Chapter 157

I slowly chewed over Jin Haedo’s words. So, this was...

‘What the hell is he talking about?’

The Choi family’s young master. It had been so long since I’d heard that form of address that my brain lagged.

‘Well... it’s not wrong.’

After being adopted by my father—Representative Choi—I’d heard a roughly similar address from a few people. That was long ago, though.

But how could that come out of Jin Haedo’s mouth?

I didn’t think it was a coincidence piled on coincidence. Each word he said landed with loaded precision; if I started looking for coincidence in that, I’d be an idiot.

However, that also meant what he was seeing wasn’t the “future.”

Because my adoption record doesn’t exist here. Representative Choi was no longer my father, and my birth mother had been dead a long time, so if Jin Haedo had seen the “future,” there’s no way he’d know that.

‘I want to dig into this more.’

I slid a glance at the watch on my wrist. This conversation was probably streaming to Im Haekyung in real time.

If I was going to be suspected anyway, it was better to cut the line on the conversation for a bit.

I stood up and asked:

“May I use the bathroom?”

“The bathroom?”

The face that had been staring straight at me soured immediately.

What, was he going to block me from taking a piss?

I answered with confidence.

“You called me in so suddenly. I’m human too.”

“.......”

Still displeased, he gave a slight nod—permission, more or less.

The instant leave was granted, I stepped out of the parlor. I’d thought Gyeon Taeri would be posted out front, but luckily the area was completely empty.

I checked the absence of people one more time with the status window, then notified Im Haekyung at once.

“You heard that?”

—Heard what?

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

—Hm?

Believe it or not, I had an urgent need. Why would I care what he suspected?

With that, I cut the link to Im Haekyung and connected to Joo Seowon.

“Seowon.”

—...Huh?

Thankfully, the line to Joo Seowon connected immediately.

‘So there’s no comms-jamming device. Or Sung Eunha’s build outclasses it by a tier.’

“Busy now?”

—No. Why? Did something happen?

“Nothing happened.”

I scanned the area, lowered my voice a notch, and gave instructions.

“Look into something for me.”

—What thing?

At the far end of the strangely long hallway, a large window came into view. Listening to him, I slowly approached it.

“Get in touch only with people who actually met Jin Haedo. The ones with real experience. Check what happened right after they said they received a blessing, and... what the basis is for the claim he can see the future.”

—A blessing... Got it. But is it true he has a precognition skill? That’s pure hearsay.

Whether blessing or precognition, both were scammy bullshit. I denied it straightaway.

“No, both are lies.”

—...I’ll verify. Reaching people may take some time. I’ll contact as many as I can—no, I’ll handle that part. Should I send it to your phone later?

“Report over this link. There’s no cell signal.”

He paused at that, then asked in a voice dripping with disbelief:

—What? What is... What is that place?

“A cult den. Why ask the obvious.”

—.......

“By the way, would it be too much to secure a list of VIPs who entered the shop where Do Yehyun worked?”

—That’ll... take time. Why do you need it?

Right—most of the people who could testify would be with the police by now, so they wouldn’t be easy for him to reach.

I dropped the idea quickly.

‘If it takes that long, it’s no good.’

“Then forget that. Just do what I asked earlier. As fast as you can.”

—Okay. I’ll do as much as possible.

“Good.”

—You’re not in trouble, are you?

“I’m fine.”

Me and Do Yehyun were fine. The one who wasn’t was Ryu Taejun, who’d fainted.

Instead of adding the pointless detail that he was passed out on the floor, I cast my eyes out the window at the end of the corridor.

Structurally nonsensical, a massive pane from ceiling to floor—yet the sunlight pouring in through it didn’t feel out of place at all. If you hadn’t seen the outside of the building, you could walk past without a second thought.

‘So they have the juice to maintain a building on this scale.’

I tapped the window lightly with my knuckles and held silent for a moment.

—...That’s all? Then we’re done?

“Seowon.”

I called his name, then fell quiet again.

So, Jin Haedo wasn’t without ability. It just differed from what was known; he’d used his ability in his own way to reach this position.

If what he knew wasn’t the “future,” then...

—Why?

Watching the shadows cast by the bright flood of light, I asked:

“What is Fate-Tongue?”

***

Jin Haedo stared at the empty seat and took a sip of coffee.

