Thrilled by Madness (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 7
Even though he sensed someone entering the hospital room, the man on the bed kept his lips tightly sealed and his eyes fixed downward, unmoving from his seated position.
It was because, even after being rescued as if he’d been waiting only for death in Tamayon’s den, his heart remained unchanged.
“…….”
“…….”
Seo Jun, who had propped one of his military boots onto a wooden chair, also said nothing. He merely leaned his graceful frame slightly forward, casting a quiet gaze toward the bed.
The reason he had grown into a reasonably successful businessman while living alone abroad was the bitter resentment he harbored toward his biological father’s rejection. And the reason terrorists had brazenly pointed their guns at the hostage was because Tamayon’s leader had demanded an astronomical ransom—only to have that so-called father flatly refuse.
That was how he’d gotten the gunshot wound in his chest.
Abandoned by his biological father twice—first sent overseas right after birth, then ignored after being kidnapped—it was only natural his heart would be more shattered than the bullet that tore through it. In his emotional agony, he likely wished to deny even his own existence.
Publicly, Chairman Han of Lian Group had only one son. Therefore, this man was clearly an illegitimate child hidden away.
Seo Jun had heard this from the medic who came to greet him as he crossed over from the main building to the infirmary.
Knowing exactly what had happened, Se, Jun didn’t rush. He simply stated the reality calmly and plainly.
“The special forces team risked entering that dangerous place and rescued three people—including you. Yet because one of them keeps wishing for death, half the value of our life-threatening effort is wasted. So, who should we hold responsible for that?”
“…….”
“With morale plummeting like this, do you really think our military would want to undertake such a mission again?”
He’d spoken until his mouth ached, yet this guy still wouldn’t listen. Of course his wound festered and ached terribly—he was in such a state that dying soon wouldn’t even be surprising.
Seo Jun pulled out the heavy object from his waistband and slowly spun it with his finger, then sneered coldly. At that, the man—who had shown no reaction until now—finally lifted his head and stared straight into Seo Jun’s face.
His eyes widened not because a celebrity stood before him, but because he was both questioning and protesting: Is this really acceptable for a military doctor? Are you going to shoot me with that gun right now? Yet his lips pressed even tighter together.
He surely knew well what a gun was, considering the hole already in his chest—perhaps he needed even more of a shock to snap out of it.
Seo Jun moved his thumb and clicked. The metallic sound of the pistol’s slide being pulled back, hammer cocking, made the man’s Adam’s apple twitch in tense anticipation.
“Wh-what are you—!”
He finally broke his silence.
“Call me a fallen doctor, if you like.”
With a round already chambered, the gun would fire with just the slightest touch of the trigger. The man clenched his eyes shut, bracing himself. And at that very moment, Seo Jun pulled the trigger.
Click.
“!”
But no horror occurred. The man on the bed trembled his eyelashes rapidly, his face filled with shock.
“I was trying to grant your wish—to send you off painlessly. Sorry.”
Seo Jun racked the slide again and this time deliberately hooked his long finger around the trigger, as if to prove it was real.
His life now hung on that single shot. Having already tasted that terrifying sensation once, he suddenly changed his mind.
“W-wait a moment….”
Choosing life, the man spoke more clearly.
“Please… spare me.”
“Say that again. Properly.”
“I want to live!”
As the man answered repeatedly, Seo Jun gave a faint smile and lowered the gun.
“I suspect there’s someone else who’d be thrilled to see you gone early. So take your revenge. Live well enough to show them. Or even drink their blood if you wish. There’s nothing wrong with clinging fiercely to life, doing everything you must, and then dying slowly and fully satisfied.”
While Seo Jun spoke, the man gritted his teeth and tears streamed down his face.
“Ugh….”
It wasn’t just the gun. Rather, it was the medical officer standing before him who had awakened him to this truth: confronting the one who had inflicted such despair upon him would bring far greater relief than simply dying in resentment—even if his body were shattered to pieces.
“Lieutenant Park.”
“Yes, Captain!”
The medic, summoned by Seo Jun, stepped forward and answered promptly.
