episode_0645

“Please save me… ?”

It is not easy to fully accept just one sentence in a pure white letter.

The sender of the letter is Shadow, a key member of Hexagram and an apostle of sloth.

The killer’s name written on the letter is Chris.

He is also a key member of the Hexagram… no, a leader, and an apostle of arrogance.

In short, the two are colleagues.

That’s why I can’t understand.

Why does Chris want to kill Shadow?

Given his lazy and timid personality, he would never have challenged Chris’s authority.

On that topic, Chris’ orders were followed well and there would have been no problems with disobeying orders.

But if I have to kill him.

“… Is he also able to handle two powers at the same time like me?”

If that’s the case, then killing Shadow is somewhat understandable.

“No.”

That can’t be true.

Now, aren’t the two goddesses, each sitting in their own temples within my subconscious, speaking?

In the long history of the world, I am the only one who has held more than two powers.

If they didn’t know, they wouldn’t lie to me, so let’s just move on.

Two guesses immediately come to mind.

“The letter is either a lie, or there is another reason to kill the guy.”

In either case, it is difficult to look deep into the situation at the moment.

“What should I do?”

I thought about it for a moment.

If Chris really intends to kill Shadow, should we just let it be?

Or should I help Shadow and prevent Chris’s will from being carried out?

Which one will benefit me more?

The worry didn’t last long.

“Okay, decided.”

First of all, I decided to help.

The benefit of doing so is influence within the organization.

Among the executives of the six-member hexagram, the only one who is friendly to me is Jincheon.

If you add a shadow to it, you can probably give the neck a little more strength.

I convey my message to the shadow that is standing there blankly, looking this way, as if waiting for an answer.

“Tell your master. If he wants to live, he should come here quickly.”

The shadow nodded once and disappeared into the ground without a trace.

* * *

An airport bustling with people.

A middle-aged man dressed in a neat suit checks in his luggage and boards a plane to Korea.

As I sat down in the spacious seat, I took out a book I had brought with me and started to concentrate.

Something amazing happened.

The faint shadow that had been cast beneath his feet began to move, then detached itself from him and began to move on its own.

The shadow, writhing like a living creature, arrived at an empty bathroom.

The shadow, having confirmed that there was no sign of anything around, soon vomited out a man.

A pale face from being completely unexposed to sunlight, dark circles under the eyes, and wrinkled, light-colored lips that seem to lack pigmentation.

Just then, an airplane makes a loud noise and lifts its heavy body into the sky.

Finally, after reaching a stable orbit, Shadow finally leaned against the back of the toilet and sighed in relief.

“Okay, okay.”

It’s a success.

He escaped without being caught by those watching him.

Even they can’t be rude on a plane with so many passengers on board.

If you do that, you might get caught by an organization that is preparing to make a strong appearance.

For a while, I was happy to think that I was safe.

A deep fatigue settles over his face.

“Ugh… Why on earth do I have to run away like this?”

Until just a month ago, his life was going smoothly.

He was living a happy life, lying on his bed in a corner of a room where there was little sunlight, playing all kinds of games, and donating a large sum of money to internet broadcasts.

It was one day three weeks ago that dark clouds began to gather over his life.

That day, too, I was making a big fuss in the chat window while donating a large sum of money to a broadcaster I enjoyed watching.

Just 0.1 seconds.

No, in an even briefer moment, a strange noise invaded my territory and quickly disappeared.

A trace so small and insignificant that it could be dismissed as nothing serious.

If I were my usual lazy self, I would have let this slide, but this time I didn’t.

Because an instinctive sense of foreboding ran through my entire body.

So he quietly used his shadow to search around the house.

I found it at the end.

A series of crowds surrounding his house.

And soon enough, their identities were also revealed.

He was a member of the Hexagram organization.

At that moment, he realized.

The fact that the amount of tasks given to you has been drastically reduced recently.

No matter how lazy a person is, he cannot be lazy when it comes to matters that affect his life.

After much thought, he came to a conclusion.

‘Chris is trying to kill me.’

Although he was formally an executive, he was no different from a leader and was trying to take my life.

Of course, I didn’t want to die.

There are still mountains of games to play and shows to watch.

To do this, you must survive.

But how?

Chris is more persistent than anyone else in achieving what he wants.

If my life is on his wish list, then I’m already half dead.

Even as I continue to ponder, the number of people surrounding my house continues to increase.

Then at some point, they’ll come barging into my house and try to take my life.

‘Is there no other way than to die?’

A meeting I attended with half-given up hope.

