141.
“If God… What kind of god are you talking about?”
I said, recalling the many gods I had seen.
Although all gods are called gods, there is a marked difference in their status.
From the one God who can create and destroy the world at will.
There was also a relatively small deity that governed only one part of the world.
And among them, the latter I have already seen many times.
The Four Guardian Gods also belonged to that side, and Chiu, a martial god, even fought and won.
Also, the deity belonging to the middle of Cambodia, which was the beginning of a nation.
On the other hand, beings belonging to the absolute god… I also only saw one.
But since it was a god from another world, is it ambiguous to say that I saw it?
“Of course, I am not talking about the Christian God. If an omnipotent deity had manifested, even resistance would be meaningless.”
I nodded.
I’m saying this now, but when I fought against the god of another world, I had a hard time even with such strong power.
She wasn’t omnipotent, but she was filthy strong and filthy tenacious nonetheless.
Even if the body is destroyed, it does not die, and it becomes quiet only after the soul containing the divine power is shattered.
If such an opponent were to appear again, I would not be able to win now that I had lost the power of a hero.
“Then can we just think of it as a strong enemy?”
“Rather than being strong… God is more than that. The power of the god itself is rather not a big problem. God is just a tool.”
“A tool?”
“Yes, a tool for creating myths.”
Kim Jun-seong took a sip of coffee and continued talking calmly.
“Among the traditions that exorcists use, the highest level is, of course, mythology. And being able to create and control a god means you can write that myth yourself. So what will that be in the end?”
“That means they’re mass-producing a legend that I made to my taste.”
Seongmin Lee, who had been listening quietly by the side, helped.
Kim Junsung nodded.
“It is as the president said. The mass production of tradition is not a matter to be taken lightly. It’s no different than a gang setting up a weapons factory. You can easily obtain legends with various characteristics, and because of that, you can easily create powerful demons.”
“… … ”
“Besides, such a tradition is difficult to deal with. No matter how strong the existing tradition is, its weakness lies latent in myths and tales. So even if you don’t have enough power, you can attack it. But could there be such a weakness in a myth created just to be used as a weapon?”
Understanding Kim Junsung’s words, I nodded.
Yo, it was a story that wasn’t easy.
I opened my mouth looking at the picture in the file.
“Then is the light in this picture God?”
“I guess so. I’ve also witnessed cults using unknown lore. It’s still in its infancy, but it’s already starting to write a myth.”
I nodded as I flipped through the files.
He seemed to know what the police chief wanted to say.
Also, the scale of this case.
If they leave the cult as it is, their mythology will gradually develop.
This could give them more power and bring about a tectonic shift in the exorcism industry.
A much bigger event than I expected.
but… There was a catch there.
Why did you call me to solve this?
“I know what happened. however… Why are you folding?”
“that… ”
At my question, Kim Jun-seong sighed deeply.
Then, he asked a rather silly question.
“Does Inspector Kang know what the purpose of the xie jiao was in the first place?”
I nodded.
I have already heard about the purpose of xie jiao.
The last time, it was when I caught a manghyun in an underground temple.
A poetess who manipulated corpses to gather their trust.
The reason they were gathering that trust was to create their own gods.
“It was to make a god.”
“yes. But now the first step has been successful. Then what will happen next?”
After making a god?
that… There was nothing to think about.
Even if it wasn’t a xie jiao, the next step was the same for any religion.
If there is a god and there is a myth, all that remains is to gather believers to believe in it.
“It must be missionary.”
“Right. And true to its word, cults have already infiltrated all sorts of institutions. Even within our police department.”
Spy inside the police.
I continued to listen to him.
“Unfortunately, it wouldn’t have been difficult to recruit. Because the new mythology doesn’t just symbolize strength. If you take a leap, it’s the power that can change the world. Think about it. What if the cult god becomes stronger and uses its influence for good? I can make a panacea and give people eternal life.”
It was only possible if the cult god really reached the level of an omnipotent deity.
But is it that easy?
