Chapter 22

Ari.

The daughter of a ruined company boss, a woman who had no choice but to sell her body to feed her family.

And perhaps, the woman who could have become Wilhelm’s mistress.

She approached Wilhelm, her hand subtly moving toward his thigh.

Wilhelm, entranced by Ari’s beauty, didn’t notice the dagger she pulled from her thigh.

*Stab.*

The price was his life.

Wilhelm looked at Ari with shocked eyes.

The shy demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold gaze that met the void.

Ari.

Such a woman never existed.

Not in the past, and not now.

Inside that deceptive shell was a robust man named Amon.

Amon, who once won a cross-dressing contest with cheap cosmetics and even got scouted by an entertainment agency.

He was given active support from the Holy Knights and high-end cosmetics.

As a result, a perfect woman was born, one that even a playboy who had embraced countless women couldn’t detect.

‘Damn it…’

Though he didn’t particularly like it.

Amon moved behind Wilhelm, still holding the knife.

The right carotid artery burst, and blood gushed onto the desk.

The knife had torn through the artery and into the windpipe, so not even a scream escaped.

But just in case, Amon made sure to cover Wilhelm’s mouth.

Wilhelm slumped without even resisting, so deeply had he been stabbed.

Seeing this, Amon slashed the sword from the right side of the neck to the left.

As the dagger spun in a fan shape, he felt the contents inside shatter.

The reason he went this far was because this world was cyberpunk.

‘There was a device that could revive you even if your heart stopped.’

Even in Part 3, there were insane implants that could somehow save you from a gunshot wound below the eye.

Fifty years later, it wouldn’t be strange if there were implants that could revive a severed carotid artery.

‘One moment of carelessness is enough.’

After learning that the salesperson who visited the orphanage was actually the chairman’s son, and that he had X-ray eyes.

Amon felt his blood run cold.

His perfect plan had been easily breached.

‘It was that moment of carelessness that put us in danger.’

Of course, what could a 15-year-old boy do against a mega-corporation? But it was also true that Amon had been careless at that time.

If he didn’t learn from that experience, it could lead to an even greater tragedy.

So, Amon obsessively confirmed Wilhelm’s death.

He periodically checked his pulse and monitored his vital signs.

After about five minutes of checking, Amon was certain that Wilhelm was completely dead.

It was his first murder.

He had been prepared to kill the crazy gorilla but failed.

He threw the sword without hesitation at the ninja, knowing they wouldn’t die.

But this time was different.

Wilhelm’s death was entirely his will, and he had truly succeeded.

The sensation of taking a life for the first time.

Amon shuddered slightly.

He closed his eyes briefly and offered a short prayer of repentance.

‘Lord, today I have taken a life.’

In that short prayer, he recalled his conversation with the goddess.

– [If I must kill my brothers down below, what should I do?]

Regardless of how much Amon loved this world, he knew well that in a cyberpunk world, murder was unavoidable.

Thus, he had no choice but to ask her.

Was murder always against her doctrine?

To that question, she answered:

– [No matter how evil a child is, for a parent to condone their murder… it breaks my heart.]

Even as she said this, the goddess’s stance was firm.

It was possible.

She was a merciful mother, but also the ruler of rulers.

She understood human evil better than anyone.

She did not unconditionally forbid murder.

However, she made one thing clear.

– [The innocent must never be sacrificed.]

With that answer, Amon’s recollection ended.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the life he had taken.

Did the being before him deserve to die?

Amon couldn’t answer that question.

He wasn’t a great enough being to make that determination.

But one thing was clear.

This act was for his survival,

And his sword would only be swung when there was no other choice.

After less than a minute of reflection, Amon began to search Wilhelm’s body.

He found the keycard he was targeting on Wilhelm’s body.

Just in case, he cut off Wilhelm’s index finger and took out his phone.

‘Let’s see… how is the structure laid out?’

The map app displayed the building’s layout, which he had received from the priest.

After examining the 3D cross-section of the building, Amon pinpointed his location and the target point.

‘Let’s end this cursed connection, Chairman.’

***

The day Amon first got blood on his hands.

The top floor of the Hixen Group headquarters was as peaceful as ever.

The king, unaware of what was happening in his kingdom, was chatting with his loyal subject.

“How is the girl’s condition?”

The chairman asked the cyborg before him.

The cyborg, with its unsettling silicone face, replied eagerly.

