Chapter 108
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Even If That Place Is Hell
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The Fixer packed away the Angel's Trumpet and mulled over his conversation with the Guardian King of the East.
He had heard plenty of stories, but the most important one boiled down to a single point.
'Do not commit killing through the power of others. And if you commit evil deeds, atone for them with even greater acts of good.'
As long as he followed that, they would overlook most things.
After all, these were the end times.
Through the Four Heavenly Kings' tacit approval of the Fixer's actions, he realized the current world was in a far graver state than he had thought.
'Could it be related to what the Saintess said? She mentioned the number of anomalies has increased dramatically compared to the past.'
The number of anomalies was exploding exponentially, their overall difficulty rising, and even catastrophe-class ones were starting to appear one by one.
Was it the influence of the Blackened One? Or was the universe itself racing toward its end? Or maybe it was because the Fixer was just too damn good.
As his doubts grew, the Fixer wanted to ask the ancient lurker in the World of Doom Gallery, but she had vanished from the gallery entirely after the Garam University incident.
'She took the Blackened One with her. She's probably suppressing it in her own world.'
If the lurker returned to the World of Doom Gallery, it would mean the Blackened One had broken free from her as well.
And the Blackened One was after the Fixer's body. He still didn't know the exact purpose, but it had tried to possess him to reach something.
The moment it was freed, the Blackened One would approach the Fixer. And to claim his body, it would likely turn everything around him into chaos.
-Ouch... You look worried sick. What's wrong..?
"Oh, Hae-yul. Well, it's just... Hmm. A lot of thoughts are swirling around."
-Is it because of that guy from earlier? The Four Heavenly Kings or whatever—if my seal had been fully broken, I would've torched him for sure!
-You think you could've handled him alone...?
-If my seal was broken, I totally could!
Hong-ryeon's confident tone made the Fixer chuckle despite himself.
Even after hearing that the world was in its end times, the Ghost Kings still seemed as cheerful as ever.
"By the way, how can we fully break your seals?"
-You're curious about how to completely unseal us?
"Yes. Or at least loosen them a bit."
The Twin Ghost Kings were like one-shot missiles right now.
Unsealing one took 100 mental strength per Ghost King, and even that lasted only five minutes max.
Of course, they were still asymmetrically powerful, but hearing about the end times made him feel like leaving them sealed like this wasn't sustainable.
-Hmm. No reason not to tell you.
"You know the method?"
-Yeah. But it's not a great one.
Hong-ryeon lowered her voice and explained how to loosen the seal.
-Simple. Sacrifice a human.
"Human sacrifice, huh... Figures there's no other way..?"
-That's right... It's the fastest way, as I said.... But you'd hesitate, wouldn't you? I wouldn't recommend it either. It'd just turn you into the villain yourself. It goes against the Four Heavenly Kings' advice to do good deeds...
-More importantly, feeding us humans to wake us up won't end well. If the seal breaks via human sacrifice, there's no guarantee we'll follow you in our current state. It's literally awakening us as anomaly Ghost Kings. It's not a way to strengthen us as your allies.
Sacrificing humans to break the seal wasn't freeing the Twin Ghost Kings as helpful allies—it was unleashing them as rampaging catastrophe-class monsters.
"You're right. I can't sacrifice people."
-Exactly! So don't rush it. I'm plenty useful as is! If we stick together like this, the seal will break completely someday, right?
-I'm useful too...
"True. You've both been a huge help. Thank you."
The Fixer expressed his gratitude anew to the Ghost Kings who had blocked the Guardian King for him.
Thanks to the Twin Ghost Kings holding off the Guardian King of the East, he had uncovered the truth about the Grand Assembly Leader and captured him before he could escape.
In the end, exposing his crimes right in front of the Guardian King had sent him straight to hell—the best possible outcome for the Fixer.
-What're you thanking us for all over again..? We weren't even trying to kill you in the first place...
-Hmph! Yeah! We went all out blocking him! It hurt like hell! You owe us!
"Haha... Is there something you want? I'll make it up to you."
-Huh? Really? Then... I do have one thing.
"Tell me. I'll do whatever I can."
At the Fixer's question, Hong-ryeon blushed and said she had a request.
Of course, since Choto remained silent, the Fixer couldn't properly gauge her reaction.
He wasn't paying close attention to Hong-ryeon's responses anyway.
His mind was preoccupied replaying his conversation with the Guardian King and worrying about the Single Blood Tomb and the messengers of the afterlife.
-Ahem. Well. It's nothing big. Just... together...
"Together?"
-To.. together...
