TOP 29

Chapter 29

Priest Lee Pil-seong (3)

I was only able to subdue Lee Pil-seong two more days later.

“Hoo… hoo…”

There was a noticeable difference in our levels, so I didn’t have to go all out every moment, but it had been a battle spanning three full days.

No matter how strong my stamina was, honestly… I was exhausted.

That was the hardest part.

‘Should I just kill this bastard?’

The struggle wasn’t the killing itself—it would’ve been simple enough. Just a cut to the neck, and it would be over.

The real struggle was restraining myself from doing it.

Simply killing this priest would have been easy. But because I had insisted on interrogation, it turned into a long, grueling war with this crazy cockroach.

Still…

‘I did it.’

I had shattered Lee Pil-seong’s mental state and broken his will.

【No witnesses.】

‘Good.’

Listening to Frill’s voice, who had been scouting the surroundings while I fought him, I attempted the interrogation again.

“Name.”

“…Lee… Pil-seong.”

“Position?”

“Priest of the Gaia Church… Rank 4…”

Luckily, he answered willingly. His mental state wasn’t strong enough to resist me, but not completely broken to the point of being unable to speak—just the right balance.

‘Thinking about the three days it took to reach this state…’

There was a lot to ask to make the most out of this.

The first question I asked:

“Judgment. What kind of skill is that, and when is it used?”

It was about the skill Judgment.

“To identify unbelievers… Use it when you sense impure thoughts…”

“After dealing with the corpse golems, did you plan to use Judgment on all the people there?”

“Y-yes…”

“I see.”

From his continued answers, I was able to infer a lot.

Three days ago, what he did to civilians—

That was clearly an act that could cause controversy.

And yet, there had been no negative reports about the Gaia Church.

I wondered:

‘If they acted like that, there should have been rumors. Why hasn’t there been any?’

Why was the Gaia Church’s image so good? How could it maintain its position as the “best religion of the modern era” without controversy?

And now, I understood the reason clearly.

I couldn’t ask more specifics because Lee Pil-seong’s mind was half gone, but I could deduce enough.

They eliminated everyone with ‘impure’ thoughts using the Judgment skill.

Since only zealots remained, no negative rumors could spread about the church.

“Damn. Filthy bastards.”

The words slipped out naturally.

I had known the Gaia Church was shady, but the truth was far more disgusting than I imagined.

“Hah… yeah…”

And, paradoxically, I felt both disgusted and relieved at the same time.

…

I had once wondered:

Had the Gaia Church really done something wrong?

Perhaps the real wrongdoing wasn’t theirs—but my parents’?

Maybe the Gaia Church was only trying to fix it.

My revenge…

‘What if it’s not justice, but just personal grudge?’

That doubt had crossed my mind.

Of course, I had already reached a conclusion long ago.

‘No way.’

I was certain the Gaia Church had shady aspects, but it wasn’t some blind faith in my parents being innocent.

Even though two seven-star hunters died, not a single report came out. Not even news about disappearances.

My parents’ presence in society had just… vanished one day.

If they had been truly righteous, that shouldn’t have happened.

Moreover, the way my uncle acted in the final moment…

It was clearly the attitude of a villain craving power.

If the church had truly been just, they wouldn’t have allied with my ambitious uncle.

And Namgoong Myung was still living comfortably, in the guild my parents had built.

“Hoo… yeah.”

Once again, I reminded myself of my grudge.

My parents’ revenge.

And I added legitimacy to it.

A cult like this deserved to be destroyed.

Yes.

Perhaps my parents’ deaths were even connected to these kinds of people.

For discovering the Gaia Church’s secrets.

For refusing to bow to them.

That might have been why they died.

‘Alright, let’s leave that thought here for now.’

For now, I had to finish interrogating Lee Pil-seong.

He was starting to show signs of dying.

Even a priest can’t survive long with severed limbs.

“What is your purpose here?”

Encountering a priest from the church in such a rural area was rare.

Especially a single priest, not a group.

If there were many, perhaps a gate too powerful to handle would appear—but a single priest wouldn’t trigger that.

“To carry out the church’s secret mission…”

As expected, he had come with a purpose.

“Secret mission? What mission?”

“T-That is…”

When I asked further, his reaction was strange.

“Th-that… ugh….”

For some reason, he began to show signs of pain.

And it was unusual.

Until now, despite countless pains inflicted by me, he had never reacted this strongly.

“Ugh… k-kill me…!”

The pain was so intense that he seemed to beg for death.

Then, blood began to flow from his wrist, and his skin started cracking.

“Crazy… what the hell!?”

【It’s about to explode! Move away!】

I panicked briefly, but Frill’s shout quickly brought me back to my senses.

“Kuh.”

I hastily distanced myself from Lee Pil-seong.

Then—

Kuwaaaaahhh───!!!

The Gaia Church priest, Lee Pil-seong, exploded.

Luckily, I had moved away in time, avoiding any major damage, but I couldn’t hide my shock.

