Chapter 78

Johanna activated her soundproofing magic and crossed her arms.

“it’s okay. What are you talking about?”

Hwang Ye-ri took out the picture she showed Pyo Ji-hun. And the question was the same.

“Cid’s research, is it really stopped?”

Johanna’s eyes twitched. It was a bad memory for all three founding members of Ubermensch.

“All prototypes and materials were destroyed. You know better, right?”

“But it stays in your head, right?”

“… are you doubting me now? Leaked research? “My” research to someone else?”

Johanna’s eyes sharpened. However, Hwang Ye-ri did not shrink. Rather, her eyes grew colder.

“I’m asking to avoid suspicion.”

“Ha, that’s ridiculous.”

Johanna laughed and lit her pipe. Cigarette smoke dampened the excitement.

“… How can I show proof of something I didn’t do?”

“You mean no?”

“Even if it fails, it is my research. Besides, I found a problem, but there was no way I could have told you about it, right?”

Hwang Ye-ri looked at her, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. And after calming down, he opened his mouth again.

“I apologize. I was a bit sensitive.”

“… I understand.”

Johanna spit out smoke with a bitter expression.

Hwang Ye-ri lost her fiancé to this research. And Pyo Ji-hoon’s ability was involved in that work.

-Are you really okay?

-It’s fine. I don’t want to hide behind Yeri anymore.

Hwang Ye-ri’s fiancée volunteered to be a clinical trial subject for ‘Seed’.

– Besides, the Sword Master has already seen the future, right?

-You said it felt like being born again.

Prior to the exam, Pyo Ji-hoon saw the future with his ‘déjà vu’ ability and predicted success.

However, the reality that unfolded before my eyes was different from the prediction.

-Keep it off… !

-Johanna!?

-I can’t do this… !?

The experiment was a failure. Seed did not bring awakening and polluted mana.

-Explain…

Hwang Ye-ri found out later. Johanna did her best to slow the contamination, but recovery was impossible.

– Explain!

Enraged, Hwang Ye-ri was ready to tear the two to pieces. But it was her fiancé who stopped her.

– My choice… was…

He defended both men. And he explained his condition in detail.

– I’m the last… let it be…

The suspension of research was his will. Hwang Ye-ri accepted his will and forgave the two, and Johanna and Pyo Ji-hoon completely abandoned their research.

‘After that incident, Pyo Ji-hoon did not rely on his abilities.’

Afterwards, Pyo Ji-hoon was not sure of the future he saw. And he came and devoted himself only to training and rose to the position of sword master.

“Then who the hell is this?”

Hwang Ye-ri’s voice brought Johanna out of the past.

“do not know. But this is different from my prototype. The prototype didn’t mutate that fast,”

Because of that, communication was possible until the fiancé mutated.

“If it has anything to do with the Ubermensch, you better talk to the association.”

Johanna said with a stiff expression. Other parts are clear, but it’s hard to completely deny that ‘Ceed’ in the photo resembles her prototype a lot.

I don’t know how she got it, but it didn’t feel too good that someone was using her research.

“… Association?”

Hwang Ye-ri snorted at Johanna’s words.

“If the association is functioning properly, there’s no way I’ll get that many requests to my guild.”

“Yeri Hwang.”

“The business is over. I will solve this problem myself.”

She said and left the room. Left alone, Johanna silently lit a cigarette.

* * *

Kang Tae-min read the conversation between the two and asked.

“… Can you determine the authenticity of this conversation?”

There was no problem in replaying the conversation between the two. But what mattered was the truth of the content.

To be precise, Johanna’s words were important. If that statement is false, doesn’t it mean that Johanna and the sponsor are in a cooperative relationship?

Unfortunately, Kang Tae-min’s karma log does not work on Johanna. However, it will be different if it is Miss Backdoor.

“Uh, wait a minute… .”

She frowned and closed her eyes. And slowly, I opened my eyes again.

“… Yes, Johanna definitely destroyed the research, and didn’t leak anything.”

It was a slightly drained voice. Apparently it wasn’t a roundabout transaction.

“Right… .”

Taemin Kang rolled his eyes with a serious expression. The problem they faced was the same for him.