Hong-ryeon hesitated to voice her wish outright.
She had initially planned to just ask for meat. But that was something she could request anytime.
So now was the time for a request she could never make under normal circumstances—one she could leverage from this situation, swallowing her embarrassment to ask of the Fixer.
-What I.. want is. Well...
Finally, as Hong-ryeon stammered and beat around the bush, Hae-yul cut in and blurted out what she was trying to say.
-Jeez.. Just spit it out. Say you want to sleep together.. Why beat around the bush..
-Eek! Shut up! That's not it!
"...."
Watching Hong-ryeon curse at Hae-yul, the Fixer gave an awkward smile.
"Is that really what you want..? Should I... attend to you or something?"
-No! I just... I want to spend the night with my follower too... Got a problem with that!?
"Uh, no. I mean. You want to share a bed with me right now?"
-Yeah.. Just holding hands..?
"..."
-No fair, you slept plastered right next to him before. Why not me!? You're discriminating against me, right!?
"No, that's not it."
Hae-yul had once slept right up against the Fixer in a Mujin inn.
Hong-ryeon had secretly envied that and felt left out.
"The office remodel will be done soon anyway. Let's do it."
-Really...? For real!?
"It's just holding hands and sleeping. What's the problem?"
-You promised! Just me! Got it!?
-No way. I earned merits too. Why hog him all to yourself, Hong-ryeon?
-You already slept with him before!
-That was ages ago... Borrowing that kid Go Yu-rim's words, yeah. The cooldown's up...
"Hey, you two, no fighting. One on the right, one on the left. Problem solved. I'll even buy you both pajamas."
The Fixer smiled awkwardly as he proposed a solution.
The office remodel was finishing up, and the fourth floor was now living space. A king-sized bed would fix everything.
-No way! I want exclusivity!
-Greedy much... I'll take the right side.. You get the left...
-You lost the bet! At least yield the right!
-It was by a hair... So it's a tie...
-Ugh!
At a loss with the Twin Ghost Kings, the Fixer sighed and returned to the main hall.
The children had already been loaded into ambulances by the priests and taken to the hospital. Only Sister Shin Seo-hyeon remained, waiting for the Fixer.
"You're back, Fixer. Have you finished everything?"
"Yes. Thanks to you, Sister, it all wrapped up smoothly. But did you wait just for me?"
"Yes. I figured you'd be quick."
Sister Shin Seo-hyeon stood from her seat and approached the Fixer.
She was undoubtedly much stronger than before.
"You've made a lot of progress since we last met."
"I trained to stand by your side, Fixer. I'm a completely different person now than back then, right? Good enough to be your assistant?"
"Hahaha. I couldn't possibly take a sister as my assistant."
"You could."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. By the way, something seemed to fall from the sky earlier. Did you handle that too, Fixer?"
"Oh, that... It went back to where it came from."
"It went back?"
"Yes. Up to the heavens."
"Was it that kind of anomaly?"
"No, not an anomaly..."
The Fixer glossed over her question, sensing she had vaguely detected the Guardian King of the East's presence.
He lacked the confidence to properly explain the Four Heavenly Kings or summarize everything that had happened.
"Well, as long as it's resolved, that's good."
"Right. And about that coin you gave me last time, Sister."
"Ah, that coin."
"Yes. Thanks to it, I resolved one incident safely. But... it ended up breaking."
"It served its purpose and broke. No need to apologize, Fixer."
The 'Coin Infused with Prayer' that Sister Shin Seo-hyeon had given him.
It had been used to save Saintess Ha-un.
"It's fine that it broke. I'm glad it helped you, Fixer. It makes me proud. Thinking of the keepsake from my childhood shining in your hands feels great."
"It was a huge help. So I want to repay you somehow..."
"No need for repayment. You've already given me plenty. I want you to rely on me more instead."
Sister Shin Seo-hyeon waved off his thanks nonchalantly.
She patted his arm reassuringly.
"And if we get a chance to solve another case together, I'll count on you then."
"Anytime. Just call me, Sister. I'll rush anywhere you say."
"Your words alone make me feel secure. Oh, right. Didn't they say these weren't the last ones? Right?"
"Yes. The Bloodless Victory Corps is being tracked by the monks. That leaves the Oath Brotherhood."
The Bloodless Victory Corps was under pursuit with Gu Hye-ryeong's cooperation from the Korean Buddhist Association.
Once they found the Oath Brotherhood, this incident would be mostly wrapped up.
Clearing out the remaining two groups would complete the quest to eradicate those falsely claiming divine names.
