34-30
Added 2025-07-12 21:40:06 +0000 UTCChapter 30
Ha Seonghun stopped at the end of the underground passage.
In front of him was a large tank containing a young girl.
“Would you believe me if I said she’s my daughter?”
“…Your daughter?”
Ha Seonghun was officially a lifelong bachelor.
There should have been no one he could call his daughter.
He had hidden this so thoroughly that even background checks hadn’t revealed it.
“…She was a pitiful child. She lost her mother and depended only on me…”
“....”
“One day, for reasons unknown, she suddenly died. Honestly, I tried everything I could, but I couldn’t bring her back to life.”
“…Why are you telling me this?”
“Do you think you could do it?”
“I’ve met with the Association, religious figures, even villains. Everyone said it was impossible. They’d never even heard of an ability like that.”
“…Well, that’s only natural.”
“And why is that natural?”
Ha Seonghun’s gaze was deadly serious.
“In this world, there are powers that transcend humanity, illusions, and even people like you who can ‘reconstruct’ humans… But to say there’s no power to bring back the dead? Does that make sense?”
I’d never thought about it. The truth is, once someone is dead, reviving them is impossible.
‘Unless you can turn back time, it can’t be done.’
Not that I’d ever heard of a power that could turn back time.
‘Maybe slow it down, but not reverse it…’
“So what do you want from me?”
“Bring this child back to life with your power.”
“…Unfortunately, my power can’t bring the dead back.”
“....”
Ha Seonghun rubbed his face dryly.
“If you knew about me, you wouldn’t have asked such a stupid question… What’s your real motive?”
“…You don’t have just one power, do you?”
“I know that reconstructing people is just a tiny part of what you can do.”
“....”
Tch, so even that information has leaked.
‘Is there a spy in the Association?’
Or did someone fail to keep their mouth shut?
No matter how impressive the Seoul mayor is, he’s only at the level of a cabinet minister.
By the Association’s ranker standards, he’d be about 20th strongest.
But it seems Ha Seonghun is more connected than I thought.
I should assume my information has leaked to most of the big players.
“So… what’s your point?”
“Maybe you don’t realize your position… You’re in no place to ask me for favors.”
I’d briefly gotten swept up in the mayor’s pace, but I hadn’t forgotten my purpose:
Rescue Pyeon Minhee, and either win over or kill the mayor.
“Heh, I see. That’s all I needed to know.”
“Now it’s your turn to answer my question. Will you give up everything, or die with everything you have?”
“....”
“Sigh…”
Ha Seonghun sighed, looking at the girl in the tank.
Then, he quietly pulled a pistol from his pocket.
“Unfortunately… I’m already a man with no freedom.”
“…You know that won’t kill me, right?”
“Of course… I know.”
Ha Seonghun put the gun to his own head.
“....”
“Honestly… I’m tired after these last 20 years. I’ve been running nonstop, but now I’m sick and old.”
“To have a cult leader as my final guest… That’s not such a bad ending.”
Bang!
Thud
Ha Seonghun collapsed to the floor.
‘…What is this?’
Something felt staged. Ha Seonghun’s sudden suicide, and the “daughter” he claimed to have…
Bzzz!
[Owner’s vital signs none detected. Self-destruct in 10 seconds.]
‘…What?’
Ten seconds?
Damn it.
He’s trying to erase all evidence!
‘I have to find Pyeon Minhee and get out.’
In one second, I searched every room in the mansion, including the basement.
The maids weren’t human they were dolls.
So well made, you couldn’t tell the difference.
As soon as the self-destruct order was given, they broke apart and scattered across the floor.
‘Such sophisticated dolls… Who made them?’
I’d never heard of anyone in the Association with that kind of skill.
‘Is it the villain side…?’
‘Damn, where is she!’
I searched every room, but couldn’t find Pyeon Minhee.
‘Did she escape?’
No, she’s not that capable.
Her trait is charm-based. She couldn’t get out alone.
[Clairvoyance]
Using Joo Hee-kyung’s clairvoyance, I scanned the mansion.