“He seems willing to behave now. Go ahead and treat him. If he refuses again, report it to me immediately—and be sure to load live rounds next time. Good work!”
With a small, knowing smile—confirming the gun had been empty all along—Seo Jun left the room with the same composed expression he’d worn upon entering.
[This is the timeline separator]Seo Jun had just stepped out of the infirmary and was walking toward the main building when—
BOOM!
An enormous explosion ripped through his eardrums.
“Kuh!”
“!”
The medic walking ahead of him collapsed limply onto the dirt ground as if flung headfirst by the sudden blast. In an instant, Seo Jun’s uniform was soaked crimson—it was the blood of the soldier struck by shrapnel that had come out of nowhere.
Wheeeeee—
The air raid siren began wailing.
BOOM! BOOM!
At that moment, another shell dropped from a fighter jet, devastating the battalion’s largest structure—the main building—and instantly turning its surroundings into an inferno.
Had Tae Seo Jun not gone to the infirmary or returned to his office just a bit earlier, he would have died instantly inside that building. The gap between this life and the next was that thin.
After one final glance at the medic—whose death needed no pulse check—Seo Jun swiftly joined the soldiers pouring out of the barracks, coordinating seamlessly to manage the urgent crisis.
This Korean military outpost, surrounded by rocky mountains, was considered an optimal fortress. Thus, it was clearly beyond the power of merely two fighter jets to annihilate it completely.
It was undoubtedly a retaliatory strike launched from Cear—one that had rescued hostages earlier that day. But why would they launch such an unprecedented, reckless provocation now, right before crucial negotiations—when peace was supposedly just a day away? No one had anticipated this.
Though shells continued to rain down, Seo Jun regained his composure and briskly headed toward the underground bunker housing the operations room, striding firmly over shattered bricks and debris.
Yet another shell slammed down, blocking his path.
KRAAANG!
In that instant, his body was thrown backward. Only belatedly did he realize he’d collapsed onto the walkway from the tremendous impact.
He needed to get up, but his body wouldn’t obey. Blood from his head and body—slammed hard against the ground—soaked the earth, and his mind grew foggy.
But as countless stars poured deep into his eyes from the dark night sky, Seo Jun managed to briefly delay his fading consciousness.
How could the sky shimmer so brightly while the earth burned like hell? And at this moment, possibly his last, he found himself absurdly recalling her—her clear eyes appearing all the more beautiful for their purity.
If I’m suddenly missing that single winter night we shared, does that mean I’ve truly gone mad?
His thoughts went no further. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, and only her face spun round and round in his mind.
“Kk….”
Seo Jun couldn’t help but let out a faint, breathy laugh.
In his increasingly blurred vision, the Milky Way—like scattered gem dust across the night sky—overlapped with the roaring flames on the ground.
Now, he heard nothing at all. Slowly, Seo Jun closed his eyes.
It was a cruel yet beautiful night, one that would accept no further expression from him.
[This is the timeline separator]There was something like this.
It had been difficult before—but now, it was even harder. Not knowing might have been easier than knowing, yet being unable to act because of that knowledge. The aftermath of the accident had been so overwhelming that simply standing before a spotlighted camera felt utterly impossible.
Yet she had somehow conquered that fear—how could she not be happy?
Though slightly nervous, her large eyes, which had met the camera head-on, sparkled more brilliantly than usual precisely because of it.
“Perfect! Ms. So Yeon, hold that pose for just a bit longer!”
The image of So Yeon captured on screen was breathtakingly beautiful—so much so that even goddesses paled in comparison. The director, unable to contain his admiration, beamed with excitement.
“Alright, zoom shot—go!”
At the director’s cue, dozens of lights flashed on simultaneously, their brilliant glow pooling perfectly around her mysterious, elegant back.
With heels, Eom So Yeon stood at 175 cm. Though not as tall as a runway model, her overall proportions and supple curves were no less stunning.
Her delicate facial features, set within a small face, resembled a porcelain doll meticulously crafted by a master artisan.