Rather, it was close to impossible.
Kim Junseong also shook his head and opened his mouth again.
“Of course, as I said, this is a leap forward. If such a thing were really possible, the police would have been creating a god, not an exorcism. However, it is true that if you limit the target and effect, you can do a lot of things. And that’s their bait.”
“… … ”
“The extent to which one person’s remaining life, not the eternal life of all humans, is extended by several decades, and not all diseases are cured, but someone’s disease is prevented from getting worse… Because there is a lot of potential.”
Indeed, it made sense.
I was wondering why even large corporations cooperated with the xie jiao.
If it was that much of a bait, surely not one or two people would pass over.
“therefore… Are you saying you called me because you were worried about spies?”
“That’s how it is. He has enough ability there.”
“Then how can you be sure that I am not a spy… ?”
“There are many reasons, but the biggest reason is your rank. You are too low in rank for the cult to subdue you. It is unsuitable for stealing information from inside the police.”
“… … ”
There was nothing more to say because that was so true.
Although I was recognized for my abilities, I was not a very useful spy for a cult who needed information on the police’s future operations.
The words of Kim Jun-seong continued.
“And the second… It is your ability.”
“What about my ability?”
“okay. Don’t you already have a lot of traditions? That’s not enough, and we can increase it further in the future. So I thought that the lore that the cult offers as bait is not very attractive to you.”
That too was a good reason.
In fact, there must have been a recommendation from Chairman Lee Seong-min besides that, but the Commissioner of Police did not even bring up that story.
I mean, it’s just a reference point.
Well, since he would be the one actually in command of the police organization, it was natural.
“Then what am I going to do?”
“I want you to dig into the Chinese group first.”
Meanwhile, Kim Jun-seong looked at Chairman Lee Seong-min.
Lee Sung-min nodded as if he understood and opened his mouth.
“An xie jiao is targeting our Chinese group. Not even with a physical attack, but with an insidious back-and-forth.”
“A behind-the-scenes operation?”
“Yes, you are well aware of that first attempt. If I say Sabrina, you will remember it, right?”
Sabrina was a werewolf Mine who tried to make a deal with Hwarang, an exorcist agency of the Chinese group.
At the time, I decided to just cover up the smuggling situation and passed by.
Listening to the words that followed, Lee Seong-min seemed to already know all about it.
“At that time, wasn’t there an exorcist belonging to the art gallery that was trying to make a deal with that Sabrina? My clumsy granddaughter passed on that, but I continued to investigate the guy who tried to make a deal with the Mine. And recently, I found out that he’s the culprit of a cult.”
Lee Seong-min said that the cult planted spies in the gallery on purpose.
It was said that he used the spy to smuggle mines and gods, and used this as an excuse to try to deprive Hwarang of its qualifications as a foreign institution.
“Still, I was very fortunate that you got Sabrina out of the way before the incident escalated. At least, I almost fell for their tricks. If it were this guy, he wouldn’t listen to me and would have tried to deal with it according to the rules.”
Lee Seong-min looked at Kim Jun-seong and said.
Then, Kim Jun-seong just smiled silently.
“So what I want to entrust to you is that exorcist… I want you to find a guy named Park Seong-deok. He must have ties to another spy inside the gallery. We need to take this opportunity to eradicate the cult from the gallery.”
Seong-Min Lee and Seong-Duk Park, who arranged the deal with Sabrina, were then fired from the Hwarang.
After contacting a specific demon group, he said that his whereabouts suddenly became unclear.
Then this time… Are you looking for people?
Fortunately, there was a clue that it was a group of demons, so it wasn’t that difficult.
“All right.”
The story with Lee Sung-min ended there.
He boasted that he would provide all the conveniences the Hwarang could provide, then got up and left the commissioner’s office.
With only the two of Kim Jun-sung left, I asked him a question.
“But the police… Are you okay?”
Although he instructed to help the Chinese group first.
There were spies even within the police force.
Even so, can I leave it unattended and search the gallery?