‘Then, is the seed used by Scaler different? But it doesn’t seem unrelated… .’

None of the three founding members leaked the recipe for Seed, and all research was discarded.

However, the sponsor knew the recipe.

At first glance, it was a contradictory situation.

‘There must be some way.’

However, it could not have been a contradiction in reality. There must be a key to resolving the contradiction.

Kang Tae-min quickly searched his head.

‘… no way?’

There were numerous keys in his brain, including memories from before returning. Kang Tae-min was able to find a suitable key among them.

“Yeah, is that so?”

“What?”

“It means there is a way to figure out the recipe.”

Miss Backdoor and Mr. Rock’s eyes widened.

“What is it?”

“It’s not just people who know how to make it.”

“… Yes?”

“More details later. Rather, the position of the character ‘Do Jin-woon’.”

Kang Tae-min immediately took action. But Miss Backdoor shook her head.

“It is difficult to find by name alone. You know that the more detailed the information, the easier it is, right?”

“I get it.”

Kang Tae-min explained the person he was looking for, Do Jin-woon, based on his memories before returning.

“He is a ‘psychometric’ ability.”

“If it’s psychometry… .”

“I see, that’s what you meant… !”

Mr. Rock tilted his head, but Miss Backdoor understood at once.

“It means that the research site has memories.”

Psychometrics was the ability to read the subject’s past. Where the Ubermensch studied seeds, the past would remain.

‘Noname or the sponsor must have learned the recipe based on that memory.’

Using Do Jin-woon, he obtained the manufacturing method and continued research to create an improved seed.

With this assumption, the contradiction is resolved.

Kang Tae-min delivered other personal information.

“But how did you know this person?”

“From the location.”

“That’s it again… OK. I will try.”

Miss Backdoor pursed her lips and soon manifested her abilities. Surprisingly, the results came quickly.

“He doesn’t seem to be that influential. I’ll send it by GPS like before.”

Taemin Kang nodded his head as an answer. he went straight out.

‘It’s worth it.’

Kang Tae-min seemed to know why Do Jin-woon’s influence had declined.

Because Do Jin-woon.

‘Because I took care of the Devil Maker he should have.’

It was because without Kang Tae-min, he would be the owner of the ‘Devil Maker’, an artifact possessed by the Goblin King.

Before returning, he became the head of a pseudo-religion and offered sacrifices to the devil.

The reason that religion attracted people was Do Jin-woon’s psychometric ability.

Of course, after getting the Devil Maker, it grew exponentially due to the artifact effect, but before that, it was growing in power with its abilities.

‘Did he fall because of the devil, or maybe he’s already fallen.’

Based on experience, it will be the latter.

* * *

A small church in the suburbs.

It was a small village with no tall buildings around and a majority of the elderly population.

As it is such a place, most of the believers who visited the church were elderly people.

“Master, you are coming.”

At the words of one believer, the old people struggled to rise from their seats. They bowed their heads in unison and waited for the leader to appear.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

But no one dared to look up. He was not to lift a finger without the teacher’s permission.

“hahahaha, how are you all?”

Do Jin-woon, the religious leader in a black priestly uniform, said with a smile.

“Yes.”

“It’s thanks to the teacher.”

“Thank you for the grace… .”

The believers answered with their heads still bowed. Do Jin-woon tapped the microphone lightly with a satisfied face.

When the thump rang out, the believers lifted their heads in unison.

Even the tears in the eyes of the believer who met Do Jin-woon’s eyes.

“It is a time when the heart is disturbed by marriage and is full of pain and sorrow. However, salvation will surely come, so your faith must not be shaken.”

When Do Jin-woon finished his rhyme, the followers joined hands and nodded.

“Salvation will spread widely to you and to the neighbors you love, so I tell you many times, you must renounce greed and be altruistic.”

With those words, the lights on the stage turned on. The soft lighting from below tried to make him look more divine.

‘I’m going to change it to a good light… .’

Although he was not satisfied, Do Jin-woon continued to act as a saint.

“Today, new believers, please come forward.”

