Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Hwikyung's Shadow
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Wisdom spoke.
"But according to that reasoning, it means Hwikyung hasn't abandoned his faith yet."
AR1026 responded to those words.
"What do you mean?"
"Nebula mentioned the leakage issue. If there's been any kind of leak, it must be because Hwikyung still holds faith in Nebula. That's the only way he could have maintained a connection to Nebula... Nebula, does Hwikyung also have a priest class?"
Seong-un nodded.
"He did."
"Then he's still alive somewhere. He's surviving out there, arbitrarily using the Pantheon's faith. We couldn't detect him because he's not in our territory, so we can't control it."
Seong-un said,
"That's the most likely scenario."
The afterworld was currently under quite systematic management.
If he existed, there was no way they wouldn't have found him.
Seong-un continued.
"I don't think all the leakage issues stem from Hwikyung. The amount leaking is too substantial for that. There are probably more cases like Hwikyung that we haven't noticed."
AR1026 asked,
"But Nebula, why would Hwikyung still be holding onto faith? He doesn't seem to like you much."
"Honestly, I can't say for sure about that part either. It's just an inference. But we can speculate on the possibilities."
"For example?"
Seong-un said,
"It's a 'distorted faith system.'"
"Hm."
AR1026 nodded.
The other players seemed somewhat convinced as well.
Distorted faith systems were common in Lost World.
The simplest example was from the past, when Heukrin was just a tiny peninsula. The Astacians on the southern archipelago had seen Seong-un's creation, the white spider Hillrobe, and begun worshiping it as a god.
Unlike apostles who were treated as demigods, creations like Hillrobe didn't gain faith directly when worshiped as gods. The faith flowed through Hillrobe to Seong-un.
In effect, the Astacians had been worshiping Seong-un, and it had been easy to convert them fully as a result.
Something similar had happened during the settlement of the Fourth Continent.
In Lost World, they were called distorted faith systems, and there were even builds that actively exploited them.
"Distorted faith systems usually end in consolidation, but it doesn't have to. If the player doesn't intend it, they might never realize until the end."
Wisdom said,
"Nebula, that's not purely your idea, is it? I think I've seen a related post somewhere."
"Right. It was a speculative post about why leaks happen."
Krampus asked,
"Explain the mechanism more precisely. I get the cause of the leak, but couldn't that generate even more faith?"
Wisdom's head spun around.
"Exactly. It's possible. According to that post, if a player fails to monitor entities with priest or cleric classes, those entities could become targets of faith in other regions. In that case, the cleric class would naturally level up. The problem is that as the cleric level rises, the amount of faith they consume exceeds what they produce. Higher cleric levels allow them to use more power according to the rules the player set."
"Is the reverse impossible?"
Seong-un answered instead.
"Not impossible, but it would mean a conspicuously large number of believers. In that case, they'd get killed by the god ruling that territory. Honestly, at this point..."
Runda smacked Seong-un on the back.
"No. Don't say it."
"...What was I about to say?"
"You were going to say you'd hope they died, right?"
"Exactly."
Runda's face crumpled. The words she'd tried to stop had come out of his mouth anyway.
Seong-un said,
"But I think Hwikyung is clever enough not to let that happen. He's a vampire who's survived over 200 years by rough estimate. He knows where the gods are watching and how to avoid it."
Wisdom said,
"Then we need to find Hwikyung first. And whatever community he's built... probably a vampire group. Find them and kill them or..."
Runda shot him a look, and Wisdom stopped his head's rotation before continuing.
"Bring them back under our control. But figuring out how to find them is the tricky part. If we haven't found them yet, it won't get easier."
Seong-un cut in.
"Not necessarily. For starters, we have Hwikyung's vampire descendant right here, and we know the horned bloodline passed down from the automaton. Lamin can guide us geographically, and once we're close, the 'horns'—that is, the demonic spirit transferred to his descendant—will sense it."
"The demonic spirit will sense it?"
"I asked Pajijik. Apparently, spirits embedded in bodies like that can recognize their previous hosts."
Im Chunsik, who had been listening quietly until now, spoke up.
"Hey, aren't you guys missing the most important point?"
"What?"
"If Hwikyung is on the Second Continent, those two have to enter Hegemonia's territory directly. Forget finding him—can they even survive?"
"Good point."
Seong-un replied and held up three fingers.
"Three?"
"I'm thinking of sending the third apostle."
The Pantheon currently had nine apostles.
Each one was a massive force.
Eldar said,
"But isn't the Third Seat handling the eastern front?"
