The Bugged Holy Relic
As I opened the door, the dorm supervisor greeted me holding some kind of delivery box.
"A package came for you, student. Name's Do Seon-woo, right?"
"Ah, yes."
"There's a letter with it too. Looks like it's from your parents."
"Aha."
It wasn't from my parents—it had to be from Mun Yo-seop. Probably the "benefit" he'd mentioned before.
The supervisor handed me the box, then craned her neck to peer inside the room.
"How's the room? Pretty nice, huh?"
"Yeah, it's good."
"Glad to hear it. There's a ton of weird rumors about C Dorm, so students avoid it like the plague, but you know it's all nonsense, right? Well, thanks to those rumors, you snagged such a great room, so silver lining, I guess... anyway..."
According to her rambling explanation, C Dorm had more creepy rumors than the other dorms. Stories about how there used to be a mental hospital on this site, ghosts haunting the place, someone jumping off the roof to their death. Obviously just bored students' wild inventions from too much studying. Even if there was truth to it, it wasn't my problem.
"Oh, duh, I'm losing it. I forgot to tell you check-out and check-in times, didn't I?"
"Yes."
"Check-out starts at 5:30 a.m., check-in by 10 p.m. Miss it, and you get penalty points. No late-night errands or anything, right?"
I paused for a moment before answering.
"Not right now."
"If something comes up or you're crashing elsewhere, tell me ahead of time. Got it?"
"Yes."
"Oh, and the C Dorm broadcast system's busted, so no wake-up calls for a bit. You can handle getting up alone? Set an alarm. I could wake you, but me popping in and out would be awkward, yeah?"
"Yes..."
"Watch the noise between floors! No belting out songs at night."
"Yes......"
The supervisor was a real talker. Not satisfied, she threw in a few more warnings before finally leaving.
Even though it wasn't a long chat, I felt wiped out. I carried the box and letter into the room.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I opened the box first. The contents confirmed it was from Mun Yo-seop.
A document envelope caught my eye right away. Inside was a recommendation letter bearing his name.
I, Mun Yo-seop, Grand Bishop and Heretic Inquisitor affiliated with the Central Knight Order, hereby recommend the above student. He actively assisted in the investigation of the so-called "Legion Commander Terror Incident," making the greatest contribution to rooting out the evil cult...
"What the hell? Self-aggrandizing much?"
I frowned and muttered to myself midway through. The letter was written in that archaic mix of classical Chinese and Korean, making it a pain to read. I got as far as "Central Knight Order Heretic Inquisitor Grand Bishop" before giving up and stuffing it back in the envelope.
Besides the letter, there was a holy relic, a water bottle, a watch, and an envelope of cash. The cash envelope naturally contained bills—not bribery-level, but more than pocket money. Was this okay for a cleric? But hey, no reason to turn down free money.
I slipped on the watch right away. Thought it'd be big, but it fit perfectly. No coincidence—he must've adjusted the band to my wrist size. How he knew my measurements was a mystery.
The holy relic and water bottle were the real puzzles.
"What is this?"
I pulled out the relic for a closer look. Definitely a holy relic, but its purpose eluded me. A tiny sword the size of a finger—too small for combat.
The bottle seemed like holy water. Same issue—no clear use.
I tore open Mun Yo-seop's accompanying letter.
I wrote the recommendation since you want into the Central Knight Order. It's not a place you get into on one letter alone, but I hope it helps a little. The more the better, so I'll ask other grand bishops I know to write them too. They'll send them straight to you.
The relic is a mini "Eden's Flame Sword." It'll react to your divine power, spew flames, and orbit around you. Holy knights use it in dark places like wild hills or caves. They say it works in combat too—give it a try. Apparently good as a desk lamp for night studying, but who knows.
The watch is just a watch. Expensive, but nothing to brag about.
The bottle's hydrogen water. Drink it steadily, and your health'll skyrocket. You smoke? I'm on it daily now—great for smokers like me. Clears your head right up.
Questions? Call the card I gave you last time.
"......"