“It’s not okay. But if you weed out all the spies planted in the police, the xie jiao will notice. And I’ll hide in a more secret place. So instead, I’m thinking of grabbing the rope from the gallery side first and climbing up quietly on it.”
I won’t catch the police moving, that’s it.
That wasn’t a bad idea.
So I moved on to the next question.
“Is the Chinese group trustworthy?”
It was a xie jiao that had already taken over two major corporations.
But why are they attacking the Chinese group instead of embracing it?
“This is my subjective opinion, but it can be said.”
In response to my question, Kim Jun-seong calmly spoke.
“President Lee Seong-min lost his wife to Mine. Because of the grudge at that time, I never compromised with Mine. That part is pretty extreme even for me as a cop. And knowing that kind of tendency, even the cultists wouldn’t have thought of enlisting the Chinese group.”
“… okay.”
I mean, I can’t completely believe it.
I decided to remember this and nodded.
After my question was finished, Kim Jun-seong handed me a file.
“This is the information of the Mine group that is the target this time.”
“yes.”
“As you can see, the number is quite large. I will have to go alone, will it be all right?”
At his words, I naturally nodded.
“No problem.”
The newly added main quest was already shining in my eyes.
* * *
and after some time
I found a building in the corner of Gyeonggi-do where there is a Mine organization.
A five-story commercial building located in the middle of a small city.
It was quite a decent place for a hideout for criminals.
So, this whole building… Is it from the demons?
“… … ”
Among them, the one on the first floor was an ordinary golf goods store.
However, this was obviously camouflage, and everyone from the waiter to the person standing there pretending to be a customer was a Mine with a level sign attached.
Even so, there are no barriers that bite people around.
If something happens, are you saying that they will enlist ordinary people and use them as their shields?
“… It’s a waste.”
I clicked my tongue and pulled out an amulet.
Epic grade consumables that glow red.
This was a type of sorcery that could create a strong barrier that not only bites people but also imprisons light and sound, although the duration is short.
An item that was provided along with a vehicle from the gallery to me, who had to deal with a case in secret.
I attached it to a corner of the building and tried to enter the front door of the golf supply store.
Then again.
“Sorry, sir.”
An employee standing near the entrance blocked my way.
He tried to let me go with the subtle excuse that he was still preparing.
I looked at his face first.
Unfortunately, isn’t it the exorcist provided by Chairman Lee Seong-min?
Of course, it won’t be that easy to find.
However, the arrow of the quest was clearly pointing to this building.
The story that there is a person I am looking for here, or that there is a clue.
“Do you know a person named Park Seong-deok?”
“yes… ?”
At my words, the waitress tilted her head for a moment.
But is there anything to suggest to the name Park Seong-deok?
Soon, the man’s face darkened.
“What are you kid?”
“I know, I see.”
That was enough.
Only then did his gaze recognize the sword at my waist.
“You bastard, can’t you-”
“Yeah, it’s too late.”
The sword flashed.
The demon in front of me changed into what used to be a demon and soiled the floor.
Then, the other two demons, who had been looking at me with a relaxed gaze until then, widened their eyes in amazement.
“It’s an intruder!”
One of them shouted that and went upstairs, while the other drew a weapon from under the counter and stood in front of me.
The weapon of the guy with the level 34 level indicator above my head is an axe.
Whoo!
It came down ferociously, cutting through the wind.
Fast speed in its own right for an axe.
however… That level was just right for that level.
Is it stronger than your level?
It seems that there is no unidentified transmission that the police chief said.
“Cuck!”
Is that why?
After being hit by my sword in one blow, he changed into what was once a demon.
“There he is!”
At that time, the warning was delivered, and demons came pouring in from the stairs leading to the second floor.
But they all seemed nothing special, just like the fallen Mine.
Maybe it’s an organization that doesn’t have a very deep relationship with the cult.
It seemed that they couldn’t use their traditions.
“… Then you have to go back.”
I fixed my sword and ran to them.