Chapter 80

I ignored Seong Uijae’s stare, wrapped the Geocron back up the way it was, and gave a brief explanation.

“It’s Geocron. A mineral that pairs well with electric-attribute hunters. It can be modified into either armor or an offensive weapon, and the size is substantial, so the price will be high. At current market rates, over 3.5 billion won... and considering it was spat out by a Phantom Hornet, it could go higher.”

“...”

“The mineral’s grade is A.”

Once I finished, silence fell over the conference room. The Association staffer broke it first.

“...You can appraise it that fast? You didn’t even touch— I mean...”

As the Association staffer kept marveling, Song Hwayoung spoke up in my defense.

“Our appraiser has an A-rank skill. That’s why.”

“A-rank?”

Naturally, I didn’t actually have an A-rank appraisal skill. It was all the status window plus knowledge, but the outcome was the same, so it didn’t feel like cheating.

Without much visible reaction, Seong Uijae simply nodded. I took his measure out of the corner of my eye and calmly took off the gloves.

“Where should I put these gloves?”

“Ah, over here... Yes, just place them in here.”

“Sure.”

Soon after, the meeting moved straight into hashing out the agreement over ownership of the B-rank beast and the A-rank mineral. I had no speaking rights, so I just sat quietly and let my mind wander.

“After this, I should swing by Cheonmyeonggyo’s chapel. Where... was it again?”

About an hour later, people finally stood up. For the importance of the matter, it wrapped sooner than I expected. As I got up, I pieced together the gist from context.

“Then we’ll transfer authority over the beast to Hunter Seong’s side for now... and discuss compensation separately.”

“Ah, yes, yes. We can proceed as the Guild Master suggested.”

“Sure, well... Works for me.”

Was this meeting going to last forever? While /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ I was staring blankly at people, Hwayoung moved first.

“Then may we head over to our lodging?”

“Ah, yes, yes. We’ll drive you there. If you could wait at the first-floor desk for a moment, we’ll be right down!”

“Okay. Sounds good.”

We’d come for a simple appraisal job, but in case it took time, the Association had booked us a place to stay for the night. I didn’t mind sleeping an extra day, and it actually suited my goal of digging into Cheonmyeonggyo better, so I agreed.

After we waited a bit on the first floor, an Association employee came rushing over, out of breath, to drive us.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“Hey, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

The car the Association staffer drove brought us to a hotel in Haeundae District. We each checked in and headed to our rooms for a short break.

Before resting, Hwayoung gave a quick heads-up about dinner.

“I booked for six-thirty. Be there by then. I’ll send the restaurant location.”

“Got it.”

From the tone, it sounded like not just Hwayoung but also Seong Uijae and the Association staffer would be joining.

I changed into comfortable casual clothes and stepped out of the room.

“Let’s go.”

Naturally, the destination was Cheonmyeonggyo’s chapel.

“A one-day crash course for cult believers, huh.”

Thinking that, I headed out of the hotel and grabbed a taxi.

***

The place I arrived at was Cheonmyeonggyo’s Busan chapel.

“Chapel,” sure—really it was just Cheonmyeonggyo’s Busan building.

I got out of the cab and walked into the chapel.

The place felt halfway between a religious building and a cram school, like a spot for learning something.

The current time was 4 p.m., when Cheonmyeonggyo’s afternoon service was held.

Before the full service began, I slipped in among the people smiling oh-so-kindly and wedged myself into a seat.

“Hello, I don’t think I’ve seen you before... Did you join recently?”

A man in the next seat suddenly spoke to me. I shook my head and lied, unruffled.

“I attended in Seoul. I came to offer service while traveling.”

“Ahh, I see. Welcome...”

“Thanks.”

“I’m Believer Bae. And you are?”

“Betrayal?” For a second I wondered what the hell he was saying, then remembered that Cheonmyeonggyo members used their surname plus “Believer” to address each other, and answered.

“Yes, I’m Believer Kim.”

“Ahh, Believer Kim...”

Obviously I wasn’t about to give my real name.

The man next to me was average in build and looks—everything about him was plain. The kind of face you’d pass on the street without a second thought. Reflexively, I pulled up his status window.

Name: Bae Hogyeom

Age: 27

Rank: C

Title: —

Primary Skills: Regeneration (C), Reflection (C)

Growth Limit: C

Hold up.

“C-rank?”

Not unawakened, not even F—what was a C-rank hunter doing in a place like this? At C-rank, you could just join anywhere and run dungeons for a living.

“No. He’s got his own circumstances. Let him live his life.”

It was curious, but not worth a long brood. I accepted it and looked forward again.

I mean, when even a guy like Ryu Taeyoung’s little brother takes an interest in Cheonmyeonggyo, someone like this is hardly a stretch.