That was it. Mun Yo-seop had seemed off from the start, but this letter made him look even weirder. Why send a letter when texts or calls work fine? Gave me the creeps.
Maybe I'd met an unexpected powerhouse rival. A chill ran down my spine.
Anyway, now I knew the relic's purpose. Time to test it. I channeled divine power into it.
The flame sword ignited in response, flames bursting forth as it floated up and began circling me.
"Whoa......"
Didn't know the specs, but it looked cool. Combat utility? Questionable. Maybe pair it with Preservation's power as throwing daggers.
The flame sword trailed light, chasing me like fireflies. Kinda cute. I liked it.
Prophet.
I was tapping the flame sword playfully when Legba's voice rang out. His first words since the supervisor left—solemn and grave.
I started to reply, but he cut me off.
Don't respond. Stay calm—no excitement. Do nothing but listen.
"......"
That relic has a bug planted in it.
I stared silently at the flame sword. It spun around me, puffing tiny flames. No way to spot a bug or tracker with the naked eye, obviously.
Legba continued.
Ogoun says so—trust it.
"......Hm."
Smashing it now risks suspicion. Play along for the moment, then "accidentally" break it later.
I snatched the orbiting flame sword and gripped it in my right hand. Channeling Mighty Strength Blessing, I focused power there.
Legba sounded flustered, raising his voice.
I said smashing it now invites suspicion! Stay calm, there's a better—
Crunch.
The flame sword shattered.
Legba trailed off in shock. Silence blanketed the dorm.
I gathered the fragments and what looked like a tiny device, dumped them in the toilet, and flushed. The rushing water shattered the quiet, injecting life back into the still dorm.
I wiped cold sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
"Phew, done!"
[......You mad bastard, "done" my ass!]
Legba bellowed. No need to reply now. I left the bathroom and dialed Mun Yo-seop immediately.
*
"Mmm, hits the spot......"
Mun Yo-seop downed a glass of properly diluted hydrogen water in one go, sighing in refreshment. Lately, work stress had spiked his smoking, worrying his health—then he'd stumbled on this stuff. Before, every breath stabbed his left chest; now, the pain was gone.
Hydrogen water lacked scientific backing—pseudoscience, they called it. So what? He'd experienced the benefits. No theory trumped personal proof, in his book.
He fed his Venus flytrap. Turns out the damn thing was high-maintenance and useless. Thought it'd catch flies on its own; nope, had to stuff them in manually. And that was just one hassle among many.
"Senior!"
A subordinate burst in without knocking. Mun Yo-seop scowled.
"What, you gonna break the door like that? Knock first."
"S-sorry. It's urgent..."
"You look pale. How urgent? Spit it out."
Mun Yo-seop pinched a bug with tweezers and shoved it into the plant's maw.
The subordinate caught his breath.
"Uh, well... The bug we sent to Do Seon-woo's dorm got smashed."
"Smashed? That thing's not fragile."
"It broke after the relic delivery to his dorm. Probably deliberate..."
He trailed off. Mun Yo-seop jabbed a finger at him, displeased.
"Don't trail off. You're gonna be an inquisitor someday. Act like it—boldly."
"Y-yes! Noted!"
"No mumbling. Ditch the 'uh' habit when reporting. Makes you sound dumb."
Mun Yo-seop smirked faintly.
"Try again."
"Yes! The bug in Do Seon-woo's relic is smashed. He must've spotted it and crushed it on purpose."
"Much better."
Mun Yo-seop nodded approvingly.
"No contact from Do Seon-woo?"
"Uh, Do Seon-woo—"
"No 'uh's, I said."
"No contact from Do Seon-woo!"
The subordinate finished shakily. Mun Yo-seop nodded slowly, eyeing the gulping plant. He pondered the relic and its bug.
How he'd smashed "Eden's Flame Sword"—tough enough for holy knights' field ops—was beside the point. The real question: how did Do Seon-woo know about the bug?
Probably a metal detector. Or caught the faint noise or glow. Whatever, it proved he was wary of us. No way he'd "accidentally" find it.
"Still, no need to smash it."
Mun Yo-seop muttered, tilting his head.
(To be continued)