Ch.51Chapter 51 – Business Trip

After the Incheon Disaster, humanity acquired a new power. The System called this golden energy “Divine Power.”

The ability, exchanged for the blood of countless soldiers and hunters, was worth the price.

Divine Power melted monsters like ice cream and healed allies. While it didn’t offer as diverse a range of skills as mana, it excelled in healing and monster hunting. Just as all mana awakeners could enhance their physical abilities, Divine Power awakeners could do the same, and they could even self-heal simply by channeling the energy.

The government and associations welcomed this change with open arms. Having just one Divine Power awakener in a high-rank gate raid significantly reduced the mortality rate. Moreover, since this energy was specifically effective against monsters, unlike traditional mana users, there were almost no criminal incidents involving Divine Power users.

However, Divine Power awakeners weren’t welcomed in low-rank gate raids because Divine Power dissolved monsters, making it impossible to sell the remains. As a result, most Divine Power users worked in government rescue teams or high-rank gate raid parties.

The emergence of Divine Power was a momentous event not only for hunters but also for religious communities.

It was a name testified by the System itself. “Divine Power” in Korean, “Divine Power” in English. The name alone indirectly proved the existence of a deity. And in a world where demons were emerging from the realm of imagination, believing in gods wasn’t far-fetched.

It was natural that more people turned to religion.

In the modern era, life was as fragile as a candle flame, and it wouldn’t be strange if the grim reaper knocked on your door tonight. People wanted assurance about the afterlife. Most religions claimed that believers would be saved and go to heaven through faith, and if God existed, heaven must exist too… People driven to desperation believed this.

A research finding intensified this trend: statistics showed that there were more Divine Power awakeners among religious people than atheists. Many scholars doubted this result and expanded their research to various religions, but surprisingly, they all reached the same conclusion.

Believing in religion increased the rate of Divine Power awakening.

People, while skeptical of this inexplicable correlation, began attending churches or temples. They were dubious about awakening through such simple means, but they had nothing to lose. If investing one hour a week could increase their chances of awakening…

A religious fervor swept across the world. Although not all who participated in religious activities were devout believers, religion’s influence grew to the point where most people would casually identify themselves as Christians, Buddhists, or followers of other faiths.

Thus, the religious community entered its second golden age since the Middle Ages. Religious organizations gained immense power, similar to when the Pope wielded absolute authority in the old Holy Roman Empire. They became powerful enough to pressure hunter associations. Unable to resist this pressure, the associations announced that they would bestow the title of “Saint” on A-rank or higher Divine Power awakeners.

Though it was merely an honorary title, its promotional effect was tremendous. Each denomination elevated their awakener with the most Divine Power as their highest saint, promoting their religion to the public. The effect was powerful. Even if a saint emerged from what was clearly a fraudulent cult, hundreds or thousands of people would flock to it immediately. Such was the power of the fear of death and the desire for awakening.

Strangely, saints were born predominantly in Abrahamic religions that worshipped a single deity, though the reason for this remained unknown…

***

Upon returning home, Shin Jaehyuk began investigating Paradise Church in earnest. He first casually checked Wikipedia. While its accuracy might be questionable, the well-organized, provocative information was enough to spark interest and motivation. The church’s logo, an inverted cross, greeted him.

“Paradise Church, which is part of the Abrahamic tradition and worships the monotheistic deity ‘Elohim,’ has been active for about 10 years and grew rapidly after the gates opened… Well, cults tend to thrive in times of chaos.”

This mysterious religion, with unknown origins and founder, was influential not just in Korea but worldwide. It seemed to have seized the calamity of the gates as an opportunity to gather followers and expand.

For Shin Jaehyuk, who was tasked with collecting weaknesses, this was favorable. The larger the target, the more areas to investigate, increasing the chances of success. Fraud, tax evasion, bribery… there were so many options that he was almost paralyzed by choice.

“Come to think of it, didn’t Mr. B advise me to look into the potion industry?”

Shin Jaehyuk tried to recall. It was a memory from Children’s Day last year when he visited the Hunter Association to get his hunter license. A couple signing registration forms without hesitation and receiving potions.

‘That must be referring to Paradise Church’s potion charity program.’