He became convinced once more when he saw Chris’ expression on the other side of the screen.

In his mind, he had already been cast out.

I saw it at the same time.

The only person in this place, no, in this world, who can save you.

Kim Do-jin.

‘If it’s that guy… .’

If he didn’t even blink an eye when Chris was right in front of him.

Maybe it can save you.

Thinking so, he used one of the shadows he had left behind in Korea to deliver the letter.

And I got the answer.

If you want to live, come out.

So I got on the plane like this.

Moving through the shadows of others to avoid the eyes of those watching them.

Honestly, I’m not sure yet.

‘Can I really live…?’

Whether or not he can really save himself.

Maybe even going to Korea is a trap.

Kim Do-jin and Chris might already be holding hands and waiting for him.

But if you think about it that way, there’s really nothing you can do.

‘Let’s go for now.’

He started the biggest and last gamble of my life.

* * *

Exactly three days after receiving the letter and replying to it.

The shadow guy crawled underground and invaded the guild master’s office.

“Oh, hello.”

“… … .”

A guy waving his hand with a not-so-nice look on his face.

I didn’t like it very much.

It’s not that I hate his presence.

However, I don’t like the fact that the guild’s security system is completely powerless against that guy’s power.

Even though being attacked outside is inevitable, I wish I could be a little safer at home or in the guild.

Take a moment to think about new security.

Ask the guy standing there in an awkward position.

“Is that the letter you sent me last time real?”

The guy nods his head hastily.

“… Seriously. Chris is going to kill me.”

“What is the basis for thinking so?”

“The organization members are tightly surrounding my house.”

Surrounding a house usually serves two purposes.

One is escort.

The other one is a raid.

It’s not that difficult to tell the difference.

If their direction is opposite the house, it’s an escort, if they’re facing the house, it’s an ambush.

Even the laziest guy would be able to tell this difference.

“Why does Chris want to kill you? Is there a reason?”

“This, is there.”

The guy, who looked haggard and swallowed dry saliva, continued speaking.

“Brain Washer… , you know that name, right?”

The moment I think of that name, that face, and that ability, the scattered puzzle pieces in my head come together to form one picture.

“That’s right. There was that guy, right.”

Brain Washer, who was captured with great difficulty, escaped from prison with great ease and disappeared without a trace.

The guy, like Shadow, was an apostle of sloth.

Given his existence, it makes sense why Chris would kill Shadow.

“Are you planning on making that guy a complete apostle of sloth?”

“… That’s right.”

But there are still some parts that I don’t understand.

“You and Chris have been colleagues for quite some time, haven’t you?”

“It’s been about 7 or 8 years.”

“Why are you abandoning someone like you and trying to make a guy you just accepted into the organization your apostle?”

The guy laughs bitterly.

“You still don’t know Chris well.”

“… … .”

“What matters to him isn’t the time we’ve spent together. It’s just who has the skills needed to achieve their goals.”

Shadow guy’s ability is shadow.

Conversely, brainwashing is brainwashing.

If you ask which one is more efficient in building an ideal world, the latter is obviously the answer.

It’s true that shadows are versatile, but brainwashing is even more so.

If you use brainwashing, you can practically do anything.

Assassination, espionage, information gathering, fund raising, etc.

If you can make the right opponent your puppet, you can do it with much less risk.

I look at the guy who is completely cowering.

“Certainly… , even though you have the same ability, you are still pathetic.”

In terms of combat power, Shadow is several times better.

Brain Washer has a very dangerous ability, but its own strength is quite lacking.

But is there no reason for an organization to exist?

What you lack in strength can be filled by others.

But no one can fill the brainwashing ability.

That difference must have forced Chris to make that choice.

Talk to the guy.

“So, in the end, you’re asking me to save you.”

“Oh, right.”

After a brief pause, he continued speaking.

“But I’m also an executive of the organization, right? We’re not on particularly good terms, you know. Whoever becomes the apostle doesn’t really matter to me, that’s what I’m saying.”

“That, that’s it.”

“Ah, don’t worry too much. That doesn’t mean I’m going to kick you out right away.”

I walk up to him and put my hand on his narrow shoulder.

“Fortunately, I like you better than that kid.”

About 0.1%?

A ray of hope appears in the boy’s eyes when he hears those words.

“That, that means…?”

“I’ll try to save you. Instead.”

He speaks in a low whisper to the guy who is starting to brighten up.

“From now on, you will obey my words?”

It’s an opportunity to increase your influence within the organization.