Chapter 30

At the same moment Seokhwan and Minha were frozen in shock, Taewoon and Harim were also hardening their expressions, realizing the severity of the situation as they finished their first investigation.

‘I heard about it from Hongyeon beforehand, but I never imagined it would be to this extent…’

The actions of the Gwangseong Church had clearly crossed the line. Even if things seemed fine for now, as time passed, it would eat away at and sicken South Korea.

With only a slight difference in nuance, it would not be strange to judge this as an act that threatened national security.

“What on earth are they trying to achieve? No matter how great the Gwangseong Church’s power is, they’ll be condemned by the international community if this comes to light…”

“Who knows. They might have a way to cover it up, or there might be something they want so badly that they’re willing to risk it.”

To be honest, Taewoon was also quite shocked. The reality of the Gwangseong Church he had witnessed firsthand was worlds apart from the old-fashioned cult group he had imagined.

They were systematic, clever, and in a way, they even gave off the impression of operating a business.

At this rate, it seemed certain that they would expand their influence across this land at an incredibly rapid pace.

“Above all, the visible results are huge. The Gwangseong Church has a heavyweight Hunter like Kyurihi, and she’s actually capable of bestowing various graces upon the followers…”

The Gwangseong Church’s power hadn’t grown this bloated from nothing.

They possessed conditions nearly optimal for bewitching people, and as such, once they established a foothold, it became several times harder to root them out.

Taewoon felt as though he had indirectly confirmed just how much influence a single high-ranking Awakener could exert on modern society.

“…Still, it’s a relief that we found Changsu’s location so quickly.”

“Looking at his state, it seems we need to get him out as soon as possible.”

“That’s definitely true…”

Taewoon and Harim, who had decided to scout two points a day, were able to find Changsu, who was deeply immersed in the religion, at the second chapel they visited.

He had even taken on the bizarre position of Propagation Leader, dedicating himself to the Gwangseong Church in every possible way, and he no longer seemed to maintain a normal train of thought.

After finishing the conversation, Taewoon hurriedly called the other two, and it wasn’t until around two in the morning that the four of them gathered to share the information they had gathered throughout the day.

“Is it true that you found Changsu?”

“Yes. He wasn’t in the best shape, but we found him regardless. We should take action as early as tomorrow.”

“What a mess. To think things have come this far and it’s not even a topic of conversation…”

Everyone agreed with that sentiment, so they couldn’t help but nod.

However, thinking about it differently, it might not be that strange.

Though the degree and scale differed, problems arising from similar incidents were quite frequent.

“Anyway, let me summarize the main points. The mental confusion occurring inside the chapel affects even Level 2-rank Hunters. A day or two might be fine, but the result is obvious if one is exposed to it long-term.”

“Was Seokhwan-ssi okay? If there were even slight symptoms, we need to be cautious.”

“I had no problems. Well, there isn’t just one or two chapels, so it’s probably impossible for them to exert that level of influence at every branch.”

Taewoon’s thoughts were the same, so there didn’t seem to be anything particularly worth pointing out.

“I’ll handle the operation with Seokhwan-ssi. You two please keep an eye on the situation from the outside just in case.”

“Right. No objections. A fight probably won’t break out, but… you’ll just be in the way if you come along.”

Seokhwan nodded, and Minha, after glancing around for a moment, cautiously spoke up with a question.

“Uh… shouldn’t we just tear the whole place down? I feel bad for the other people…”

“Are you an idiot? No matter how dark their insides are, these guys act like a normal religion on the outside; they obviously bought the buildings with money to build them. You can’t solve anything that way.”

“I-I guess so.”

While he understood her heart, Seokhwan was right.

Regardless of how things unfolded, the subsequent measures were far beyond the roles of these four.

“Then, let’s get some rest for now.”

Thus, the next day, Taewoon and Seokhwan, having completed all preparations, headed to a chapel in Bucheon where they had spotted Changsu.

However, unlike yesterday, there was someone blocking the two of them at the entrance.

A massive man exuding an exotic aura delivered a refusal in somewhat awkward Korean.

“Entry is prohibited for the two of you. Please leave.”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden? This is my first time here.”

“Please leave. The priest has spoken so.”

It wasn’t certain, but there was a possibility that Changsu, having recognized Harim’s face, had relayed it directly to the priest.

Eventually, Seokhwan let out a smirk and, with a smile of disbelief, began walking toward the giant.

“Is that so? Then by all means, try and stop me.”

“…Khhk!”

He hadn’t specifically used the power of a Trait or attempted an attack, but simply by pressing his head against the man’s chest and pushing, the giant struggled and couldn’t maintain his balance.

Soon, Seokhwan, showing a cold gaze, released the power he had briefly infused and gave the giant one last warning.

“Move. Before I ram into you and blow you away.”

“Khhk! Th-the priest forbade entry…”

“Geez, you really can’t take a hint.”

As he lifted his left shoulder and violently infused it with power, the giant, pushed against the wall, tumbled to the ground with a loud crash.

The sound of murmuring rose from the surroundings, and ignoring the giant who was letting out painful groans, Taewoon and Seokhwan stepped inside the chapel.

