057. Welcome to Happy Lostco [4]

It came back to me. Where I'd heard the name Jeong-myung-gyo before.

Back when I'd been duped by that scam cult and locked up in their facility in Gangwon-do, fragments of chatter had drifted from somewhere deep in the building. For Jeong-myung-gyo.For Jeong Do-ryeong.

It had stuck in my memory with unusual clarity because the name didn't match the cult I'd actually been fooled into joining.

But why is that name popping up here, of all places?

The question barely had time to form.

"Leave the Teacher alone, and the Paranormal Administration Bureau is going to be wiped out at this rate."

Just as Min-seo said, the battle was going very badly for the Bureau. Cosmos's private forces and Jeong-myung-gyo each numbered in the dozens, while the Bureau had barely ten people on-site. Not only were they outnumbered, but both factions had singled them out as the priority target.

"Damn it!"

"You really think you're walking out of here alive?!"

The Bureau agents shouted threats from behind barricades of shelving units and sorcerous barriers.

"······."

"······."

Cosmos answered with silence.

"For Jeong Do-ryeong!"

"For the new world!"

Jeong-myung-gyo, on the other hand, peppered them with sorcery between cries that reeked of cult brainwashing. Wait—was that even sorcery? Every time the cultists cast, their bodies warped into something grotesque. If anything, what they were doing looked less like sorcery and more like an anomaly.

Question time was over, though.

"Looks like I should give the Bureau folks a hand."

I didn't know the full situation, but of the factions out there, Cosmos was openly hostile toward me, and Jeong-myung-gyo had once tried to harvest my internal organs. Which meant the Bureau—an agency originally created under the Japanese Governor-General to suppress patriotic espers, and which had spent decades oppressing and controlling spiritual practitioners ever since—was suddenly the only party here I could actually talk to. Dear God.

Fortunately, I spotted a familiar face among them.

"Team 2, deploy barriers! Hold the line! Just block and endure!"

It was Team Leader Kang In-hyuk, whom I'd met back during the Seonhwa High incident.

"Min-seo, use Pixie Red and draw their attention for a moment."

"Got it!"

"Momo, when I signal you, fall back with Min-seo and pull the Bureau people toward the household goods section."

"Understood."

When I first picked them up I'd wondered whether this was such a good idea, but now that I had them, they were convenient in all sorts of ways. As they say, many hands make light work—one is good, but two is better, and three is better ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still.

"Alright, here we go."

"Pixie!"

Min-seo ducked behind a shelf and activated Pixie Red. Immediately, confusion erupted among the warring factions—especially on the Cosmos side. Naturally, they were weakest against wide-area mental sorcery like Pixie Red.

"Ugh—! It's a perception-disruption area spiritual attack! Deploy the neutralizing agent! Deploy the neutralizing agent!"

They seemed to have a countermeasure ready, but I had no intention of giving them the time to use it.

Grrrrrrrrrumble!

Wang Lingguan tore through the chaos and swept across the Cosmos operatives. Since they didn't understand the situation, I had him avoid outright killing as much as possible and stick to knocking people out with fists and kicks.

Meanwhile—

Now.

"Om Amogha Vairocana Mahamudra···."

After signaling Momo, I flanked the Jeong-myung-gyo forces and, for the first time in a while, unleashed the Vairocana Mantra Barrier.

FWOOOOOSH!

A torrent of transparent flame, far fiercer than before, surged over the cultists like a tidal wave.

"GYAAAAAAAH!"

"Wh-what is that?!"

"GRAAAAGH!"

The cultists writhed as the barrier's invisible fire consumed them—and watching them, I was certain of it. The power those people wielded wasn't sorcery at all. It belonged to the anomalies. The Vairocana Mantra Barrier burns only anomalous and evil-aligned power, unless the Accord has twisted sorcery's very form.

Among the people burning and thrashing in the transparent flames, a massive masked man burst clean through the fire.

WHUMP!

The hulking figure, moving with anything but ordinary grace, drove a fist straight at my face.

Swoosh.

I dodged lightly with The King and answered with a liver strike.

WHUMP!

Thanks to the True Immortal Fire-Regulation Method refining the quality of my Daoist spiritual power, I could feel my physical abilities had sharpened along with it.

"Ugh!"

The man, who'd leapt in like a bird of prey, was sent flying backward instead.

"Oh~."

The truly surprising part was that, even in that state, he'd blocked my reverse shot with his other hand. Of course—

"Kgh···!"

the hand that had caught a punch capable of launching a person over ten meters was thoroughly obliterated.

Crack, pop.

The giant forced his broken fingers back into alignment with a sickening crunch. Judging by his skill and the fact that his outfit differed from everyone else's, he was probably an executive or senior officer within Jeong-myung-gyo. I confirmed as much and pulled back.

There were three more masked figures like him within the crowd. The ordinary cultists scorched by the Vairocana Mantra Barrier were slowly recovering, too, so dragging this out would do me no good.

As a parting gift, I used my environment-transformation technique to fling a fistful of my beloved Post-it Talismans.