“…”

【…】

Frill and I stared blankly at the remains.

An explosion… just like that?

“What the…”

【There must have been a binding spell.】

It was probably the secret mission—if he revealed it, his body would explode.

Ridiculous.

“Such extreme measures for a secret mission?”

What were these Gaia Church people doing?

Whatever it was, it wasn’t normal.

“Hoo…”

I let out a long sigh.

I finally realized what kind of enemy I was dealing with.

The world’s strongest religious group.

The world’s strongest single armed force.

A group shrouded in secrecy, hiding something that couldn’t be revealed.

How should one take revenge against them?

The answer was clear.

‘Step by step, one at a time.’

No need to rush.

I was growing stronger and slowly uncovering the secrets of the Gaia Church.

Eventually, I would reach them.

Eventually, I would surpass them.

Eventually, I would take revenge.

‘I…’

Right now, I was doing well enough.

We arrived at the train station.

【Wow! Are we finally seeing a train? There are so many people!】

Frill exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement.

I ignored her excitement and bought tickets for Seoul.

Then I thought about the plan ahead.

‘First thing in Seoul—Blacksmith Guild…’

Upon arriving in Seoul, the first priority was turning money into power—equipment crafting.

‘After that, I’ll need to register as an official hunter with the Administration Bureau.’

While focusing on growth, I needed to settle in Seoul.

The details might change depending on the situation, but the overall plan wouldn’t.

I looked around as I sorted my thoughts.

【Yujin! Look! People are super tense!】

“Is it always like this?”

【Why? Isn’t it normally tense?】

“Well…”

I trailed off. I had never been to a train station before, so I didn’t really know.

But somehow, this didn’t feel normal.

“Even if it’s normally tense here, it shouldn’t feel this… hostile.”

Armed guards were stationed everywhere. They scanned people intensely.

【Hmm…】

Even if the guards were strict, their tension seemed extreme. Humans get used to things, and tension usually eases over repetition. Something seemed off.

【But it doesn’t matter, right? They’re not here for you, Yujin!】

“Probably.”

It was unlikely. No, impossible.

Unless my identity as ‘Do Yujin’ had been revealed, there was no reason for them to station troops at a rural train station just for me.

‘Even if they knew my identity… they wouldn’t come after me like this.’

They would use a more discreet method.

So I confidently headed to the platform. No need to act cautious—it would just draw attention.

【Wow! A train!?】

“Let’s see, the seats…”

【It moves? Amazing!】

“Frill, the skill you used before you got weaker is more amazing, in my opinion.”

【Ah! But that’s not amazing, though.】

We admired different things—she the technology, me the skill Frost Bomb she had used before.

“Frill, didn’t your world have something like this?”

【Nope!】

“What kind of place was it?”

【…I’ll tell you later.】

I had asked a few times about her past, but she never wanted to share.

‘I’m curious, but…’

Even strong persuasion wouldn’t get her to talk, so I let it go for now.

“Let’s board.”

【Yeah.】

As we were about to get on the train, someone caught my eye.

“Hmm?”

【Do you know them?】

“No. Not personally, just a famous person.”

A woman in a stylish black uniform, armed with guns and a sword, ponytailed. She boarded the train receiving salutes from others in uniform.

【Who’s that?】

“Joo Eun-seol of the Royal Guard.”

Known as a five-star hunter, she was part of the ‘Royal Guard’ guild.

All members were licensed armed bodyguard hunters; their main business was security.

‘No wonder the guards are strict… it’s the Royal Guard.’

And their presence meant there was likely an important VIP on the train.

‘Not my concern.’

Realizing this, I relaxed and took my seat.

The train soon departed.

【Whoa! It’s moving!】

‘Nice.’

While Frill made a fuss, I quietly looked out the window.

First-time train rides had a certain charm.

Through the square windows, the scenery passed by—peaceful areas, and partially ruined lands due to monsters.

Everything flickered past my eyes rapidly.

‘At the end of this line… Seoul.’

The city I grew up in, the capital of South Korea.

Home to most high-ranking hunters and the only city with an active gate defense system.

And…

‘…my enemies reside there.’

The journey toward revenge had begun.

‘It took ten years.’

There was still a long way to go.

But step by step, I would reach it.

I calmed my racing heart while staring out the window.

Bang!

Screech──

With a loud crash, the train stopped.

“This isn’t a station.”

“What’s happening?”

The passengers murmured.

And then—

“An a-attack… ugh!”

Someone ran into our car, pursued, and was killed.

The murderer raised a blood-stained sword.

“Everyone, don’t move! From now on, this train belongs to us, Mirinae!”

“Kyaaah!”

Screech!

“I told you not to move!”

The man ruthlessly slashed a woman who screamed.

“…!”

“Ugh!”

The train fell silent.

And Frill, unsurprisingly, was thrilled.

【Wow! Train hijacking is so cool!】

“Ugh.”

I sighed. Peaceful arrival in Seoul seemed impossible.