"The Oath Brotherhood. We'll look into it. I'll contact you if we find their base."
"Thank you, Sister."
"No need. It's only natural. This is our job anyway—we should be thanking you for your help."
With that, Sister Shin Seo-hyeon held something out to the Fixer.
"What's this?"
"Father Han Kyung-muk made it himself. And I blessed it for a week."
"I see... It's full of your energy, Sister."
The Fixer examined the ring.
It wasn't an ordinary ring. It was closer to a holy relic or exorcism tool.
Retreat.
It referred to withdrawing from daily life to a church or monastery for prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection.
With this ring, there was no need to seek out a church or monastery. He could accumulate power in the ring through prayer anytime, anywhere.
It was literally an item made for a non-cleric like the Fixer—a highly useful and precious tool that would let him wield blessings.
Father Han Kyung-muk of Jongno Cathedral had put considerable thought into crafting it.
"You can pray while reading the Bible. Or reflect on your day while confessing to God—that works too."
"Does that... fill the ring with power?"
"Yes. Pray sincerely, reflect, meditate on God, and the ring will naturally glow with light. That's what Father Han Kyung-muk told me."
The Fixer thanked Sister Shin Seo-hyeon and Father Han Kyung-muk for their kindness.
This was how Fixers were meant to operate: gathering items to fight anomalies.
He had relied on 'physical prowess' so far thanks to his superior 10x stats mode, but the orthodox way was to collect items like this to grow stronger.
"It's so precious—I don't know how to thank you."
"No thanks needed. I should've given it sooner. Sorry it took this long."
"No, really. I'll put it to good use."
The Fixer carefully accepted the Ring of Retreat and examined it more closely.
Ancient Text Deciphering activates.
Soon, the Fixer spotted Latin script inscribed on the inside of the ring.
Dominus Tecum
The Lord be with you.
"If you ever want to learn more about God or deepen your faith, please visit the cathedral anytime. We warmly welcome your conversion, Fixer. And remember, the doors of the church are always open."
"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
If the Fixer developed strong faith and converted, it would be a joyous occasion for Sister Shin Seo-hyeon.
"By the way, I picked this up from the Grand Assembly Leader's room. Could you take a look?"
"That's..."
The Fixer slipped the Ring of Retreat onto his right index finger and pulled out the Angel's Trumpet to show Sister Shin Seo-hyeon.
Mimicked Heavens.
A tool-type anomaly fallen from beyond the fifth gate.
Sister Shin Seo-hyeon paused, holding her breath as she looked at the Angel's Trumpet the Fixer handed her.
"Is this the culprit behind the incident?"
"Yes. Do you know what it is? It came from the Mimicked Heavens..."
"The Mimicked Heavens? Is that reliable info, Fixer?"
"Yes. Definitely."
"...."
Sister Shin Seo-hyeon flipped through her notebook, her face growing serious at the mention of the Mimicked Heavens.
She began reading from it.
"Here, baptism, Eucharist, and confession are all mimicked. But they are corrupted rites. Baptism sprouts wings, Eucharist bleaches the flesh white... Confession visualizes sins, granting great power and pleasure."
Not the arch-enemies of demons, but a hellish sky filled with things mimicking angels. That was the Mimicked Heavens.
"That's info on the Mimicked Heavens. And..."
"There's more?"
"'If something falls from the Mimicked Heavens, it is an omen.' That's what it says."
"....An omen?"
"Yes. It doesn't specify of what."
It didn't say what the omen foretold.
Instead, it noted that those with stronger faith transformed faster into angel-like anomalies.
"It's a kind of back-side world gathered from things that defy understanding and refuse to be understood. This came from there. Fortunately, being a tool-type anomaly, the damage was limited."
"What should we do with it? Smash it, I suppose? I brought it in case the church wanted to study it."
"If it can be destroyed, better to do it now."
The Fixer tore the Angel's Trumpet apart like paper.
Sister Shin Seo-hyeon gasped anew at the sight of the sturdy metal trumpet ripping like rubber clay.
"Phew! Now I can relax. I took it thinking the church might use it, but yeah, better to destroy stuff like this immediately."
"Y-Yes. And if we took it for study and something went wrong, it could leak out or attract villains. Destroying it right away is best."
The Fixer gathered the powerless fragments, mashed them into a metal lump, and handed it to the sister.
"Feels wrong leaving it here. Could the church melt it down or bury it properly?"
"...Yes. Of course. We'll handle it."
With that, his business at the New Country New Love Church was fully concluded.
