote on, satisfied.
This time it's different!
The chapter drew great reactions.
This was the episode that struck Lee Seoryul like lightning. It mirrored her reason for going to Japan far too closely.