Ch.2222. Living as a Believer in the Punk World

Ari.

A woman who was the daughter of a bankrupt company president, forced to sell her body to feed her family.

And perhaps someone who could have become Wilheim’s mistress.

That woman approached Wilheim and slid her hand toward his thigh.

Wilheim, distracted by Ari’s beauty, failed to notice the dagger she was pulling from her thigh.

Squelch.

The price was his life.

Wilheim looked at Ari with surprised eyes.

Gone was her shy demeanor, replaced by a cold gaze that met his in midair.

Ari.

There was no such woman.

She never existed before, nor does she exist now.

Inside that shell of lies was a sturdy man named Amon.

Once upon a time, Amon had won a cross-dressing competition with just crude cosmetics and even received casting offers from entertainment agencies.

Now he had the active support of holy knights and high-quality cosmetics at his disposal.

As a result, a perfect woman was created—one that even a playboy young master who had embraced countless women couldn’t detect.

‘Shit…’

Though the person himself didn’t particularly enjoy it.

Amon moved behind Wilheim with the knife still embedded.

Blood gushed onto the desk as the right carotid artery burst open.

The knife had torn through the artery into the windpipe, preventing even a scream from escaping.

But just to be safe, Amon deliberately covered Wilheim’s mouth.

He had stabbed so deeply that Wilheim couldn’t even resist and just went limp.

Seeing this, Amon drew the blade from the right side of the neck to the left.

As the dagger moved in an arc, Amon could feel the contents within breaking apart.

The reason for going this far was because this world was cyberpunk.

‘There are devices that can revive people even after their hearts stop.’

Even in the third installment, there were insane implants that could somehow save someone with a gunshot wound below the eye.

Now, 50 years later, it wouldn’t be strange if implants existed that could repair even a severed carotid artery.

‘One moment of carelessness is enough.’

After learning that the salesman who visited the orphanage was actually the chairman’s son, and discovering that he possessed scanning eyes.

Amon felt his blood run cold.

His supposedly perfect handling of the situation had been easily penetrated.

‘That carelessness put us in danger.’

Of course, what could a 15-year-old boy do against a mega-corporation? Still, it was true that Amon had been careless then.

If he learned nothing from that experience, it might return as an even greater tragedy.

Therefore, Amon obsessively confirmed Wilheim’s death.

He periodically checked the pulse and monitored his vital signs.

After about 5 minutes of verification, Amon could be certain that Wilheim was completely dead.

It was his first kill.

In the case of the crazy gorilla, he had been prepared to kill but didn’t.

With the ninja, he threw the sword without hesitation, knowing it wouldn’t kill him.

But this time was different.

Wilheim’s death was his intention from beginning to end, and he truly succeeded.

The sensation of taking a life for the first time.

Amon shuddered slightly.

He closed his eyes briefly and offered a short prayer of repentance.

‘Lord. Today I have taken a life.’

Within that brief prayer, he recalled his dialogue with the Goddess.

– [If I must kill my brothers down there, what should I do?]

Regardless of how much Amon loved this world, he knew well that in a cyberpunk world, killing was unavoidable.

Therefore, he had no choice but to ask her.

Is killing truly against her doctrine in all cases?

To that question, she answered:

– [Even for the most wicked child, for a parent to condone their killing… it pains my heart.]

Despite saying so, the Goddess’s position was firm.

It is possible.

Because she is a merciful mother, but also the ruler of rulers.

Because she understands human malice better than anyone.

She did not unconditionally prohibit killing.

However, she emphasized one thing clearly:

– [The innocent must never be sacrificed.]

With that answer, Amon’s reminiscence ended.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the life he had taken.

Did the being before him deserve to die?

Amon couldn’t answer that question.

He was not great enough to make such a determination.

But one thing he could say with certainty:

This act was for his survival,

And in the future, his blade would only be drawn when absolutely necessary.

After less than a minute of contemplation, Amon began searching Wilheim’s body.

He found the keycard he was targeting on Wilheim’s person.

As a precaution, he cut off Wilheim’s index finger, then took out his phone.

‘Let’s see… what was the structure again?’

The map app displayed the building’s layout that he had received from the priest.

After examining the 3D cross-section of the building from various angles, Amon identified his position and target location.

‘Now let’s end this cursed relationship, Mr. Chairman.’

***

On the day Amon first bloodied his hands.

The top of the Higgjen Group headquarters was perfectly peaceful.

Unaware of what was happening in his kingdom, the king was chatting with his loyal subject.

“How is that woman’s condition?”

The chairman asked the cyborg before him.

Moving his silicon facial skin diligently, causing an uncanny valley effect, the cyborg answered.