KA-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

The Jincheon talismans stuck to the surrounding shelves detonated in sequence, throwing up a wall of smoke. Under its cover, I vacated my position at speed. Thankfully, nobody pursued.

I rendezvoused with the others about five minutes later.

"M-Mr. Kim Dosa?!"

"Good to see you again, Team Leader Kang In-hyuk."

After calming down Kang In-hyuk—who was, for some reason, shedding tears of joy—I got straight to business.

"The Paranormal Administration Bureau, Cosmos, and now Jeong-myung-gyo. What exactly is everyone doing here?"

There was no way these people had been as unlucky as Choi Eun-ha and simply dropped into the Inner Space. They'd come in with a purpose—that much was obvious.

At my question, Kang In-hyuk hesitated briefly before answering.

"The Bureau entered the Inner Space to resolve an anomaly case."

"Which means the other two didn't?"

"···Correct. And that's precisely the problem. They attacked us to stop the Bureau from exorcising the anomaly."

"And they're allowed to do that?"

"The Inner Space is a legal no-man's-land."

Fair enough. Inside the Inner Space, both recording and communications are restricted. In other words, whatever happens here can't be proven.

Well, there are exceptions.

Cosmos. And me.

The problem is that Cosmos has no reason to expose their own crimes, and I have no intention of revealing Nikola's Hyper-Radio Communication to the Bureau either—so it means nothing.

"Then tell me about Jeong-myung-gyo. Sure, I've heard the rumors, but given how things have turned out, I'd like the detailed intel the Bureau has."

"Ah, yes. As you may know, Jeong-myung-gyo is a cult founded by Jeong-in, Korea's second Special Grade, who proclaims himself Jeong Do-ryeong."

"Jeong Do-ryeong, huh···."

Jeong Do-ryeong is a prophesied savior recorded in the Jeonggamnok, an ancient book of unknown authorship compiled during the Joseon dynasty—essentially a Korean folk take on Maitreya faith. The legend holds that a superhuman called Jeong Do-ryeong, or Jeong Jin-in, would end the Yi dynasty and establish a Jeong clan dynasty at Gyeryong Mountain. But as everyone knows, the Yi dynasty ended long ago and no new dynasty followed, so these days it's nothing more than a relic of old legend.

And these people dug up that moldy old legend to build a cult. Unbelievable. Then again—so one of Korea's two Special Grades is the sellout running the Bureau's esper crackdowns[?], and the other is the leader of a scam religion?

"What a star-studded lineup···."

Is this roster seriously for real?

"Jeong-myung-gyo is the largest cult in South Korea—and by global standards, the largest cult ever founded by a genuine spiritual practitioner."

"Our country does punch above its weight in this field, doesn't it."

"Haha··· What makes Jeong-myung-gyo especially ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dangerous is that they wield the power of anomalies."

"So that was the anomalies' power after all."

How exactly they used it remained unknown. All anyone could do was speculate that the Special Grade, Jeong Do-ryeong, was employing some manner of sorcery.

"So··· what, in the end, are Jeong-myung-gyo and Cosmos even fighting over here? Is there something they want to buy?"

"······."

"···You're telling me people actually came here to shop? For what, exactly?"

"···The Philosopher's Stone."

The Philosopher's Stone. The Prima Materia, the Tincture, the Magnet of the Four Poles—the names vary, but its effect is simple and clear: the universal element that turns lead into gold.

"The Philosopher's Stone is in this Lostco? But that doesn't make sense, does it? Why would a treasure out of legend have anything to do with a store that couldn't have existed before the modern era?"

At Yu Min-seo's question, Kang In-hyuk shook his head.

"No, it's entirely consistent. Lostco merely changed its name—it's an anomaly that has existed since the far distant past."

At those words, a name I'd been chewing on for a while finally left my mouth.

"Don't tell me···the Goblin Market?"

"As expected of Mr. Kim Dosa—exactly right!"

The Goblin Market—gwisijang, or yokai market. The names differ, but they all refer to the same thing: a marketplace of non-human beings that materializes without warning in the dead of night.

"Correct. This Lostco anomaly is the fusion of the ghost stories and folklore surrounding humanity's many inhuman markets across the world into a single entity."

Most things bought at Lostco turn into unidentified lumps of flesh once you return to reality. But among them, certain items retain their original form and function even when carried back out. And on rare occasions, extremely precious goods go on sale under the banner of an Unbeatable Special Deal!—and what had surfaced this time was the Philosopher's Stone.

"···Judging by how they've all swarmed in like this, all three factions already know how to get out, right?"

"That's correct."

"This is just my speculation, but the way out—isn't it finding the item you decided in advance to buy before entering the store?"

As expected. Every person who'd sent in a report had entered the mart with a specific purchase in mind.

That sort of thing. And in nearly every case, they'd already put the item they came for into their cart before falling into the Inner Space. Because all of them had satisfied the exit condition in advance, they hadn't wandered long—they'd reached the checkout quickly and slipped free.

