Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Otherworldly Cult
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I woke up from a short nap.
"Haaah......"
"Heeek......"
Glancing around, I saw Yoo Harin and Cynthia sprawled out on either side of me, mumbling weakly in their sleep like they were sleep-talking.
They were probably still getting drilled even in their dreams.
No doubt about it—after tormenting them all night, I carefully got out of bed and started preparing to head out at the crack of dawn.
I had a part-time gig. No, it was a Gate raid with the Lunar Guild.
Swoosh.
Once I was ready, I found myself looking around my room for no particular reason.
The spot where Cynthia and Yoo Harin were limp and spent.
If they helped with the Gate raid like before, it would make things a lot easier, but honestly, this time I didn't need to gather that much firepower.
Click.
I made sure to properly close the door to my room, which reeked of sex, and headed to the entrance.
The windows were open, so the smell would air out on its own.
They'd handle the rest somehow.
'One thing I'm a bit worried about, though.'
What I was concerned about was none other than Kang Eun-seol.
To call it worry was a bit off—in truth, I was curious what kind of reaction she'd have when she came face-to-face with me and those two in their thoroughly disheveled states.
If I hadn't wanted Kang Eun-seol to know at all from the start, I would've used Sensory Manipulation.
But last night, I'd deliberately left her hearing unblocked.
Now that the Choi Si-hyeok business was wrapped up, I had some leeway in various ways.
I'd personally provided her—the picture of innocence—with some audiovisual educational(?) material.
I wondered if Eun-seol, who was in bed, had heard the debauchery from over here last night.
And if she had, whether she'd just meekly listened in silence.
Imagining Schrödinger's Kang Eun-seol, along with one corner of the officetel from last night, I glanced once at her room where the door was slightly ajar.
And hoping she hadn't taken too big a shock, just in case, I quietly slipped out of the officetel.
Click.
* * *
KABOOM!
Explosions rang out one after another, sending fierce vibrations through the air.
"Kaaack!"
The monster's death cry came as a bonus.
Thud!
After slicing the Big-Eared Orc in front of me with my dagger, I caught my breath lightly.
"Hoo."
That wrapped up my share.
An Ji-ho, who had just finished conquering a B-rank Gate with the monster extermination alongside everyone else, approached me as I shook the blood off my dagger.
"You okay, Woojin-ah? You seemed a bit sluggish today."
I let out a smirk at his worried words.
"Truth is, I used up a lot of energy last night."
"Ahaha. Got it."
"How's it going with Soo-jung noona these days, Ji-ho hyung?"
"Eh, not bad."
"No baby plans yet?"
"Yeah. Running the guild is overwhelming enough right now. Kids can wait till things stabilize."
Maybe because I'd eliminated(?) that future cheater Jung Il-hoon for them.
An Ji-ho and Lee Soo-jung's marriage was going very smoothly.
The three of them were oblivious, but just seeing them happy was enough for me.
Is this the feeling of a secret hero hiding their identity?
Jung Il-hoon was probably getting along fine with Chang-sik hyung in his own way, and I'd crafted a world where truly no one(?) got hurt. I smiled contentedly to myself.
"By the way, do you know how Chang-sik hyung and Jung Il-hoon are doing?"
"Chang-sik's helping with Gate raids now and then like before. He skipped today, though. And Il-hoon's investigation with the bureau wrapped up a few days ago. He's getting a light punishment and has to lay low for a bit."
"No protective supervision?"
"Seems like Chang-sik's personally keeping an eye on him?"
"Ah, I see."
"That's actually something I'm mulling over. Once Il-hoon's downtime ends, should we take him back as a guild member...?"
"Discuss it properly with the other guild members."
An Ji-ho shot back at my nonchalant response.
"What's your take on it, Woojin?"
"Honestly, after pulling something like that, waltzing back in like nothing happened would be abnormal. The others will push back for sure."
"Right?"
"That said, his skills are useful, so how about letting him join raids only when Chang-sik hyung tags along? At least until the guild fully stabilizes."
I gave practical advice to An Ji-ho, who would one day lead one of the top five guilds.