It was sheer fortune that her face had escaped injury in the recent accident.
It had happened around mid-last year—six months ago.
The horrifying accident had left an 8-centimeter-long scar permanently etched onto the back of So Yeon’s head.
Having fought through fierce competition to land a supporting role in the film The Temptation of God, So Yeon had suffered a severe head injury on the very first day of filming, when part of the set collapsed. A steel framework had fallen from the ceiling, crushing her as she immersed herself in her acting.
But what hurt So Yeon even more was the industry’s brutal reality: her role was immediately handed to someone else. On top of that, she developed camera anxiety, forcing her into months of struggle.
Today, however, marked her return after that hiatus—and So Yeon’s deliberately pursed lips exuded quiet determination. Though it was just a commercial, this opportunity was her last chance on a precipice; she absolutely had to make it count.
“That sub-model is quite pretty—she a rookie actress?”
“She’s Eom So Yeon. Last year, she was cast in a supporting role in the movie starring Jung Hwa. But then the accident happened—oh well.”
“Accident?”
The two women chatting in a corner of the set were Yoo Jung Hwa’s manager and stylist—Jung Hwa being both the commercial’s main model and currently hailed as the top actress.
“Yeah. She was the only one injured, and her role was instantly recast. She’s got talent and academic credentials, but luck just won’t follow her. This commercial is probably her first shoot since that incident.”
“Academic credentials?”
“Yep. She graduated from S University. You know how tough it is to even get into their acting program.”
The stylist, new to the industry and unfamiliar with its circulating rumors, blinked in curiosity, prompting her senior colleague—Sung Jin Ah, a veteran who knew the ropes—to forget even the errand she’d been sent on and divulge everything she knew.
“She was in Canada until recently, and even after coming back, nothing seemed to go right for her. At least she signed with that famous CN agency this time—so that’s something.”
“Honestly, I’m really envious. At twenty-six, it’s not too late. With that school on her resume, her beauty and intelligence must be natural gifts.”
“I guess that’s true…”
Ziiing…
Deep in conversation and oblivious to time passing, Sung Jin Ah’s face crumpled like paper the moment she answered her ringing phone—chastised by Yoo Jung Hwa, who was more irritable than usual.
As if suddenly remembering they’d been gossiping, the two women scrambled back toward the waiting room—just as the director’s voice thundered across the set:
“Cut!”
Having safely completed her long-awaited shoot, So Yeon shakily moved her trembling legs behind the camera.
“Well done!”
Do Soon rushed over, her bobbed hair flying, and patted So Yeon’s back in encouragement.
“Was I okay?”
“Don’t worry— you were gorgeous! See? You can do it!”
“Ha….”
A faint smile touched So Yeon’s lips as she let out a sigh of relief.
But something felt off—Do Soon’s gaze was flustered, her demeanor unusually uneasy. So Yeon asked.
“What’s wrong with you? Your eyes are drooping like you’re about to cry.”
“I’ll tell you later. Right now, I need to take care of you first.”
“Tell me now. What happened?”
“Well… I just saw a news alert…”
Pressed by So Yeon, Do Soon stammered as she continued.
“Our Seo Jun oppa… his discharge is just days away, but there was a massive bombing at the deployment unit…”
Though the grim look on Do Soon’s face clearly signaled no good news, So Yeon instantly sensed it concerned him—and she pressed further.
“S-so then?”
“He’s dead! Waaahhh….”
“…!”
That—that can’t be!
Heaven—no, all the gods in the world—couldn’t possibly do this to me!
All thoughts instantly halted. So Yeon slumped down heavily onto a chair, collapsing in place.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
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Chapter Comments (4)
Inline Comments (1)
Though his gesture had been instinctive, So Yeon accepted it without resistance.
I wonder if Korean women really cry that easily. Wow, that’s exhausting.
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Finally…some communication. Love triangle at this point is surprising and yup it’s gonna be awkward 😑.
Why do I get the feeling that she’s not going to tell him? Haah
I know the revelation is not gonna happen😀, but the ml is just..🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️