Chapter 16 Part 5: Request – Rescue

After changing clothes, things went smoothly.

Almost no one suspected me, who was wearing the same clothes as them, and they just treated me as if their colleague was passing by. I literally went in and out of the church like it was my own house.

“Wait, you.”

“Yes? …Me?”

“Yeah, you. I’m seeing your face for the first time, where did you come from?”

“Um, that’s…”

“I don’t think you’re one of the people assigned here… Keoheok?!”

“You’re quick-witted, mister. You’ve been through a lot.”

It wasn’t that there weren’t any at all, but sometimes someone who seemed to be a high-ranking official noticed…

In such cases, I did this.

I helped them slack off in a place where others couldn’t see.

“Huum, but this is really suspicious. Why are there so many guards?”

I helped a quick-witted mister who was suspicious of me because I wasn’t supposed to be here to fall asleep and sighed.

No matter how I look at it, there are too many guards to say that it’s just an ordinary cult?

There are many people who are a bit clumsy, but it’s obvious that they learned the job to do security work.

If you’re not careful, it’s to the point where it can be estimated that there are more guards than believers.

“Even though it’s like that, the first floor also looks like a proper religious facility….”

Judging by the appearance of introducing the facilities inside the church to Haran, saying that he would introduce her to the Samhwa, they renovated the original church facilities, but they were playing the role of religious facilities well.

“Haran. Ask what’s on the second floor. Also if it’s possible to go there.”

“?!?”

“Is there any problem…?”

“Ah, it’s nothing!”

When I opened my mouth in a small voice towards the transmitter, Haran looked around in a flustered manner.

…Ah, that’s right. I didn’t tell her that communication is also possible with the transmitter.

Is it because I move alone every day? I often forget to tell you about these features in advance.

Haran, who was making a flustered expression and turning her head here and there, soon realized that my voice was coming from the transmitter and started to change the subject in an awkward voice.

“Um, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“What are you curious about…?”

“It seems like there’s also a second floor here… What’s on the second floor? Ca, can I go there?”

The appearance of being friendly to Haran and explaining this and that until just now was gone, and he stared at Haran intently as if to grasp the meaning of asking that question.

And, after confirming Haran’s appearance of being flustered by the suddenly changed atmosphere because she was just doing what I told her to do and didn’t have any other meaning, he smiled brightly again.

“Haha. There aren’t any great facilities as you think. Have you ever been to a water park?”

“…Once when I was young.”

“It’s similar to that kind of place. The first floor is a place for the believers. And the second floor is a place with facilities to maintain this place. Therefore, basically, only those involved are allowed to enter. It could be dangerous if the believers touch it wrong.”

“Ah, ahaha. I see! That’s amazing!”

“Have your questions been answered? Okay, then next is…”

Leaving behind the pastor showing Haran the facilities again, I started walking to thoroughly search the second floor.

…A place with facilities to maintain this place.

He didn’t lie. The pastor’s heart rate was the same as usual, and the second floor was actually full of warehouses and electrical facilities for storing items that could be used for religious events.

But, I couldn’t believe those words as they are.

Would they maintain this level of security just to maintain ordinary facilities?

No, there’s no way.

No matter how much they’re a cult, there’s no reason for a religious group to maintain security so strictly.

Then there was only one answer.

I told some facts to resolve Haran’s doubts, but that doesn’t mean that’s all the truth.

“By the way, it seems like I’ve looked around all the surroundings…”

Why can’t I see anything?

They put in an excessive amount of security on the second floor, but when I actually searched the second floor, I couldn’t see anything?

From experience, there were two cases like this.

The first is that the security itself is a trap.

The method of reducing the security in the place that really needs to be protected, and putting in excessive security in a place that has no meaning to turn the eyes of the outside to that place.

It was a method mainly used by guys who have a lot of enemies and do dangerous research.

But, it doesn’t seem like they’re going to use that method here.

That method is a method to deceive the eyes of the outside.

