The Phantom Cult

CK Broadcasting Station.

The Dimension Warrior desk.

Seo Jeong-ah took one look at Kim Hana's face — dark circles carved deep under her eyes — and asked,

"Hana, you look like you haven't slept in days. Something going on?"

Kim Hana let out a long, heavy sigh.

"You know how it is. Tips keep pouring in without a break…"

"Yeah. Guess the rumors about the Hero Council collapsing are true, then?"

"They are. It's basically confirmed. The Warriors don't even bother watching their backs around the Council anymore."

The Eight Heroes.

Even on Earth, people had started calling them the False Eight Heroes.

And that, more than anything, seemed to be the reason.

Like a dam finally bursting, tips from Dimension Warriors were flooding in without end.

The spark that made it all possible had come from another dimension — Pangenia.

Serengeti, confidante of Wilhelm, the man who had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠led the Great Expedition and stood at the side of Balan Kingdom's king, had publicly branded them traitors.

"But their influence on Earth should still be intact, right? Stick your neck out too far and you might end up assassinated."

Seo Jeong-ah's concern wasn't unreasonable.

In Pangenia, the Eight Heroes had lost power at a terrifying speed. Massive religious organizations like the Goddess Sect were demanding astronomical reparations, and every major trading company had cut ties with them. Once the citizens of their cities learned that their glory had been a lie, they fled. Young and old, man and woman — the entire continent pointed fingers at them.

On Earth, however, their influence remained absolute.

The strongest organization on the planet, packed with Dimension Warriors and powerhouses. With vast capital and raw force, the Eight Heroes still held the world in their grip.

"There's a split inside," Kim Hana said, shaking her head.

Seo Jeong-ah's pupils dilated.

"An internal split? What do you mean?"

"Drakestar and Lucifer seem to be locked in a bitter power struggle. They don't have the bandwidth to care about Earth right now…"

"Holy crap. That's a massive scoop. Who do you think's going to win?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I've got something even bigger on my plate."

"What? There's something bigger than this??"

Seo Jeong-ah stared at her as if she'd lost her mind.

The fall of the Eight Heroes and an internal civil war. Just writing the articles would guarantee exclusive after exclusive. And Kim Hana already knew more confidential material about the Eight Heroes than almost anyone alive — she had been the first journalist to land an interview with Gracia, after all.

That wasn't all. Word had quietly spread among Dimension Warriors that Kim Hana had played some kind of role during the Jeju Island disappearance. Combined with her ironclad guarantee of anonymity, the number of Warriors feeding her exclusive tips had already reached staggering levels.

If she wrote a proper series of columns on the Eight Heroes, she might even take home this year's Pulitzer.

And she's saying there's something bigger than that?

Curiosity flooded Seo Jeong-ah's eyes. Her gaze drifted to the notebook on Kim Hana's desk.

"Don't tell me this is about Randolph?"

"…Yes."

"Come on. Look, Randolph seems like an incredible guy, sure — but he hasn't actually done anything on Earth. What are you even hoping to get out of investigating him?"

The name Randolph was famous on Earth now.

Not because of anything he had done here. He had become famous purely through the mouths of Dimension Warriors — and lately, that name had been coming up more and more often.

"Who's the strongest Dimension Warrior? Gracia or Drakestar, right?"

"Obviously Lord Randolph."

"Excuse me?"

"Once His Lordship finishes every trial, he will descend upon this world and save it. Long live the Phantom Cult!"

It always went something like that.

No matter which interview you conducted, the moment the topic came up, Randolph's name inevitably appeared. Through those conversations, the press had also learned that a cult devoted to Randolph as a god — the Phantom Cult — existed among the Dimension Warriors.

"Randolph has never even appeared on Earth, has he? Will he really save the world?"

"Even Hercules only became complete after finishing his twelve labors. His Lordship simply chooses not to reveal himself until he is complete. Long live the Phantom Cult!"

Those who cried out for the Phantom Cult would press the tips of both index fingers together, forming a large circle — a signature gesture, almost a ritual unique to the cult.

By that point, even the reporters couldn't help but grow curious.

One interview in particular went global.

That interview and its accompanying video hit one hundred million views in just three days, becoming a global sensation.

It completely rewrote the world's perception of Randolph — one of the many truths the false heroes had kept buried.

But was that really the only buried truth?

There are too many.

Kim Hana shook her head inwardly. Far too many. Especially anything connected to the Great Expedition and Randolph.

From start to finish, it's all lies.

They deliberately belittled the Great Expedition and crushed Randolph's name into the dirt. They acted as if the related facts must never, under any circumstances, see the light of day.

Why were they so desperately trying to hide the Great Expedition and Randolph?

It's not just because they lied about participating in an expedition they never joined.

That was a massive lie in its own right — but she was certain it wasn't the whole story. There was a deeper truth that absolutely could not be exposed. A truth that, if revealed, would deal them an irreversible blow.

Maybe… it has something to do with the Demon King.

What if they were connected to the Demon King? What if, not content with sabotaging the Great Expedition, they had sold out the entire expeditionary force?

The opening of the other dimension. The invasion of Earth. All of it began with the Great Expedition. After its failure, a cataclysm had erupted between the two worlds.

And if the true cause of that failure was the Eight Heroes?

Villains playing the role of saviors. I will never forgive them.

Kim Hana wasn't investigating Randolph. Not exactly. She was digging into the Eight Heroes and the Great Expedition. And the deeper she dug, the more the Eight Heroes' true faces were laid bare. The sheer volume of their lies made her skin crawl.