Priests and Anomaly Management Department agents had arrived at the prayer center on time, rescuing the captives without issue. Lee Do-gyeom and Mu-gyeok had minor injuries, but otherwise, the incident wrapped up cleanly.
The Fixer thanked everyone who helped and headed straight back to the Fixer Office.
He needed to check on Yu-ha's condition and locate the Bloodless Victory Corps' potential base somewhere in Gangwon Province.
To infiltrate the heavens via the Sun-Moon Divine Art, he had to enter their hidden Single Blood Tomb and obtain the Eclipse Seal first.
Mount Seorak in Gangwon Province had a Mountain Lord.
His name was Kang San-jung.
One of the Seven Protectors of Geumsan Gate, known as the Mountain Guardian, he was a spirit arts master safeguarding Korea's sacred mountains.
He had also helped the Fixer capture the corrupted spirit arts users during the academic festival.
He despised imbalance above all, especially anything sinister encroaching on his domain of Mount Seorak. Yet while he was briefly away, something had slithered in and taken root.
"So that's where the stench was coming from. Vermin laying eggs."
Kang San-jung's hands were stained with blood.
Before him lay monks with crushed skulls.
"You... monster.."
"The monsters are you lot, committing these atrocities."
The Bloodless Victory Corps monks had met a mass slaughter at Kang San-jung's hands.
Those hiding in Mount Seorak to extract spiritual energy had the misfortune of catching the Mountain Lord's eye.
"Hoo. You're the last. Any final words?"
"We couldn't... fulfill Bodhidharma's will... So unjust...!"
"Babbling nonsense to the end."
Kang San-jung stomped the fallen man's head until it burst.
These were just some of the Bloodless Victory Corps monks scattered across Mount Seorak that he had wiped out today.
"When did they infest this place..."
They had spread deep into the mountains.
Not just here—the buzzing of insects echoed throughout Mount Seorak.
Just like the day the Fixer visited the moss house in Suncheon Bay wetlands, when bugs swarmed unusually.
For some reason, Mount Seorak was crawling with more insects than usual this year.
"....This isn't good."
The Bloodless Victory Corps renegade monks had unleashed something into the mountain.
They had even linked their domains deep in the peaks with (Realm Immersion Art).
Carcasses of cows and pigs littered the area—sacrifices for the art and fertilizer for the insects' eggs.
"I was away too long."
Helping Kitsune and Oh Se-eun settle their past and start anew had required a brief trip to the city—a fatal mistake.
He never dreamed a mere month away would let such villains ravage Mount Seorak.
"I'll need help."
Exterminating all the bugs alone would be tough.
Kang San-jung tried contacting his acquaintances.
But he soon realized he was isolated here too.
"....No way."
He had already entered the maze.
The insects infesting Mount Seorak had clustered in the sky, forming a barrier.
"Vicious bastards. Planning to kill everything on the mountain? Ngh.."
Tiny insect-type anomalies called Shell Dominion Bugs shed their shells everywhere, spewing dust.
They connected in midair, forming the Hollow Shell Insect Web formation...
Mountain beasts inhaling the falling powder and lost hikers began twisting unnaturally.
And at that worst possible moment, a bus approached the Mount Seorak entrance.
"Man, it's been ages since Seorak."
"Yeah. The air should be so clean... Why are there so many bugs?"
"No reason for bugs to swarm this season. Weird."
The ones stepping off the bus were monks out for a day trip.
They sensed an ominous aura over Mount Seorak and quickly discerned the interior had turned into a hell of the present world.
"There were at least five or six temples inside."
"Om huru huru chadar ma tongki sabaha. The inside is already a total mess. Something's nested there."
"...Weren't we just here for a picnic? End times everywhere we go."
"Master Jeong-gwang, I get your anger. But we can't ignore it. We saw it—we have to clean it up."
"Alright, monks. Itinerary change. Skip lunch and head in."
"Nice weather, probably lots of hikers. Now we're hell-diving on a perfect day."
"If that's hell inside, plenty of people need our help."
The monks clasped their hands in unison and marched toward Mount Seorak, now a hell of the present world.
Even if despair filled the path ahead, they knew no fear.
What unfolded before them was not hell or an insect nest, but the cries of sentient beings to save.
That was no reason to stop.
With joyful hearts, they advanced, willingly stepping into death to rescue the lost.
"Oh yeah. Woo-hyeon, didn't that sharp junior contact you earlier? Reply before we go."
"Right. Hye-ryeong. What a gem. Better send a text before heading in."
And so, the Bloodless Victory Corps' location was relayed to Monk Hye-ryeong.
At the moment 36 elderly monks entered the mountain for rescue operations.