I don’t know why, but it wasn’t a method that these guys who are watching the believers would use.

Then it must be the second case.

I closed my eyes tightly and when I opened my eyes again, I whistled and smiled at the sight that appeared.

“Bingo.”

The secluded floor on the second floor. On the lower part of the floor that should have been made of wood, a metal device and an iron ladder were clearly seen going down endlessly towards the floor.

“They have some brains, but… Unfortunately, that doesn’t work for me.”

The second case.

Even though they hid the entrance so that it wouldn’t be visible to people, they put guards in place in case someone discovered it, feeling uneasy.

As if my guess wasn’t wrong, there was a passage to the basement hidden on the floor of the second floor.

To go to the basement, you have to go up to the second floor and then go back down to the basement?

It was a very inefficient movement, but rather that’s why the second floor was perfect.

The first floor serves as a passage for the believers, so you can’t go down to the basement while avoiding people’s eyes.

Inevitably, someone will see the scene of someone going down to the basement, and they will be interested in that fact and go down.

Even if they put guards in place, they can’t stop people’s curiosity.

Guards are also people. Taking advantage of the gap where their surveillance becomes lax, what they wanted to hide so much may be revealed.

But what if you hide the entrance in this way on the second floor?

Even if the security is excessive, what they are wearing is a priest’s robe.

And what exists in front of you are facilities to maintain the facilities.

Ah, there are really only facilities. So, they prohibited entry.

Even if someone feels curious and goes up to the second floor, they will understand and go back down on their own.

And they won’t feel curious about the second floor again. Because they already know what kind of place it is.

They’ll moderately understand that the moderately dark second floor, which is deliberately adjusted in brightness, is a place where people don’t go often.

Without knowing that it’s a measure to prevent them from seeing the passage on the floor well.

“I can see it well when I look at it up close. So they hid it like this?”

The dark lighting and the facilities that exist surrounding the surroundings.

It was made so that it would be difficult to notice unless you looked closely.

They made it well.

“Haran. I found a secret passage. I’ll be inside for a while, so you can go back first. Let’s meet at the office.”

Wajikkeun!

It seemed that they had put a lock to prevent outsiders from entering, but it was useless.

The lock, which was easily torn off with a little noise, took its last breath without fulfilling its mission.

If I enter like this, someone will find out later that someone has invaded this place, but…

Anyway, I’ve already knocked out a few people while infiltrating. When those people wake up, the fact that someone has invaded will naturally be known, so there’s no need to move quietly even in this part.

What the heck are they hiding so much?

It was clear that Haran’s acquaintance, Yoo Jin, was also included in what they were hiding here.

There’s no way they would have hidden her on the first floor, and it would be reasonable to hide her in a secret space where only they can enter.

Yoo Jin’s ability is to replicate objects that she can hold in her hand.

It sounds like a very useful ability at first glance, but Haran said that it’s not profitable to make money with that ability.

Then it’s not to kidnap that person to make money at least.

It’s a reasonable judgment that they kidnapped her to replicate the hidden object.

What is that hidden object?

As soon as I went down to the basement, I was able to realize its identity.

“Ugh, ugh…”

“…A person?”

I denied the statement I made.

The existence in front of me was not a person.

She was a woman with a beautiful appearance, but I couldn’t see her as a person.

Green skin and a red flower on top of her head.

The legs that were showing off their beautiful lines were unnaturally cut off at the thigh, and roots were spread out below that instead of legs.

Yes. Just like a plant.

“…Is she a returnee?”

It was clear no matter how I looked at it. The woman in front of me was a returnee.

I had never heard of a person with the appearance of a plant even in Neo City.

If there’s something that makes that possible, then there’s only mana.

But why?

Why is there a returnee in a place where guys who hate returnees are hiding her?

“Die, darling!”

Chrunch.

Why the heck is there a returnee here.

While I was thinking about that fact, someone hit the back of my head with a flower vase.