It was a famous event these days. Just by registering, one could receive a potion every month, and by actively participating in religious events, one could get even more. The Goguryeo raid team members, though not active participants, had all registered to receive monthly potions. Thanks to this program, the number of Paradise Church followers had skyrocketed both domestically and internationally.

“Now that I think about it, there are several suspicious points.”

Not just the funding for purchasing potions, but how were they supplying so many?

Processing demon blood into potions requires delicate procedures. The toxins must be removed, the “impure mana” known on Earth as magi must be eliminated, leaving only the components that maximize regenerative properties.

In other words, it’s physically impossible for a single guild to produce thousands or tens of thousands of bottles monthly. That’s why the potion market couldn’t be monopolized, and numerous potion production guilds emerged.

“…Pondering alone won’t reveal anything.”

Shin Jaehyuk cracked his knuckles. It was time for some extralegal investigation. He immediately hacked into the Paradise Church’s Korean branch website, intending to discover the source and distribution route of the potions.

Indeed, there were many files stored on the server. Customs clearance statements. He opened one.

===

[Export Declaration Certificate]

Declaration Number: 10031

Item: Potion

Quantity: 10,000 units

Recipient: Father Jeon Ikgwang

Sender: USA, New York, Brooklyn… Koscorp Inc.

…

===

“From Koscorp?”

Koscorp Inc. A corporate guild leading the potion business with exceptionally high production compared to other companies. It was a guild with considerable recognition; if you stopped a hunter on the street and asked, “Do you know Koscorp?” they would reply, “Ah, the guild that sells tons of potions?”

‘They’re supplying such large quantities to Paradise Church in addition to what’s sold on the market?’

Shin Jaehyuk was shocked as he checked the potion supply volume. It was excessively large. And this was just the amount sent to Korea. Considering the quantities supplied to dozens of other countries… even combining several other guilds wouldn’t match Koscorp’s production.

“How is this possible?”

It was physically unbelievable that a single company could produce such quantities. Sensing something highly suspicious, Shin Jaehyuk immediately attempted to hack into Koscorp’s server.

Yes, “attempted.”

“Huh?”

Surprisingly, the attempt failed. It was rare for Shin Jaehyuk to fail at hacking, especially now that his skills had sharpened after awakening.

“What? A closed circuit?”

Shin Jaehyuk expressed surprise as he analyzed the cause of failure. Koscorp’s security system was unusual. A structure physically impenetrable from the outside. It was a method used only in critical confidential facilities like the Vatican’s inner sanctum or the Pentagon.

‘This doesn’t seem like it’s just for protection against industrial espionage…’

The security was too stringent for a mere company. The company’s external and internal networks were completely disconnected, making it inconvenient even for employees to use the internet. What secret were they trying to hide that justified such inconvenience?

There was a stench. The smell of a deep conspiracy.

“So I need to go directly to the headquarters in New York to breach their security?”

Should he travel all the way to America just to complete one request? There was an easier way. He could hack into Paradise Church branches in other countries and easily find the weaknesses Mr. B wanted without information about Koscorp.

‘But—’

The instinct of the Inquisitor who had hunted down hundreds of Mains screamed. That a suspicious conspiracy lurked beneath the surface. And Shin Jaehyuk couldn’t casually ignore this instinct.

‘Perhaps, like before, it’s related to the summoning of the Four Kings.’

Shin Jaehyuk had been severely burned by Belial in Incheon. A monster that single-handedly faced an army and nearly destroyed Incheon. Yet even that wasn’t its full power. Shin Jaehyuk couldn’t even imagine how powerful the Four Kings would be at full strength…

His hesitation didn’t last long. It wasn’t a virtue of a paladin.

“Ah, shit. And I’m not even good at English.”

Shin Jaehyuk began composing an email to Mr. B.

***

[I’ve attached my findings on Paradise Church so far.

During my investigation, I spotted something suspicious about Koscorp and want to infiltrate their headquarters directly.

For personal reasons, I’m reluctant to risk alerting the National Intelligence Service, so please arrange a flight ticket with a forged identity.

I’d also like to bring weapons in case of emergency, but for the reasons mentioned above, I can’t submit an overseas equipment import application. I’d appreciate it if you could handle this as well.]

The pale hand that closed the email tilted a wine glass as red as blood. A snake-like tongue licked the lips. The deep, complex flavor set off fireworks in the brain’s pleasure centers.