Maybe because he hadn't gone through Lee Soo-jung's affair like in the original, the good-hearted guy still had a lot of naive sides.
"Hearing you say it, that sounds like the way to go."
An Ji-ho and I kept chatting as we exited the Gate alone.
"But seriously, Woojin, isn't it risky showing your face like this?"
"Nah, what. Everyone here already knows."
I glanced back at the Gate, thinking of the Lunar Guild Hunters still inside handling cleanup.
"Still, be careful. You'll be working with outsiders sometimes, like that A-rank raid. You know plenty of people are hunting for you—or Genova, I mean."
"That's why I hold back like this normally. Don't worry too much."
And if push came to shove, I could always wear the actual mask.
I grabbed the mask dangling from my waist and gave it a light shake.
"Hey, hey! Hide it quick!"
An Ji-ho freaked out, pressing my hand down to tuck the mask back and cover it with my long coat.
"No one's watching anyway."
"I swear, Woojin, you give me such a fright I can't live."
He sighed again, shaking his head.
"But that mask—is it a pierrot? Why's it a clown?"
He pointed at my noseless clown mask.
"Chang-sik hyung gave it to me. It's an artifact too. Has perception-lowering on it."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Design's not really my style, but doesn't it suit me kinda? I am doing the clown thing as Genova, after all."
"Don't be so down on it. Just being a new S-rank Awakened is a huge boost for the public."
An Ji-ho patted my shoulder encouragingly, sounding like an elder for once.
"Oh, right. On another note, Ji-ho hyung."
"Yeah?"
"I'm looking to get some gear. Anyone you recommend?"
"Gear? Weapons? Wouldn't Chang-sik be better for that? He got you that mask, right?"
"I'd love to, but he seems super busy lately."
"...?"
Skipping the details, I thought of Choi Si-hyeok reborn as Jung Il-hoon's buddy and gave a meaningful smile.
"Anyway, got it. I'll look into it. Dagger, right?"
"Yeah. Something sturdy at my budget. Extra features would be nice too."
Last time, crappy gear had bitten me hard.
Weighing my bank balance, I put in an order for the toughest(?) dagger possible.
Soon, An Ji-ho walked me to the parking lot and said goodbye.
"Drive safe, Woojin-ah. See you next time. Your pay and Gate share'll hit your account like usual."
"Thanks, hyung."
As I rolled up the driver's window, something popped into my head, and I turned to An Ji-ho.
"Oh, Ji-ho hyung, you know anything about the Peach Blossom Truth Church?"
"Huh? Peach Blossom Truth Church?"
I wanted to gauge how people viewed it right now.
Check the public's perception and awareness.
"Of course. Korea's biggest cult—er, new religious group."
I nodded at An Ji-ho's explanation.
Just as expected.
"Heard they do a lot of charity. Oh, they donated big to Gate victims and the poor recently."
Everything An Ji-ho said was true.
The Peach Blossom Truth Church was, without exaggeration, Korea's largest religion in this world.
Towers and Gates had appeared, monsters and Awakened flooded out, crumbling the old religious order.
They hadn't vanished entirely, but the four major religions from my original world were half-defunct.
And filling that void were new groups like the Peach Blossom Truth Church.
Strictly speaking, calling it a cult was a bit iffy.
This was a world where even Taoism, their foundation, was just an empty shell.
Of course, that was all surface-level. The real deal with the Peach Blossom Truth Church was that it was just a band of vagrants.
"No disciples or believers in your circle, right, Ji-ho hyung?"
"Nah. If we stretch to friends of friends, maybe. But people close to me are mostly atheists."
"That's a relief."
"Relief?"
"Hard to explain now, but if anyone around you tries joining the Peach Blossom Truth Church, stop them no matter what. Got it?"
"Uh, yeah. Got it......"
After parting with An Ji-ho, I crossed Hangang Bridge toward the broadcasting station.
For my appointment with Section Chief Lee Dong-hyun.
Screech! Thud!
I parked pretty far from the station, set the button-side brake, activated Presence Concealment, and slowly walked into the HBS studio.
* * *
Appearing on a broadcast was far more grueling than Kang Woojin had imagined.