“Good. The awakening period is approaching. Once we secure that girl, the saint will awaken.”

“You’ve done well, Dr. Victor.”

The doctor scratched his chin awkwardly at the chairman’s praise.

The human brain is truly remarkable; even after transferring to a mechanical body, habits remained unchanged.

Though as a scientist he didn’t believe in unscientific superstitions, if there were a god, it was clear that human consciousness had been delicately coded.

The chairman leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression.

“Yes. Finally, we can put Mystic Power on the market too. But doctor, is this amount of money enough for you?”

“Yes. I am satisfied with advancing humanity.”

Humans are great.

Humans must break free from the grip of gods.

When we bring Divine Power, that misguided superstition, into the realm of understanding as Mystic Power, humanity will evolve into a better existence.

As always, the doctor expounded his beliefs to the chairman.

His speech carried an attitude that seemed to lecture the chairman.

But the chairman didn’t mind at all.

That scientist was one of the few business partners whom the chairman regarded as an equal human being, not just a tool.

The doctor knew this well, so he didn’t bother changing his attitude.

Spreading his mechanical arms toward the chairman, the doctor said:

“Human progress. I am satisfied just to have achieved this with my own hands.”

“I’ve known you for decades, but I still can’t understand that conviction of yours.”

“But don’t both you and I believe in and work toward humanity’s infinite potential? You want to sell everything, and I want to bring everything into the realm of understanding.

If that direction benefits us both, is there really a need to understand each other?”

That answer was enough to bring a smile to the chairman’s wrinkled face.

This philosophy was precisely why the chairman liked the doctor.

The chairman didn’t understand the doctor, and the doctor didn’t understand the chairman.

But both men knew the other was a madman.

That’s why they could trust each other completely.

“Indeed, we get along well.”

Decades ago.

The chairman had accidentally met the doctor in a garbage heap.

The doctor was dying from rejection after transferring his body.

At that time, the chairman was just an ordinary mart employee, but out of curiosity, he saved the doctor.

That connection led them to create and grow this company together.

During that time, the doctor created every product the chairman requested and never showed any signs of betrayal.

He didn’t even ask for a high salary.

The doctor only wanted more reinvestment, more research facilities, and more research personnel.

For the chairman running a business, there was no one as precious as the doctor.

That’s why he never hesitated to show goodwill toward the doctor.

“I know you don’t want this. But you’re a valuable talent in our company, so don’t refuse the favors I give you.”

With those words, the chairman provided the doctor with a house and reliable guards.

The doctor had no greed, but he recognized the necessity of those guards.

So he didn’t refuse the favor.

“If possible, I’d like friends who keep their mouths shut.”

“Of course. Friends who would tear out their own tongues rather than open their mouths.”

Having been business partners for half a lifetime, the two were perfectly in sync.

They clinked their glasses, celebrating that they were just one step away from their ultimate goal.

That warm atmosphere ended with a siren echoing through the building.

An urgent message arrived for the chairman.

[Intruder in the laboratory!]

At those words, the chairman jumped to his feet.

The doctor, who had been conversing amicably with him, also rose urgently.

They exchanged glances and hurried to the laboratory.

This was the plan they had poured their lives into.

Reason enough for the chairman to react this way.

The chairman and doctor arrived at the laboratory door with their direct security detail.

The thick iron door wouldn’t open, as if the intruder had locked it from inside.

The chairman nodded to the security chief.

The chief, whose body barely showed any protein components, gathered magical power in his right arm.

“Step back.”

The chairman and doctor stepped back.

The chief’s fist swung, and the door shattered.

The chief entered through the shattered doorway first, followed by other guards.

The chairman and doctor tried to follow, but a guard stopped them.

“Currently, the security chief is fighting the intruder. Let’s enter after safety is secured.”

Though the chairman and doctor wanted to push the guard aside and enter immediately, they restrained themselves.

No matter how urgent, they couldn’t risk dying from a stray bullet.

The wait wasn’t long.

One minute.

That’s how long it took for the security chief, with his neural acceleration device activated, to subdue the intruder instantly.

Only after safety was sufficiently secured could the chairman enter.

As soon as they entered, the two examined the laboratory’s condition.

Fortunately, the damage to the laboratory wasn’t severe.

Several computers were destroyed, but the room containing the most important test subject was intact.

The saint’s shell was undamaged.

“Phew…”

Only then did the chairman breathe a sigh of relief.

After confirming the saint’s safety, the chairman turned his attention to the intruder.

According to the chief, there was something unusual about the intruder, so he deliberately didn’t kill him.

The chief presented the intruder with a grinning face, calling him a gift.

The chairman’s eyes widened when he saw the face.

It was a face he had seen in reports.

