Purification (1)
Hunters were awakened beings who specialized in raiding Gates. Naturally, they were optimized for combating the 'monstrosities' that emerged from those Gates. On the other hand, they often showed vulnerabilities in 'human-to-human' combat. After all, hunting entities that each had their own specific strategies was an entirely different domain from facing humans.
Methods for dealing with people were endless beyond simple fights—drugs, poisoning, sleeping agents, traps, and more. 'Russia' was one of the nations most renowned for excelling in this area. The Russian government's radioactive tea was famous enough that the whole world knew about it, after all. They employed methods that were discreet yet left no loose ends, making it difficult to notice even if they failed. That was Russia—always prepared to cut off its own tail if things went south. The same applied to the Russian Orthodox Church.
But…….
'The traces are way too obvious.'
The Hunter Association's lead investigator tilted his head in confusion. The bodies connected to the Orthodox Church had sloppily revealed their ties to the organization. They had tried to hide it, but the job was sloppy. Once phone records and movements were checked, their identities were exposed almost immediately.
“Looks like even Russia is short on talent these days. They're using amateurs like this.”
“I guess the Orthodox Church isn't as scary as it used to be.”
“Or maybe we're just that good at investigating.”
“Haha! That too.”
The investigators celebrated their success with bright faces. This incident had proven that no matter how formidable the Russian Orthodox Church was, the Korean Hunter Association was no pushover either.
Yet one question still lingered.
“By the way, who do you think killed them?”
“Who knows.”
To find the culprit behind the murders of the Orthodox priests, the Association—a government agency—had mobilized professional profilers and forensic teams. They had even reviewed all nearby CCTV footage, of course. However, the perpetrator seemed to have vanished into thin air. There wasn't a single trace to be found. This was the first time the lead investigator had ever seen a crime scene so completely devoid of clues.
“Maybe a ghost did it.”
“Or Jack the Ripper's back.”
The investigators were trading jokes to vent their frustration when—
“It might actually be Jack the Ripper.”
“Pardon?”
The one who spoke was the elderly forensic chief who had been performing the autopsies.
“Have any of you heard about the Crime Pub annihilation case?”
“Crime Pub? You mean that 19th-century London gang, right? The one that suddenly vanished and became a big topic.”
“That's right. It's the first incident where Jack the Ripper appeared.”
The British government officially recognized only five murders of prostitutes as Jack the Ripper's work, but those in the know understood the truth. Jack the Ripper's killings had actually begun with the annihilation of the Crime Pub, not the prostitute murders.
“It's one of the famous unsolved cases recorded in Conan Doyle's case notebook.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing this up……”
“It's just that the emotions Conan recorded in that notebook feel exactly like what I'm feeling right now.”
No evidence. No traces at all.
A chillingly clean murder scene.
The only thing left behind was an old, abandoned pair of scissors…….
The current crime scene was eerily identical to the one described in Arthur Conan Doyle's notebook about the Crime Pub annihilation. Even the method of killing was the same. It felt as if Jack the Ripper had leaped across a century to appear once more.
“Chief, come on. Jack the Ripper was a 19th-century figure.”
“I know that. I was just saying it because the feeling is similar.”
The forensic chief let out a small chuckle. Thinking of a Victorian-era ghost at a 21st-century murder scene was ridiculous. He shook the shadowy image of the ghost from his mind.
“We're done here. Let's wrap it up.”
“Understood.”
In the end, the case of the Orthodox priests' deaths remained an eternal 'unsolved mystery' with no culprit ever found. The media only reported it as deaths due to drug overdoses. With public sentiment already poor due to the frequent Gates, they couldn't afford to spark a panic with an unsolved murder case.
…….
Vanessa turned away from the news report flowing from the TV. Choi Seojun was in the living room, staring at his laptop while twirling a fountain pen in his hand.
“Here you go.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Choi Seojun sipped the coffee Joan had prepared for him and continued his reasoning. However, the fountain pen only hovered without making any proper marks. He had heard it was an artifact theft case, but the lack of clues made it impossible to deduce anything.
“Should I go check it out for you?”
“Thank you for the offer, but it's fine.”
At Vanessa's words, Choi Seojun shook his head.
“The other side is a mercenary group. Of course, someone like you, Vanessa, wouldn't have any problems, but we should still be careful.”
Even as he declined, Choi Seojun added his words carefully so as not to hurt Vanessa's feelings.
“This world has surveillance tools like CCTV everywhere. Even a small scuffle can easily get caught. Not that you'd get caught, Vanessa, but just in case.”
“I understand.”
Vanessa smiled faintly at his considerate words.
The estimated time of death for the eight Russians was around 11 p.m. three days ago…….
She had decided to keep her dealings with the Orthodox Church a secret from Choi Seojun. If he found out, he would undoubtedly start worrying. Vanessa didn't want that to happen.
*
Among Gates, there were some that could only be entered after satisfying specific attributes. The Gonjiam Gate was one such place. It was a special Gate that only Hunters with the Light attribute could enter. I didn't possess the Light attribute, but with Joan by my side, entry was possible. The properties of artifacts and heroes included in the Connector of Transcendent Beings applied to me as well.