“…Is this okay?”

“I don’t know. The Guild Master said it’s fine, so it must be fine. As long as we don’t cause damage to the surroundings, right?”

Since it wasn’t a designated service time, there weren’t many followers inside, but they had already confirmed that Changsu was staying in the chapel.

Sure enough, a scrawny man soon appeared from the left aisle, accompanied by a complex-looking Changsu, and faced the two of them.

“How utterly discourteous… For those who should be models of society more than anyone else to commit such violence in a holy sanctuary!”

“Holy my ass. You kidnapped someone else’s family member and used them as a laborer, and you have the nerve to raise your voice? Is this how a religious man is supposed to act?”

“I will not listen to such erroneous words. If you wish, you may converse as much as you like. Though the result will be the same regardless.”

The priest waved his hand dismissively and shifted his gaze to Changsu. Changsu, who had been glancing around tentatively, took a step forward and met Seokhwan’s eyes.

“S-Senior, it’s troubling if you suddenly act like this… It’s almost time to prepare for the service…”

“Wow, this is driving me crazy. Hey, you brat. What service? You f***ing idiot, don’t you know you still have two years left on your contract with us?”

“There’s nothing problematic according to the regulations… I will ensure there are no setbacks during the raid period. I’ve been working diligently until now.”

The conversation didn’t mesh. From a quick look, it seemed Changsu was already unable to perceive the normal flow of time.

“Sigh, forget it. We’ll have to talk once we get back. Forget everything else; if you want to keep working here, talk to the Guild Master first. That much shouldn’t be strange, right?”

“Eh? Senior, how could you? Do you know how much work I have here? Even if I wanted to, I can’t do that right now…”

“Argh! F! If this isn’t brainwashing, then what is? Hey, you cult pimp piece of s! Not only did you steal the kid, but you turned him into a half-wit!”

Seokhwan glared at the priest in anger, and the priest, as if to show him, let out a satisfied air with a benevolent smile.

At the same time, watching Changsu’s reaction, Taewoon could clearly realize the series of events taking place in this chapel.

‘They slowly penetrate the heart, and eventually, they completely change the way of thinking.’

At first, one would only feel an unknown attraction, but like clothes getting soaked in a drizzle, their thoughts would change, and every priority in their life would become linked to the Gwangseong Church.

It was a truly subtle and malicious act of proselytizing.

“The brother has already decided to share his will with our Gwangseong Church. Please leave without making a scene.”

“Fine, you’ve walked right into it. Honestly, I didn’t want to solve this peacefully either. Stop talking and come here, you quack piece of s***. Let’s settle this today.”

The moment they realized the situation had reached an irreversible point, Taewoon and Seokhwan decided to take Changsu by force and signaled the surrounding followers to step back.

However.

Due to an invisible force suddenly pressing down on their bodies, Seokhwan, who was approaching the priest, and Taewoon, who was observing the situation, froze in their tracks.

Simultaneously, the priest, wearing a fishy smile, began to offer a prayer with a pious gesture that contrasted with his expression.

“Oh, Kyurihi, in your name, I shall bring divine punishment upon the insects who dare defile this holy hall.”

“…Good grief, this is insane.”

Though he acted composed, thick veins were already protruding all over Seokhwan’s body.

It meant that the power the priest before him was exerting was not to be underestimated.

“Followers, look here! This is the grace of the great Kyurihi! The cradle of the Savior and the evidence of faith!”

“Waaaaah!”

“It’s Kyurihi, the light of Kyurihi!”

Despite committing an obvious illegal act, the people felt nothing wrong with the priest’s actions and continued to cheer and praise.

At that sight, which was beyond bizarre and bordering on terrifying, Seokhwan distorted his expression and launched several chains from the air, aiming for the priest’s legs.

“It is useless. The hands and feet of unbelievers shall be crushed by the Holy Light of the great Kyurihi and crawl upon the ground…”

“F***! Why is a low-life priest this strong? I thought Level 3 meant they wouldn’t lose to a general priest!”

He had heard that the priests of Kyurihi could handle various extraordinary abilities depending on the degree of grace they received, but he had heard that for general priests, the Classification Rank Level 3 was the limit.

There might have been an error in the information, or the priest before him might have been granted an exceptionally large amount of grace.

However, to the current Taewoon, none of those things mattered.

‘…’

At first, he was simply dumbfounded. But those emotions soon piled up and began to turn into a massive rage.

‘Who do you think you are to do such a thing?’

Taewoon couldn’t understand. No matter how you looked at it, they were just a following of a single Awakener.

But on the other hand, he felt that a truth he had been ignoring all this time had simply crashed before his eyes.

‘…Right, the world was always like this.’

Whether it was a Hunter powerhouse or a weak nation, if one just blurred their vision a bit, it wasn’t something to live worrying about.

Taewoon had been that way, and many of the people around him were too.

But in the end, because people who cross the line like this keep appearing, those titles continue to be maintained and used.

The moment he recalled that fact, he felt the miscellaneous worries floating in his head vanish all at once.

As Taewoon slowly lifted his head, a burning red Mask was now emitting a menacing glint from his face.