Watching the gloom settle over Kim Hana's expression, Seo Jeong-ah asked,

"Why don't you just focus on the Eight Heroes instead?"

"Should I?"

"Huh?"

The sudden shift made Seo Jeong-ah blink. Kim Hana clenched her fist.

"I'm going to request an interview with the Eight Heroes."

"What? In this situation? I heard they've been turning down every major outlet. You really think they'll accept?"

"They will. One of them will."

"…?"

"I know where the person they're desperately searching for is."

"…???"

A dark, sealed chamber.

A meeting held in absolute secrecy.

Drakestar frowned as he stared at Kim Hana seated across from him.

"…You claim to know where Gracia is?"

Drakestar and Lucifer were both hunting for Gracia. The organization had split cleanly down the middle. Whoever re-recruited Gracia would naturally seize the greater influence. To unify the interior and rebuild their strength, Drakestar first had to win his war against Lucifer.

Kim Hana nodded at his question.

"I do. But first, I have a question of my own."

"What is it?"

"Is Randolph Wilhelm?"

"…There are rumors to that effect."

"I want ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a definitive answer."

Drakestar's brow furrowed. Rumors that Randolph was Wilhelm did exist. Among Players, it was practically accepted as fact. But hard proof was still lacking.

Tap. Tap.

Drakestar drummed his index finger against the table, then finally spoke.

"Yes. We only recently became certain of it ourselves."

"I see."

Kim Hana's expression eased. Everything finally fit into place.

"Where is Gracia?"

"Are you confident you can beat Lucifer?"

"If I just had Gracia… damn it. Honestly, even with Gracia, it's fifty-fifty. So just tell me. Where is he?"

Drakestar showed weakness — a face the public would never be allowed to see. Proof that he was cornered far more desperately than anyone imagined.

"Is Lucifer that strong? I was under the impression he was already the de facto master of the Hero Council."

"Master and I were nothing but figureheads. That bastard manipulates everything from the shadows. We simply moved according to his designs."

So that's why he showed weakness. Playing the pitiful victim, carefully pulling his feet out of the filthy water.

Veins stood out on Drakestar's neck.

"If the Hero Council falls into Lucifer's hands like this, Earth will be destroyed. Lucifer has actually joined hands with the Demon of Pride. A man who sold out the expeditionary force — you think he wouldn't sell out Earth?"

"…Are you saying Lucifer was connected to the Great Expedition?"

She barely even needed to ask. He was spilling everything on his own. It spoke to how desperately he needed Gracia's whereabouts — and made it clear he intended to dump every crime onto Lucifer and claw his way back to redemption.

Kim Hana felt bile rising in her throat. How could a human being be this grotesque?

"I can't say any more than that."

He had already said everything that mattered. Lucifer had contracted with a demon, and he was intimately connected to the failure of the Great Expedition.

"You said even with Gracia, it would be five-to-five. Just how strong is Lucifer?"

"…How many questions do you plan to ask? Look — no one knows Lucifer's exact combat strength. Because of the Angel Statue he holds, no one can even pick a fight with him."

"The Angel Statue?"

"Yes. As long as he has that, victory is impossible. But we can't afford to lose, either. That's why we need Gracia. Or… Randolph needs to surpass Lucifer through his labor."

"By labor, you mean the eleventh labor currently underway."

"You're well-informed. Lucifer hunted one of the Abyss Lords — the Prince of Desolation — during the eleventh labor and obtained the Angel Statue. It's a fairly famous anecdote among the warriors."

"The Prince of Desolation… What if Randolph hunts something even greater than that in the Abyss?"

"Impossible."

Drakestar said it with absolute certainty. When Kim Hana looked puzzled, he elaborated.

"Of course I hope he does. But realistically, it's impossible. The Abyss is not a place one person can handle alone. It demands enormous resources and manpower. Hunting an Abyss Lord is something an entire nation must stake its fate on."

At present, the only force in Pangenia with the capacity to assault the Abyss was the Empire. And the Empire would never help Randolph assault the Abyss. Alone, it was absolutely impossible. A small elite force would need an overwhelmingly powerful composition —

Unless the Eight Houses Knights themselves stepped in.

Drakestar clicked his tongue. Without the Emperor's own swords — the Palga Knights — even that was out of the question.

"More importantly, monsters greater than the Prince of Desolation are vanishingly rare even within the Abyss."

"And if he does it anyway?"

Drakestar clutched his stomach and roared with laughter.

"Hahahaha! So you're a woman of truly extraordinary faith in Randolph. He does something greater than that? If that's even possible… fine. I'll join the Phantom Cult myself."

Boom. Boom.

A colossal roar shook the world.

Raiga opened his eyes.

Ugh…

But he could barely move. His body was wrecked beyond recognition. All he managed was a sidelong glance, rolling his eyes.

Goat…?

A familiar face was nearby.

…A goat.

Even more astonishing was what he was riding.

Baal…?

He already knew that an Orthodox Death God had summoned Baal — but to be using it as a mount? Even the ancient Empire had no records of anyone riding one of the Four Calamities. The only being who could treat Baal as a steed was this goat.

And the surprises did not end there.

Goooooh.

…A golem making a strange, low rumble at his side.

The Owner of the Tomb…?!

Why on earth was the Owner of the Tomb traveling with the goat? No — more importantly, had the goat saved him in that situation? How?

The Sunken Emperor. The Heavenly Demon. Countless Abyss Lords had all been gathered in that place.

Is this a dream?

Raiga could not bring himself to believe what he was seeing.