“She’s fine. The awakening time is approaching. Once we secure that girl, the saintess will awaken.”

“You’ve done well, Dr. Victor.”

The chairman’s praise made the doctor rub his chin awkwardly.

The human brain was truly fascinating; even after transferring to a mechanical body, habits remained.

Though the doctor, as a scientist, didn’t believe in unscientific superstitions, if there were a god, they must have meticulously coded the human mind.

The chairman leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression.

“Good. Finally, we can market mystic power. But doctor, is this amount of money enough?”

“Yes. I am satisfied with advancing humanity.”

Humans are great.

Humans must break free from the grasp of the gods.

When divine power, a misguided superstition, is brought into the realm of understanding as mystic power, humans will evolve into better beings.

As always, the doctor passionately expounded his beliefs to the chairman.

His speech carried a tone of trying to educate the chairman.

But the chairman didn’t mind at all.

This scientist was one of the few business partners the chairman viewed as an equal, not a tool.

The doctor knew this well and didn’t bother to change his attitude.

Extending his mechanical arm toward the chairman, the doctor said:

“Human progress. I am satisfied just to have achieved this with my own hands.”

“I’ve known you for decades, but I still can’t understand your beliefs.”

“But don’t we both believe in the infinite potential of humanity and strive for it? You want to sell anything, and I want to bring anything into the realm of understanding.

If our directions benefit each other, do we really need to understand each other?”

That answer was enough to make the chairman’s wrinkled face smile.

This ideology was precisely why the chairman liked the doctor.

The chairman didn’t understand the doctor, and the doctor didn’t understand the chairman.

But both knew the other was a madman.

That’s why they could trust each other completely.

“Indeed, you and I are a good match.”

Decades ago.

The chairman had stumbled upon the doctor in a garbage dump.

The doctor was dying from rejection after transferring his body.

At the time, the chairman was just an ordinary supermarket employee, but out of curiosity, he saved the doctor.

That became the bond that led them to create and grow this company together.

During that time, the doctor created every product the chairman requested and never showed any signs of betrayal.

He didn’t even demand a high salary.

The doctor only wanted more reinvestment, more research facilities, and more researchers.

As a corporate chairman, there was no one more admirable than the doctor.

Thus, he had no hesitation in showing favor to the doctor.

“I know you don’t ask for much. But you are a valuable asset to our company, so don’t refuse the favors I offer.”

With those words, the chairman provided the doctor with a house and reliable guards.

The doctor, though not greedy, recognized the necessity of the guards.

Thus, he didn’t refuse the favor.

“If possible, please choose those who are tight-lipped.”

“Of course. They’re the type to pull out their own tongues if they talk.”

Having been business partners for half their lives, the two got along perfectly.

They clinked glasses, celebrating that they were just one step away from their dream.

***

The cheerful atmosphere was shattered by the blaring sirens throughout the building.

An urgent call came in for the chairman.

[There’s an intruder in the lab!]

At those words, the chairman jumped up from his seat.

The doctor, who had been chatting amiably with him, also stood up in a hurry.

They exchanged glances and rushed to the lab.

This was the plan they had poured their lives into.

The chairman had every reason to react this way.

The chairman and doctor arrived at the lab door with their personal bodyguards.

The intruder seemed to have locked it from the inside, as the thick steel door wouldn’t open.

The chairman signaled the security chief.

The chief, whose body was hard to distinguish as human, gathered magic power in his right arm.

“Step back.”

The chairman and doctor stepped back.

The chief’s punch swung, and the door shattered.

The chief entered through the broken door, followed by the other guards.

The chairman and doctor tried to follow, but a guard stopped them.

“Security Chief is currently fighting the intruder. Please wait until it’s safe.”

Though they wanted to push past the guard and enter immediately, the chairman and doctor held back.

No matter how urgent, they couldn’t risk being hit by a stray bullet.

The wait wasn’t long.

One minute.

That’s how long it took for the security chief, with his neural acceleration device activated, to subdue the intruder.

Only after safety was assured did the chairman enter.

They immediately checked the state of the lab.

Fortunately, the damage to the lab wasn’t severe.

A few computers were destroyed, but the room containing the most important experiment was intact.

The saintess’s shell was unharmed.

“Phew…”

Only then did the chairman let out a sigh of relief.

After confirming the saintess’s safety, the chairman turned his attention to the intruder.

According to the chief, there was something unusual about the intruder, so he hadn’t killed him.

The chief presented the intruder with a grin, calling him a gift.