‘Ill-mannered.’

Was it only bad manners? He neither listened attentively to others nor showed any notable emotional fluctuation.

It wasn’t in the conscious domain. Having met many kinds of people, he’d honed his eye for observation; he could tell the difference.

‘Even so, it’s nothing extraordinary.’

There are more people than you think who are emotionally underfurnished. Especially after the “Great Upheaval,” the number of numbed individuals had increased.

People accepted harm to life without blinking, moving not just to protect themselves but to pursue “gain.”

Even if it wasn’t extraordinary to him, there was a reason he had to see the man who introduced himself as “Believer Kim.”

Because the man looked like a means to become that “beyond-being” which was Jin Haedo’s goal.

Jin Haedo knew the scope of his own skill.

He had defined himself as an agnostic, and the choice to posit “God” as the reason for the upheaval and to found a religion was purely calculated.

Humanity had always used religion to explain what couldn’t be explained—since before the common era to the present.

Thus, to explain the phenomenon called the “Great Upheaval,” the concept of religion would naturally be used. Whether it was an existing faith or a newly founded one.

Jin Haedo had merely preempted it.

After founding a religion, more brazen tactics were needed to draw in believers.

Create a clear object of awe, and instill hope that they, too, could become like it.

Of course, that would have happened on its own even without his hand.

Awakening that occurred only to a few; a stratified difference in abilities even among the Awakened; people seeking profit even as their lives were threatened; disasters happening several times a day yet now everyday.

It’s obvious, isn’t it.

He /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ didn’t think he had controlled everyone to get here. He had only pricked a little inferiority... and shown a very narrow path to salvation.

Even if he hadn’t Awakened himself, he was confident the result would have been the same. Maybe it would have taken longer, but...

Since people don’t want to believe the truth anyway, he could easily prepare lies for them.

‘The time...’

It had already been five minutes since the man ducked out with the absurd excuse of a bathroom. Checking via the image stones installed in the corridor, the man hadn’t gone to a bathroom at all; he just strolled slowly up and down, tapping walls and windows.

‘Clever.’

And he couldn’t help a small murmur of admiration.

However he’d figured it out, every spot the man tapped was a point connected to an “entrance.”

After wandering for quite a while, the man finally stopped and lifted his head.

He flicked a glance at the hidden image stone, then walked the corridor again, unhurried, and stopped before the door.

‘Did he figure it out?’

For someone “not knowing,” his eye-line work was too perfect. Well, it was concealed on purpose, but if he had a discernment skill, recognizing it wasn’t hard.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, he slowly lowered his gaze and looked forward.

The sound of a door opening, and a presence not even trying to hide.

The man reached him at last, looked at him blankly for a moment, then smiled in an instant, changing his expression. Not that it became friendly.

‘What is he?’

As he narrowed his eyes, unable to read the man’s intent, the man placed a hand on his left chest like a devout believer and looked at him.

“Lord Haedo.”

“.......”

He didn’t answer, only tipped his head back to meet the man’s eyes.

The man continued in a voice dressed to sound terribly polite.

“I don’t know where you heard that line about the Choi family’s young master.”

“I possess a precognition skill. The future is uncertain, so the path can change... but some things are visible. I wanted to confirm that.”

“Well... If it were a skill you originally possessed, Lord Haedo, you wouldn’t need confirmation. You’d be certain.”

“.......”

His voice sounded mild at a glance, but because it was unrefined, its end was sharp.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Those who have plundered others’ skills go through trial and error.”

“.......”

A guess?

‘No—he’s certain.’

Rather than refute this instant conclusion, Jin Haedo waited for him to speak further.

When no answer came, the man moved on at once.

“What you saw wasn’t the future, Lord Haedo.”

“.......”

“Call it something similar to the future... another dimension. That should make sense.”

“A parallel world?”

“Yeah, sure. Something like that.”

He mulled it over a long moment, then asked:

“And your reason for being certain of that?”

“Ah.”

With a brief sound of admiration, the man narrowed his eyes on purpose, pausing.

Acting like someone pondering how to make his words sound credible, he then answered meekly:

“Because I see the future.”

‘...What?’

And somewhere in the air, beyond where Jin Haedo could see, clear letters flashed.

Agitation (A) activates.