For starters, strutting through the massive broadcasting station in a mask felt no different from public humiliation play.
'Ugh, damn. Embarrassing.'
On top of that, he was drawing attention and popularity rivaling any celebrity.
Like an Olympic national team athlete, he couldn't avoid the stares.
"Here's your script. Take a look."
Kang Woojin, entering the green room, received the cue card script from a writer with freckles that stood out on her face.
"......Thanks."
He gave her a formal nod after taking the small cue card.
"Once filming starts, use a stronger tone, Mr. Genova."
Lee Dong-hyun, practically his manager, immediately critiqued his speech.
"You're Korea's next S-rank Hunter rep. Gotta leave a strong impression on the public."
Lee Dong-hyun—no, the Hunter Management Bureau—was dead set on turning Kang Woojin into Korea's star.
At least he didn't need makeup or wardrobe.
Sitting in the spot meant for Choi Si-hyeok, Kang Woojin inwardly sighed as he read the script.
"Um, Hunter sir."
It was right then.
"If it's not too much trouble, could you sign this?"
The female writer who'd given him the script timidly held out a pen.
"......Ah, sure. Name?"
"Yes, yes. And next to it, 'Study hard, Woo-young-ah.' Please."
"Who's Woo-young?"
"My son."
Kang Woojin signed for her and several others besides the head writer.
Though he'd burst onto the scene as the star of a Gate raid, he hadn't done any official activities since—Genova or not.
Already hugely popular across ages and genders, it felt like he'd absorbed Choi Si-hyeok's entire fandom.
'Your fans are no joke either, Si-hyeok-ah.'
And shortly after, filming began in earnest.
The pre-recorded show Kang Woojin appeared on was an interview-style variety program.
Chatting with people in unique jobs like Awakened, solving a light quiz or two.
Basically just a talk show.
"Hello, Hunter Genova. A greeting to the viewers, please."
The MC, a former announcer in neat attire, sat across from Kang Woojin and spoke.
"Sure. Hello."
Kang Woojin gave a curt greeting to the camera.
Unfazed, the thirty-something female host skillfully drew him out with seasoned finesse.
"How've you been lately? Lots of people are curious about your updates. Especially your identity, of course."
"Strictly speaking, I'm not an official Hunter yet. So I'm training hard to become one."
"I see. Oh, mind if I ask why you hide your face? Some SNS speculation says it's 'cause you're ugly."
Evidently no stranger to Awakened interviews, the veteran host peppered jokes as she went.
"I'll leave that to people's imaginations."
"Aw, c'mon, not even a hint? For all the viewers cheering you on right now."
"Truth is, I'm super shy."
"Pardon?"
The unexpected reason made even the seasoned host blink.
"That's the reason. And faces are a matter of taste, right?"
"Ah, yes. Yes. True."
"Luckily, people around me like it, so I'm satisfied with mine."
Despite his broadcasting debut, Kang Woojin answered calmly.
Considering his history battling countless monsters, freaking out over(?) a TV spot would've been weirder.
"Moving on to the next question."
The formal Q&A continued, the allotted time nearing its end.
"Lunar Guild's been rising lately. Are you exclusive with them as a member?"
"Like I said earlier, I'm not a Hunter yet. But I'm on good terms with Lunar Guild and keeping in touch."
"Sounds like celebrity dating scandal lines."
"Then look favorably on us."
"Heh, you quip well. Speaking of, do you have a lover, Hunter?"
"No."
No lover, but he had fuckbuddies and sex slaves—he bit back that line. Kang Woojin thought of his proud women and smiled under the mask.
"Got it. Last question, then."
The host glanced at her cue card and read.
"Do you have a god you firmly believe in?"
It was the question Kang Woojin had requested in advance.
Insisting they ask this one.
His condition for appearing, repeated to Lee Dong-hyun and the production team.
"Religion-wise, does Hunter Genova have a faith?"
Kang Woojin—Genova—grinned at the planned question and faced the camera.
"Yes."
Then, toward the cameras watched by countless citizens, he issued a declaration of war.
"I believe in the Peach Blossom Truth Church."
His words rippled massively through the upper echelons of the two-faced Peach Blossom Truth Church.