‘…Found her.’
Pyeon Minhee was unconscious in another basement.
‘Is she dead?’
No, she’s alive.
Her injuries…
Wrists and ankles chafed, knees slightly scraped.
‘At least she’s not badly hurt.’
I blasted straight to where Pyeon Minhee was.
I didn’t follow the path there wasn’t time.
I broke her chains and carried her out the way I came.
We escaped the mansion.
I slowed down a bit for Pyeon Minhee, whose physical abilities were only slightly better than average.
1
Boom!!
Flames shot up from the Seoul mayor’s mansion.
Since it was built in the mountains, the fire looked like it would become a huge blaze.
But for all the noise, the flames were weak.
The explosion must have happened underground.
‘What was he so afraid of?’
Before he died, Ha Seonghun’s eyes were like a mouse facing a cat.
But it wasn’t fear of death.
Was he afraid his secrets would be exposed? Or the Villain Union?
I couldn’t understand.
‘There’s still so much I don’t know about this world.’
The mayor’s suicide, and whatever he feared.
‘World Government…’
The government that officially manages “Earth.”
They recognize each country’s autonomy, but only because they allow it.
I only recently learned that’s the World Government’s role.
I thought they just managed superpowered people…
But even in a small country like Korea, the World Government’s influence reaches everywhere.
And it’s a power greater than the Korean government itself.
It only looks like the government is in charge because the World Government stays silent and hidden.
‘The World Government must be aware of me, too.’
They must know. After all, I’m the one who beat all the Association’s male rankers from 2nd to 10th place.
‘And I haven’t exactly been hiding my power.’
I need to come up with a plan.
I returned to the Ja-Ae Cult headquarters.
“…You’re back.”
“Yeah, the mayor’s mansion exploded, and the mayor killed himself.”
“Is that so.”
Han Ji-young’s eyes widened in surprise, but that was all.
The variety of emotions she used to show was gone.
Now, she only shows emotion when we have sex.
Part of me feels a little sad about that, but it’s her freedom, so I let it be.
“…It feels like the world is changing rapidly. We need to strengthen ourselves quickly.”
Even now, the cult is gaining over 1,000 new followers a day, but the growth curve has started to flatten.
“Jinwoo-nim, I’m sorry, but… since your last order, we’ve already increased the number of followers as much as possible. There’s no more space, and it could even harm your body.”
We’ve been using artifacts to create more space, but it’s not enough for more people.
Currently, the Ja-Ae Cult has surpassed 50,000 members.
[Status Window]
Lee Jinwoo – 25 years old
Trait – [Treasure Buried in Mud]
Treasure Buried in Mud – Details:
You have lived for years in the mud. But you have discovered treasure in the mud.
Lv.0 – Become mud.
Lv.1 – Obtain a mud-exclusive weapon. (Unlocked)
Lv.2 – Those connected to the mud gain additional traits. (Unlocked)
Lv.3 – Use the traits of those connected to the mud. (Unlocked)
Lv.4 – (Locked) – (Hint: Widely benefit the mud)
‘I need to unlock Lv.4 soon.’
The hint suggests that increasing the number of followers is the answer.
But I don’t know “how many” is enough.
It’s like walking through a dark tunnel; all I can do is keep increasing followers.
‘So far, the Ja-Ae Cult’s policy has only been to recommend, not force, conversion.’
Since the cult’s founding, no woman has ever been forcibly converted.
I didn’t want to become a terrorist.
But if that brings us to the brink, I may have to reconsider.
A “conviction” is only meaningful if you have the power to carry it out.
If not, it’s just “regret.”
‘If that’s the case, did Dongchangnyeo and Han Ji-young join of their own will?’
It’s all just self-satisfaction.
‘But if I forcibly turned half the world into gals and it’s not a utopia…?’
I’d have to take responsibility.
Maybe I’ve been avoiding that responsibility all along, telling myself, “You chose this, didn’t you?” just to dodge it.
Lee Jinwoo realized that responsibility is a very heavy burden.