“Ghosts of dead patients wander inside. It's dangerous beyond the third floor, so it's best not to go up if possible.”
The bishop from the cathedral church managing the Gonjiam Gate gave me a warning.
“Especially, do not enter Room 406 under any circumstances.”
“What's in Room 406?”
“It's the ghost of a female high school student who died in a medical accident. She's a 'malevolent spirit.'”
The bishop repeatedly urged me not to enter Room 406.
'Guess I have to go in.'
Of course, to me it sounded like an invitation to enter. The higher the difficulty of clearing a Gate, the higher the chance of receiving 'slots' as a reward later. It was also confidence born from my trust in Joan.
“You must never use the elevator.”
“Understood.”
I should ride the elevator then.
Committing the bishop's advice to memory, I stepped into the Gonjiam Gate.
[Entering the Gonjiam Gate.]
A creepy hospital corridor unfolded before me.
—Kyaaahaha…….
Ghosts in white clothes were floating through the hallway. They were undead called 'Specters' that I had seen before in the Vatican. The only difference was that they wore patient gowns and had long black hair. The Specters in the Vatican had been brown-haired ghosts.
'I guess their appearance changes depending on the country.'
I summoned Joan and Vanessa.
“So this is the Gonjiam Gate.”
“Yes. We need to go up to the fourth floor.”
Joan quietly clasped her hands together.
Whoosh.
—Kyaaaaah!
As the stigmata glowed, the Specters flying through the corridor were collectively purified. There wasn't even any need to use the flag.
'…She really does seem to get stronger every time.'
I clicked my tongue at the hallway, which had been cleanly purified in an instant, and moved forward. At the end of the corridor stood the elevator the bishop had mentioned, its doors wide open.
“Let's get in.”
As soon as we entered the elevator, the doors closed as if they had been waiting and began to ascend.
Ding—
[4th Floor]
The elevator stopped precisely on the fourth floor.
'So that's why he said not to ride it.'
He had said it gets more dangerous the higher you go, yet it sent us straight to the fourth floor. That was why he had told us to use the stairs.
“Grrr……”
The moment the elevator doors opened, a zombie's rotting arm reached inside.
Slash—
Suddenly, the zombie's arm was sliced cleanly off and fell.
“Grrr……”
Beyond the open elevator doors, the corridor was packed with zombies.
“My lord, could you step back for a moment?”
“Of course.”
In Vanessa's hand was a pair of golden scissors. It was her snip that had just severed the zombie's arm.
Whoosh!
The demonic energy of the zombie horde was dispelled by the light of holy power. At the same time, Vanessa dashed forward.
What followed was like a scene from an action movie.
Whish—!
Vanessa ducked under the kitchen knife a zombie swung at her and slashed her scissors horizontally.
Slash— The zombie's head fell off.
The next zombie swung a baseball bat. Vanessa stepped on it, leaped into the air, and kicked the creature's head.
Thud—!
In an instant, a fire hydrant flew toward her. Vanessa spun like a top to dodge it. Golf clubs, medical carts, syringes—every kind of weapon came flying, but none posed a threat to Vanessa.
She ran along walls, blocked, dodged, swung, and stabbed…….
Her movements were almost divine.
Slash— Slash— Slash— Slash—
Countless scissor cuts continued. Every time the sound of scissors rang out, zombies collapsed without fail.
Thump.
After the last zombie fell, silence descended upon the corridor.
“It's done.”
“Mm, thank you for your hard work.”
I walked through the now-empty corridor and opened the door to Room 406. On the hospital bed, a frail-looking ghost was clutching a doll tightly, muttering in a terrified voice.
—I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die……
“Joan.”
“Yes.”
Flutter. Flutter.
Gonjiam Gate Cleared
Clear Rank: SSS
Only three Gates remained until I could receive the slot reward.
*
After clearing the Gate and coming out, I tilted my head at the doll in Joan's hand. It was the doll the ghost in Room 406 had been clutching before being purified.
“Why did you bring that out?”
“You're working so hard to earn money, Seojun. I can't just sit still. I thought it might be helpful, so I brought it out.”
It feels like I'm the one who's been sitting still…….
But then.
“Helpful?”
“Yes.”
In that instant.
Whoosh.
Joan's holy power flowed into the doll and then vanished.
“Please check it.”
“What's different……”
Taking the doll from Joan with a puzzled look, I suddenly trailed off. My eyes widened in surprise.
“…Huh?”
It was impossibly clean. Not a speck of filth. I wasn't talking about physical cleanliness. It meant the 'impure magical power' that had covered the doll was gone.
'Was something like this even possible?'
Among the items used by monstrosities, there were artifact-grade magic tools with tremendous power. But they were all considered worthless or cursed and were discarded or destroyed. Anything a monstrosity had used for a long time became 'contaminated.'
—Magical contamination.
Yet the doll Joan handed me showed no trace of contamination whatsoever. All I could sense was pure magical power without a single impurity.
Could this be… 'purified'?
Joan asked cautiously.
“Will it sell for money?”
“Of course. This is a jackpot.”
I took Joan's hands in mine and smiled.
“As expected, you're the best, Joan.”
A bright smile bloomed on Joan's previously anxious face.