Lee Jae-soon muttered with eyes gleaming with venom and madness.
He stared blankly at what was once a pair of shoes, now discarded in his mind.
Rags that had once been his treasures.
Just moments ago, they were his prized possessions, but now they had turned into trash.
Forgetting even the pain radiating from his broken teeth and aching body, he continued to stare at the remnants of the shoes. Then, as if making a resolution, he clenched his teeth and slowly stood up.
Could it be that he had been hit too much?
Even just standing felt like an impossible task.
Had his legs gone numb? They refused to obey, causing him to stumble and fall a couple of times. Even trying to use the only somewhat functioning leg as a support to rise, his body swayed, and he crashed back onto the floor. Leaning against the wall, he managed to move his arms and legs into a position that allowed him to lift himself up.
“Ugh.”
He slowly maneuvered against the wall until he reached the container’s door.
Click.
He leaned his weight on the doorknob as if it were a support and turned it to open the door.
Stepping outside, Lee Jae-soon staggered like a drunken patron, moving unsteadily.
Dragging his lagging foot and feeling as if he would topple over, he leaned against lampposts, trees, or walls to rest along the way.
“Wait, you bastards…”
He staggered into the darkness.
His clothes were torn and dusty from the violence, and his body was bruised and weak…
But his eyes.
They shone madly.
“Ah, what a great stress relief.”
The two warriors who dealt with Lee Jae-soon returned and were washing up with refreshed faces, relaxing at the lodging. They each held a can of beer that had been chilling in the refrigerator, looking like office workers unwinding with a light snack and a beer after a long day.
Ssshh.
“Kanpai!”
“Kanpai!”
They both sat on the sofa and popped their beer cans at the same time for a toast.
Then they downed their beers in one go.
However, the exuberance on their faces began to fade as they drank. From anticipation to disappointment.
They emptied their cans and furrowed their brows slightly.
“Tch. This isn’t very tasty.”
“It tastes somewhat like Japanese beer, but it’s just a hit-or-miss imitation.”
“Right. It feels like a lower-tier version.”
“If that’s the case, they should have just stocked Japanese beer…”
Crash.
Disappointed, they crushed their beer cans in their hands. Flicking their fingers, they sent the cans flying into the trash and sunk back into the sofa, burying themselves in it.
Time passed idly as they became one with the sofa.
Clatter.
When those who had gone scouting returned.
“Is it already over?”
They bustled into the lodging and spoke to the two buried in the sofa.
Curiosity and envy painted their faces, and the two on the sofa chuckled at their envious gazes.
“Seriously, what’s so hard about dealing with a weakling?”
“He was begging for mercy the moment I landed a hit on him.”
They recounted their exploits as if they were grand tales.
“Yeah, he probably handled it on his own. We’re not too interested.”
“But it would be nice if you could share any info you dug up.”
Yet, the others showed little interest in their tales of bravado. In fact, some looked displeased that the two had beaten up a weakling.
Seeing their reactions, the duo let out a huff, as if the air had been let out of them, and slowly started to sit up to face them.
“Fine, info, huh… we got some good stuff.”
They began sharing the intelligence they had obtained regarding Lee Jae-soon.
How he had tracked down his target.
That the clues for the divine object led to other broadcasters.
“Hmmm.”
Others pondered for a moment before speaking up.
“Shouldn’t be too hard.”
They were just broadcasters, not capable people, soldiers, or high-ranking officials.
And certainly, they weren’t in any significant positions, more like lower-tier broadcasters.
Finding information from such people wouldn’t be difficult.
“For now, let’s rest and start digging tomorrow.”
The dispatched team began their operation based on the information brought by the two. They attached themselves to the broadcasters mentioned by Lee Jae-soon, closely observing their every move and unearthing information from their computers and memos.
“Mmm. They don’t even know where their own discovered divine objects are. What a bunch of clueless idiots.”
“Well, being clueless comes with the territory, I guess. A matter of inherent limitations?”
Perhaps believing the matter concerning the divine object to be vital?
The involved parties had no idea where their divine object had gone, whose hands it had fallen into, or where it was being stored. All they knew was that a group of suited individuals had stormed in, taken the divine object, and made them sign a secrecy oath.
It was just a plain old oath written on regular paper without any special powers… but perhaps fearing the repercussions for breaking it, they didn’t speak carelessly. Moreover, avoiding alcohol for fear of spilling secrets, they only disclosed bits and pieces whenever they met fellow colleagues who had signed the secrecy oath.
Was that the reason?
What should’ve been a quick process dragged on longer than anticipated.
Particularly since, instead of using violence like last time, they had merely followed them stealthily like stalkers to gather intelligence.
But investing time allowed them to amass enough information to identify likely locations for the divine object.
“Hmm. Cultural Heritage Administration, Korean Bank Vault, Park Jinseong the Shaman’s dwelling, Goyang Supernatural Research Institute, Seoul Scientific Investigation Institute…”
“There are quite a lot of options.”
Of course, the number of locations was substantial.
It was only natural there were so many, as all of them were speculations made by staff members regarding where the divine object might be.
It had to be at the Cultural Heritage Administration since it involved culture.
It should be stored securely in the Korean Bank’s vault due to its importance.
In Goyang City, there was a Supernatural Research Institute where research could be ongoing.
It likely went to the National Research Institute of Scientific Investigation for dating analysis, and there was a high chance it was being studied at the Seoul Scientific Investigation Institute, which was the closest to that.
And naturally, the shaman, Park Jinseong, who discovered the divine object would be involved in investigations.
The broadcasters kept spewing theories one after the other.
Really endlessly.
Why it seemed like hunting for the divine object was some sort of entertainment for them, they rambled on about its whereabouts as if chewing on gossip. Some even suggested it was being studied to summon aliens, possibly sent to the Defense Ministry for research as a strategic weapon, or that preparations were being made to sell it to America—ridiculous speculations.
They filtered through these absurd stories endlessly.
“They hinted at the Japanese government, right? They’re likely considering a handover depending on the cost, so they wouldn’t want it damaged. In that case, research should be ruled out.”
“Trying to sell it to another country also doesn’t fit. It wouldn’t make sense to make contact with other nations after already having contacted the Japanese government. Even if there were such movements, it’d just be a bluff to inflate the value of the divine object to squeeze money from the Japanese government.”
Thus sorted, three results remained.
Cultural Heritage Administration.
Park Jinseong the Shaman.
Korean Bank Vault.
The reason only these three remained was straightforward.
These options wouldn’t diminish the value of the divine object.
The Cultural Heritage Administration has the expertise in managing cultural properties.
Thus, they could securely store the divine object without fear of damage or deterioration, and they could mobilize experts from archaeology, folklore, and cultural studies to assess its value.
Park Jinseong the Shaman would likely be similar.
Even though he hails from a magic desert, he’d at least possess minimal abilities, which would allow him to safely keep the divine object. And possibly, if lucky enough, he might even discover its functions, boosting its value.
Korean Bank Vault?
While not able to inflate its value, it’s the place with the least concern for theft.
Tight security maintained at the Korean Bank Vault, hard to breach even with an army, made it the safest known storage facility.
“Hmmm. Three options…”
“Not bad.”
“Let’s split up our people.”
They looked over the three options and divided their members.
They assigned a large number to the Cultural Heritage Administration, a smaller number to the Korean Bank Vault, and to Park Jinseong the Shaman.
“Even if they’re Jin-seong, we need to be cautious.”
Three warriors skilled in infiltration.
“Let’s head there tonight.”
“He’s just an amateur shaman from a magic desert. He won’t even notice us.”
The three assigned to Park Jinseong wore confident smiles.