With hair drenched in sweat and traces of lipstick around the mouth, it was unmistakably Amon, the man they had considered a decoy to distract from their target.

The Higgjen Group had determined that Sonia was the Mystic Power holder, believing there couldn’t be two in one area.

But seeing him here, that assumption was wrong.

Divine Power was emanating from Amon after the battle.

“Heh heh…”

So the woman named Sonia was the decoy.

They had been thoroughly deceived.

But luck seemed to be on the chairman’s side, as the actual person had come here.

And thanks to him entering this laboratory, they were spared the effort.

‘Young blood is fearsome.’

He didn’t understand why Amon had come here, but it was probably an impulsive action driven by youthful vigor.

With the achievement of their goal so close, the chairman felt inappropriately excited despite his age.

Then suddenly, the chairman noticed something strange.

‘How did he get in?’

Vigor and ability are separate matters.

The fact that he had entered meant there was some security vulnerability.

The chairman needed to identify that vulnerability to avoid repeating past mistakes.

“How did you get in?”

To that question, Amon gave a meaningful smile.

And instead of answering, he held out a finger and a bloodstained keycard.

The chairman’s eyes widened.

His first reaction was outrage.

Then tears followed.

The chairman’s face reddened as he roared.

“Wil!!! You, what did you do to Wil!!!!”

Amon didn’t speak this time either.

He just quietly made a throat-slitting gesture.

The lipstick marks and makeup stains on Amon’s otherwise kind-looking face created an eerie dissonance.

Smiling with lipstick around his mouth while making a throat-slitting gesture, he looked like a psychopathic murderer to anyone watching.

The guards in the room hesitated.

But a parent blinded by rage over losing a child knew no fear.

Slap!

Amon’s head snapped to the side.

A handprint appeared on his cheek.

The chairman struck Amon’s other cheek with his weak hand.

But Amon’s smile wouldn’t fade.

This only fueled the chairman’s anger further.

“You… my eternal regret is that I cannot tear you apart…”

In a rage where he might lose his reason at any moment, the chairman lamented.

In the chairman’s mind, there were countless ways to inflict pain on humans, and he had the ability to execute them.

He could extract Amon’s soul and torture it endlessly,

He could put the orphanage children in a gas chamber before Amon’s eyes,

He could even choose to rape that woman named Sonia.

But he couldn’t do any of that.

Amon had to become the saint’s sacrifice.

He couldn’t torture him physically or mentally in ways that might kill him.

In case Amon might somehow commit suicide, they needed to sacrifice him as soon as possible.

If they failed to sacrifice him due to the chairman’s emotions, it might take decades before another opportunity arose.

The chairman weighed his son’s revenge against his ultimate goal.

The scale tipped toward his goal.

In the end, he too was essentially a city person, valuing his self-realization more than his son’s death.

The chairman raised his head, swallowed his tears, and declared to Amon:

“I’ll admit it this time. You’ve beaten me.”

Although he would awaken the saint and achieve self-realization, the chairman would never be able to take revenge.

That hatred would torment him until the moment he closed his eyes forever.

‘This man probably aimed for this.’

Even if he couldn’t bring down a mega-corporation, he would leave an indelible wound.

As a chairman, he had encountered countless people attempting such things.

Most failed without even setting foot in the company, but this young man succeeded.

He had inflicted an eternal wound on the chairman.

The chairman suppressed his lingering attachments and looked toward the doctor.

“Quickly, sacrifice him.”

It would be some consolation if they could extract his Divine Power in the most painful way possible.

Comforting himself thus, the chairman instructed the doctor.

But the doctor’s response was strange.

“Chairman. Somehow… the saint is already complete.”

“…What?”

“It seems this intruder has completed the saint.”

The chairman was confused by the doctor’s answer.

Even the doctor speaking, the surviving researchers, and the guards.

Everyone was confused.

For what reason? How did he know?

Before that, how was he still alive?

Amid their questions, Amon’s smile deepened as he lowered his head.

Then he raised his head and murmured with a refreshing smile:

“The Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name of the Mother before you. I show love to those whom I love, and I show mercy to those whom I have mercy on.'”

While people were bewildered by Amon’s sudden recitation, he muttered:

“Thank you. For dragging this out so long.”

As if it had been planned, Amon straightened his posture confidently.

People sensed something was wrong but couldn’t identify what it was, so they couldn’t take any action.

They couldn’t flee, end Amon’s life, or evacuate the chairman.

Unable to guess what was happening, they could only stand frozen in place.

Immediately after, the saint’s test tube shattered.

Hearing the sound of the test tube breaking behind him, Amon recited:

“He also said, ‘You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.'”

As soon as those words ended, the guards collapsed, spitting blood.