At that, the people sitting at the back came forward hesitantly. Most of them were children or residents of the neighborhood who couldn’t overcome the torch of their parents.

But today was a little different.

‘Ohh… .’

Do Jin-woon’s eyes drew an arc.

A young woman with a disgruntled expression caught his eye among the elderly.

They were the kind of people who came to pick up their family because they thought they had fallen into a pseudo-religion.

“Show me the troubles you are going through.”

“I-I… .”

The first to come out was an old man.

Do Jin-woon raised his hand and stopped talking. And just gently held her hand.

“Such a celestial wrath… !”

As he muttered lowly, the old man who held his hand trembled.

“Your children are in debt again. But to lend a hand again… .”

“Uh, how… ?”

“I can see everything.”

It was not possible to read all of the subject’s past. The only visible memories were those accompanied by strong emotions.

But even that was enough.

He revealed the suffering of the new followers and finally stood before the young goddess.

‘It’s shaking.’

The first look on his stern face soon turned into a stern face.

‘I’m sure it’s real or if it’s concocted.’

But his ability itself was real. Do Jin-woon wrapped her hand around her.

‘Ugh, the skin is different as expected.’

Do Jin-woon read the ability while holding back a laugh. It took a little longer than before.

This time, it wasn’t suffering, it was because she wanted to hide it.

“Uh huh… .”

And unlike before, he put in a sigh. She looked around anxiously, and the eyes of the other followers changed.

“Kuhm… I think we need to talk about this separately.”

“Yes? no, what is it?”

“Are you really okay? This… .”

Do Jin-woon quietly whispered in her ear.

“I got mad at my lover. You may have noticed it vaguely, but… .”

“Uh, how… ?!”

At that, she was startled. Do Jin-woon cleared his throat and smiled benevolently.

“I know very well what your suffering is. We will also tell you how to free yourself from that pain.”

“ah… !”

“Gracious!”

The believers held hands in unison and let out a salsa.

“If you wish, I will perform the exorcism.”

“It’s an exorcism… ?”

“Yes, oh, of course I don’t charge.”

“Free?”

“of course. I am a body that has received the revelation of salvation, and service is my life. I don’t want any other price.”

Certainly it was.

The principal did not directly ask for a price. Just insinuatingly, if the other believers were informed of the difficulties, they would know each other and pay the price.

“Instead, have a raw meal for dinner and come after a clean bath.”

“Ah, okay.”

Do Jin-woon said so and began to preach. All of these were words I had heard from somewhere, and it was enough to mix only the principled stories.

Believers believe in him because of his ability, not because of his good preaching.

‘I’m going to take care of myself today after a long time.’

Do Jin-woon, who finished the work, smiled broadly and looked forward to the ‘exorcism ceremony’. It’s been a long time since I felt like my back was getting sore.

After confirming today’s ‘donations’, he felt even better.

‘Shall we make our way to the city soon? I think it will be okay if we dig in from the outskirts… .’

I was thinking about expanding my business.

I heard small footsteps outside the door.

‘Are you here already? I must have been in a hurry.’

It was time to conduct his own exorcism. Do Jin-woon cleared his throat briefly, cleared his throat, and unbuttoned a few buttons on his priestly uniform.

I even changed my bare feet to slippers beforehand.

Then, without knocking, the door creaked open.

“… ok?”

However, there are no goddesses that I expected, and there is an iron man standing there. Do Jin-woon opened his mouth in amazement after blinking his eyes.

An iron plate flew through his open mouth.

“town… !”

The iron man, Kang Tae-min, closed the door with his ability and approached him. Do Jin-woon, who had collapsed, crawled as if cleaning the floor in priestly clothes.

‘It’s still garbage.’

Kang Tae-min checked Do Jin-woon’s karma log.

[Karma Log]

[Name – Jinwoon Do]

[Alignment – Evil (-294)]

[Recently recorded karma activity]

[> Attempted sexual assault (-15)]

Without Devil Maker, Do Jin-woon was nothing more than a con man and sex offender.

Kang Tae-min showed his ability.

On the back of Do Jin-woon, who was running away as if crawling.

“It is time for confession.”

The iron cross fell.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like