"I asked Aldin. He said it'll be fine for a while."
Im Chunsik said,
"Is it worth that much?"
"If we can reach the central district, it's not just about fixing the leak."
Now everyone was on board.
Seong-un looked down at Baseniol.
The third apostle was on the move.
─┼
Lamin Solrost Muel said,
"So, when are you sending me home? Isn't the interrogation or whatever over?"
"Well, that's beyond my authority... You'll have to stay here tonight."
Lamin retorted at Gorgota Palu's words.
"Pardon?"
"There's an on-duty room, so it won't be too uncomfortable."
"That's not what I'm worried about."
"Since it came up, let me show you. Any dinner..."
"Can you provide food?"
"...I misspoke. Let's get up anyway."
As Gorgota stood, Lamin sighed and rose as well.
That was when it happened.
-Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the intelligence agency building.
The shock shattered the windows, and both Gorgota and Lamin ducked simultaneously.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, somewhat. But what the hell..."
Before Lamin could finish, gunfire, shouts, and combat sounds erupted outside the window.
Amid it, some words were audible.
"It's an attack!"
Gorgota peeked out the window briefly, then drew his revolver from its holster, spun the cylinder to check the rounds.
"The guard post is gone. About a hundred fang freaks rushed in after that."
"What? Is the intelligence agency that sloppy?"
"Looks like they packed a car with explosives and blew it up before the checkpoint started."
"Suicide?"
"Yes. There's no specific counter for that kind of tactic. If they hit you, you're done. ...That's the enemy we're dealing with."
Lamin said,
"But why attack the intelligence agency?"
Gorgota gave him a look like it was obvious.
"Why wouldn't they attack an intelligence agency? We're at war. No reason would be strange."
"...Hm."
"Of course, I get what they're after. We moved all the zombie plague stocks the fang freaks hoarded to the basement here. They realized they lost it and want to take it back to proceed with their big plan today."
Lamin glanced out the window and said,
"Isn't this dangerous?"
"They'll handle it. This is Baseniol. The moment those bastards pulled this off, they're as good as dead."
Gorgota crouched and quick-stepped to the hallway, looking upward. He heard footsteps. Then gunfire.
"Something's coming down from the roof too."
"Huh?"
"Spiral wings, probably."
Gorgota glanced down both ends of the hall and said,
"My job is to hold you, Lamin, but I'll exercise some discretion and get us out of here. Hope the agency holds, but most people in the building right now are undercover agents posing as agency staff..."
"Undercover agents?"
"The intelligence agency is more complex than it looks. Half of them don't even know they're undercover."
"And the other half?"
"They think they're not."
Lamin figured it was intelligence agency humor.
The two passed the hallway and central stairs.
"Let's take the external iron stairs on the railing. Opposite the attack direction, and the ones from the roof will prioritize clearing inside first..."
But Gorgota heard sounds of someone leaping down the iron stairs.
Gorgota pressed against the wall and said,
"Stay behind me. I'll handle it. When the door opens, duck and..."
But before Gorgota finished, Lamin opened the door first.
The fang agent in a goblin mask and black clothes, holding a gun, froze at the unexpected sight of Lamin.
As Lamin drew the sword from the agent's belt, he drove a kick into his solar plexus.
-Thud!
The agent gasped futilely and collapsed without screaming.
The next agent reflexively raised his gun, but Lamin's sword was faster.
The hand gripping the gun flew into the air.
The third agent raised his gun and aimed at Lamin.
Lamin dove into the arms of the armless agent for cover, and Gorgota stepped up for his role.
Two quick shots buried into the heads of the third and the last fourth agent. The final bullet went into the severed-arm agent's skull.
Lamin shoved the limp corpse to the floor.
Lamin said,
"I've got another idea."
"Let's hear it."
"The roof's probably clear now. We go up, take their spiral wings, and escape. What do you think?"
The Froglin Gorgota said,
"To do that, both of us need to know how to pilot spiral wings."
"You don't?"
"No."
"Then let's go up."
The two navigated the gun-filled building interior and climbed the external stairs to the roof.
As expected, several spiral wings were parked there.
As they moved to board one, Lamin pointed to the sky.
"What's that?"
Something was descending toward the roof from above.
"Looks like a bird."
"No, that's... that person is..."
Before Gorgota could finish, the winged figure landed lightly on the roof.
It was Garuda.
Garuda walked naturally toward the two.
Gorgota saluted.
"Intelligence Agency Agent No. 15, Gorgota Palu, greets Apostle Third Seat Mazdari."