So what was the item we needed to find to get out?

Simple.

Choi Eun-ha.

The reason we'd come to this mart was to find Choi Eun-ha. In other words, only by finding Eun-ha could we find the checkout—the exit of the Inner Space. The question was what Eun-ha had come here to buy···but that could wait until we actually found her.

Here was the real problem, though.

"During the fight, did you happen to see one civilian girl? Blonde hair, sharp catlike eyes."

"Ah, yes, we did. Right before Cosmos and Jeong-myung-gyo spotted us and attacked, we took one civilian woman into protective custody."

"Where is she now?"

"Well···when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the attack hit, she got separated along with one of our agents."

"···Is that agent competent?"

"It's someone you know, Mr. Kim Dosa."

"Don't tell me···?"

"Agent Yoon Soo-ah."

Oh, for crying out loud, we're screwed···.

No, wait. Let's not assume the worst. Soo-ah might be a bit lacking in ability, but she's a good person, right? She'd definitely protect Eun-ha with all her heart and soul.

Soothing myself like that, I started mapping out our next move in my head. Our first objective: link up with Eun-ha and Soo-ah, then get out of Lostco. But knowing what I knew—if I could just stay ignorant, fine, but now that I knew Cosmos and Jeong-myung-gyo were after the Philosopher's Stone, I couldn't just leave them be. No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't imagine either of them putting the stone to any good use.

Above all—

Nobody resists an Unbeatable Special Deal!

Just then—

"Mr. Kim Dosa, over there···!"

Momo pointed down one end of the corridor. In the distance, something human-shaped—no, something far too enormous to be human—was walking toward us.

"Hah! Hah!"

"Um, I'm really sorry···! I can't run any farther!"

"Is, is that so?"

At Choi Eun-ha's words, Yoon Soo-ah stopped and hastily checked behind them. Thankfully, there were no pursuers. But she couldn't afford to relax. No pursuers meant their comrades were that busy fighting an enemy with numbers.

Clench.

Yoon Soo-ah squeezed her fist tight. She was furious—furious at her own helplessness, unable to help her teammates, barely managing to safeguard a single civilian. But that, too, lasted only a moment. Reminding herself that she couldn't show unease in front of a civilian, she managed her expression as best she could and spoke up.

"Are you all right? I know this must be terribly confusing···."

But then···huh? The woman's face looked strangely familiar.

"Oh? Aren't you the Bureau agent who was at the uncle's place with Mr. Kim Dosa that time?"

"Ah, yes, from back then—right?"

Choi Eun-ha recognized Yoon Soo-ah just as quickly.

"Did Mr. Kim Dosa come in here with you?!"

Choi Eun-ha asked the question with a flicker of hope—but···.

"No, I came to the mart ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alone and got unlucky···."

"···I see···."

Despite her efforts at composure, Yoon Soo-ah deflated in plain view.

"Ah, b-but don't worry! Yi-yeon oppa will definitely come rescue me!"

"Pardon? But if you fell in by chance, Mr. Kim Dosa wouldn't even know you were here, Miss Eun-ha···?"

"Ah, th-that's···!"

Kim Yi-yeon had warned her, emphatically, never to breathe a word about the Coil Channel to anyone—so Choi Eun-ha scrambled for an excuse.

"Ah—! Um! That oppa really, really likes me! So of course he'll come find me!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Choi Eun-ha's face burned so hot she could barely stand it. And at that remark, Yoon Soo-ah—

"Uh, umm··· so Miss Eun-ha is Mr. Kim Dosa's g-girlfriend? I didn't get that impression when I saw you two at the uncle's place···?"

"N-no, we're not dating or anything like that! We're just that close, that's all!"

Choi Eun-ha blurted out the denial on reflex—but inside—

Excuse me? Who does she think she is, talking like that? Whatever's between me and Yi-yeon oppa, what business is it of hers?

Still, Choi Eun-ha wasn't childish enough to let that thought show in the middle of a crisis. Yoon Soo-ah, belatedly realizing her own remark had been inappropriate, changed the subject.

"Ah, by the way—you seemed to take a hit from Jeong-myung-gyo's attack while we were escaping. Are you hurt?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Oppa gave me this, you see."

Choi Eun-ha held up the Taecheong Ring on her left ring finger.

"······That's a rare artifact. He must have been very worried about you, Miss Eun-ha, even though you're not a practitioner."

"Yes, so worried that he handed it straight to me, leaving everyone else behind."

Ice cold.

On top of Lostco's already uncomfortable stillness, a different kind of silence settled over the two of them.

Just then—

Thud. Thud.

From far beyond the shelves, the sound of heavy, pounding footsteps began to echo toward them.

"Wh-what is that?! Did the enemies track us down?! Or could it be a problem customer···?!"

"···No."

Yoon Soo-ah's face drained bone-white.

That was no private contractor from Cosmos, no fanatic of Jeong-myung-gyo—let alone some mere problem customer. Yoon Soo-ah recalled the briefing she'd received before entering the Inner Space.