“Indeed, the ’35 vintage! The flavor deepens with each passing year. I’m glad I bought plenty and aged it when it was first produced.”

Mr. B savored the wine, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. Lately, these brief respites felt like life-giving water, he was so busy. Extremely busy.

Expanding his arms business with the current trend, monitoring Paradise Church, supporting Korea’s dictator, managing the growing Red Dragon Faction, interpreting research data obtained from the laboratory Shin Jaehyuk asked him to clean up—he truly had no time to breathe.

Fortunately, Shin Jaehyuk had accepted the Paradise Church investigation request, and the Red Dragon Faction takeover was mostly complete, so things would be relatively easier from now on. After that, he could focus on interpreting Belial’s knowledge. Once he perfected the Main modification technique, he could turn the Red Dragon Faction into his loyal army.

“Not bad, not bad at all.”

He was quite satisfied that his preparations for the final war were progressing smoothly. He sipped his wine with a contented smile, planning to review his plans carefully as he emptied the bottle…

That’s when the phone rang.

♬~ ♪♪~

His brow furrowed slightly at the interruption of his precious moment of relaxation. He wasn’t expecting any calls… No, on second thought, there was one person.

“Don’t tell me it’s that Kwak Taewoo pestering me again?”

His mood soured further as he anticipated the caller. He recalled Kwak Taewoo’s request from about a year ago: to locate Shin Jaehyuk. To prevent a clash between them, he had deliberately withheld the information, and the constant nagging made his blood pressure rise at the mere mention of the name.

“I must be patient… I’ve gathered these pieces carefully; I can’t let them self-destruct by fighting each other.”

Shin Jaehyuk and Kwak Taewoo were wild cards. Variables that could twist the vortex of fate. For his and the Sage’s plans, both needed to survive until the final day…

Mr. B sighed deeply and answered the phone. Unfortunately, it was exactly who he expected.

“Why are you calling today, Kwak Taewoo?”

Normally, he would have heard an irritated voice asking, “Haven’t you found him yet?” or “When are you going to find him?” But today was different. An excited voice came through. Unfortunately, it was the content Mr. B least wanted to hear.

“Shin Jaehyuk! I found a trace of that bastard. He visited the Hunter Association on May 5th! With this lead, I can track where he went through CCTV, right?”

Damn it. It seemed Shin Jaehyuk had accidentally caught Kwak Taewoo’s eye. This wasn’t good news for Mr. B. Until now, he could stall with excuses, but with such clear evidence, it was hard to continue feigning ignorance.

Yet he couldn’t openly avoid answering either. Upsetting Kwak Taewoo now would jeopardize future cooperation. He couldn’t completely break with him at this point.

Whether he revealed the information or not, there would be losses. It was a dilemma. His demonic intellect quickly calculated the options. It didn’t take long to determine which would be less damaging.

“Alright, alright. I’ll look into it. I’ll get back to you in a few days.”

Mr. B put down the phone. He intended to reveal Shin Jaehyuk’s location. Ignoring the request again would likely sever their relationship completely. He couldn’t afford to lose a joker when he wasn’t confident in the success of his grand plan.

‘Now a clash between Kwak Taewoo and Shin Jaehyuk is inevitable.’

Still, he needed to delay their contact as much as possible. Until he could devise a countermeasure.

Mr. B recalled the email he had just read. Shin Jaehyuk wanted to go to New York. This was disastrous news. There was an S-rank with exceptionally good eyes in New York. If they fought, they would be detected by the S-rank within minutes. And this S-rank particularly disliked disturbances in his city, often intervening personally. It wasn’t something his subordinates could handle.

“Looks like I’ll be taking an unplanned business trip…”

Just when he thought he might have some leisure, another troublesome matter arose. He poured the remaining wine directly into his mouth. The aged alcohol stimulated his brain.

“First, to avoid the worst-case scenario, I should tip off the Sage.”

This matter seemed to require advice. He might need to consult with the Sage about advancing their plans slightly.

Having decided his destination, he snapped his fingers. In response, an ability inexplicable by science activated. A power bestowed by a deity in the distant past…

A black sphere materialized from thin air and absorbed his body.

And then there was no one left.