Not long after, the service started in earnest.

Because it was a service, they sang songs, recited prayers, made a whole fuss, but naturally I couldn’t follow along.

Throughout the service it wasn’t the cult leader Jin Haedo himself up there, but his proxy.

“I wanted to see Jin Haedo in person and check his status window. I want to talk to him, too.”

I wasn’t expecting something colossal, but I wasn’t not expecting either, so this was a bit of a letdown.

I stared impassively at the lunatics melting over the leader’s words and moved my lips on cue from time to time.

“Now, then let’s truly pray one last time! May Lord Haedo at last proclaim and bring repentance, that we may know His will and advance to the truth, taste heaven, and hear the word of Heavenly Decree.”

“May Lord Haedo at last proclaim and bring repentance, that we may know His will and advance to the truth, taste heaven, and hear the word of Heavenly Decree!”

We were already at the final prayer. Instead of memorizing Cheonmyeonggyo’s convoluted litany, I just mouthed along and mumbled the last words on time.

“That prayer really is cult-like as all hell.”

Right then, while I was flapping my lips with that thought, I felt a strange gaze from my side. When I turned, the guy right next to me had twisted his head, gums bared in a vivid grin, staring at me.

“...What.”

He’d looked like a plain guy before, but the weirdly yanked-up corners of his mouth, the wide-open eyes, the perfectly still face—made my mood go to shit. With that same posture and expression, only his lips moved as he rapidly repeated the prayer.

“May Lord Haedo at last proclaim and bring repentance, that we may know His will and advance to the truth, taste heaven, and hear the word of Heavenly Decree.”

“...”

“We pray You drive out the wicked and make a paradise where only the good remain. We obey the Heavenly Decree. We pray. We obey the Heavenly Decree. We pray. We obey the Heavenly Decree.”

“...”

“Believer Kim. We pray. We pray. We pray.”

His lips squeaked and squealed in motion—it was a nasty sight. He must’ve noticed I wasn’t really praying and only mouthing along.

I grabbed the back of his head and forced him to face forward. Then I whispered, quiet enough only for him to hear.

“Face front, asshole. Who stares at other people while praying.”

Like a ball-jointed doll, he turned his head without resisting my hand. I pressed down hard on the back of his skull and waited until the final prayer ended.

“Why is it so hard to meet a cult leader?”

At the end, they sang another damn song and made a fuss.

“That has to be it, right?”

Thankfully, that was the last of it. If it had gone on any longer, my humanity might’ve gotten “interesting.” Lucky me.

When all the service steps ended, the believers greeted one another and filed out of the chapel. I let go of the back of his head and stood up. The guy beside me scrambled to his feet and hurried after me, chattering pointless words.

“Believer Kim, Believer Kim.”

“...”

“Are you truly a believer? You did not offer a sincere prayer.”

Watching that, I formed a hazy resolve. Yeah, let’s give up!

I wanted to meet Jin Haedo, but I wasn’t desperate enough to deal with a freak like this to do it.

Dodging the creep dogging me with his yammering, I went downstairs from the chapel and hailed a taxi on my phone.

“Believer Kim. Why do you keep refusing to answer?”

“...”

“Five minutes.”

I checked the wait time, letting his words go in one ear and out the other, when suddenly he grabbed my arm. Eyes wide, he tilted his head to the side.

“Believer Kim.”

Jesus, I was going to develop a Believer Kim neurosis. I stared at him without hiding my irritation, and he blinked, genuinely baffled.

“By any chance... are you a heretic?”

What the hell? Where did “heretic” come from?

“The heretics would be you people.”

Being in a cult and hounding strangers with nonsense—where do they even learn to think like that? Still, I gave the stranger a polite, courteous smile.

“Don’t talk to me.”

“You’re a heretic and yet you entered Cheonmyeonggyo’s chapel? Why?”

Just then the taxi I’d called pulled up in front of me. I pried his hand off my arm and opened the back door. And then, unbelievably, this shameless, crazy cult bastard tried to shove himself into the car.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

I grabbed the nape of his neck and yanked him back, then flung him down on the pavement. I slid into the back seat and shut the door; in that instant, he scrambled up, thumped the window, and craned his head right up to the glass.

“Believer Kim!”

“...”

“Believer Kiiim!”

The cabbie, who’d recoiled at the sight, asked,

“Kid. You know that guy?”

“No.”

“If he sticks like that, I can’t go!”

“Ha...”

Unbelievable. I flicked my hand to signal I was getting out, then gestured at the creep to move aside. Maybe he thought I was actually stepping out, because he drew back a little.

“Now.”

“Driver. Step on it?”

“Huh?”

Seizing the moment, I urged the driver, and the taxi sped off.

“God, fuck. A clingy little cult dweeb glued himself on.”