The chairman’s eyes widened when he saw the face.

It was a face he had seen in reports.

Though his hair was soaked with sweat and lipstick stains remained on his lips, it was unmistakable.

The man they thought was a decoy to distract them, Amon.

The Hixen Group had concluded that between the two, Sonia was the mystic power holder, thinking there couldn’t be two in one region.

But seeing him here, that assumption was wrong.

Divine power was emanating from Amon after the battle.

“Hoho…”

So, the woman named Sonia was the decoy.

They had been thoroughly fooled.

But luck seemed to be on the chairman’s side, as the actual person had come here.

Thanks to him entering this lab, they even saved some effort.

‘Youthful vigor is terrifying.’

He didn’t know why he had come this far, but it was likely due to youthful impulsiveness.

With the goal so close, he had gotten carried away despite his age.

Then, the chairman noticed something strange.

‘How did he get in?’

Vigor and ability are separate.

His presence here meant there was a security vulnerability.

To avoid repeating past mistakes, the chairman needed to identify that vulnerability.

“How did you get in?”

In response, Amon gave a meaningful smile.

Instead of answering, he held up a finger and a bloodied keycard.

The chairman’s eyes widened.

His first reaction was rage.

Followed by tears.

The chairman’s face turned red as he roared.

“Bill!!! What have you done to Bill?!!!!”

Amon didn’t speak this time either.

He simply made a gesture of slitting his throat.

The remnants of makeup and lipstick on Amon’s seemingly innocent face created a chilling dissonance.

With lipstick smeared on his lips, he smiled and mimed slitting his throat, looking every bit the psychopathic killer.

The guards hesitated.

But a parent who had lost their child knew no fear.

*Slap!*

Amon’s head snapped to the side.

A handprint appeared on his cheek.

The chairman weakly slapped Amon’s other cheek.

But Amon’s smile didn’t fade.

If anything, the chairman’s rage only grew.

“You… I’ll regret not being able to tear you apart and kill you for eternity…!”

In his fury, on the verge of losing reason, the chairman lamented.

In his mind, there were countless ways to inflict pain on a human, and he had the means to execute them.

He could extract Amon’s soul and torture it endlessly,

He could put the orphanage children in a gas chamber in front of Amon,

He could even choose to rape the woman named Sonia.

But he couldn’t.

Amon had to be the sacrifice for the saintess.

He couldn’t risk Amon dying from torture or mental anguish.

If Amon somehow committed suicide, they would have to wait decades for another chance.

The chairman weighed his son’s revenge against his own ambition.

The scale tipped toward ambition.

After all, he was a city man at heart; his self-realization was more important than his son’s death.

The chairman swallowed his tears and told Amon:

“This time, I admit it. You’ve beaten me.”

Though he would awaken the saintess and achieve his ambition, the chairman would never be able to take revenge.

That hatred would torment him until the day he closed his eyes.

‘He must have planned this.’

Even if he couldn’t bring down the megacorporation, he would leave them with an unforgettable scar.

As a chairman, he had seen countless people attempt such things.

Most failed before even stepping through the corporate door, but this young man had succeeded.

He had left the chairman with a wound that would never heal.

Suppressing his lingering feelings, the chairman looked at the doctor.

“Prepare him as the sacrifice.”

If they could extract the divine power as painfully as possible, it would be some consolation.

Thus, comforting himself, the chairman gave the order to the doctor.

But the doctor’s reaction was strange.

“Chairman. For some reason… the saintess is complete.”

“…What?”

“It seems this intruder has completed the saintess.”

The chairman was thrown into confusion by the doctor’s answer.

The doctor, the surviving researchers, the guards.

Everyone was bewildered.

Why? How did he know?

Before that, how is he still alive?

In their confusion, Amon’s smile deepened as he bowed his head.

Then, he looked up and muttered with a refreshing smile:

“The Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.'”

As people were baffled by Amon’s sudden recitation, he muttered:

“Thank you. For dragging out the time like this.”

As if it were all planned, Amon straightened his back confidently.

Though they sensed something was wrong, without knowing what it was, they couldn’t take any action.

They couldn’t flee, cut Amon’s throat, or evacuate the chairman.

Without any clue, they could only stand frozen.

Then, the saintess’s test tube shattered.

As the sound of the shattering test tube echoed behind him, Amon recited:

“And He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.'”

As soon as those words ended, the guards began to vomit blood and collapse.

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