Chapter 643

However, it seemed that the goodwill didn’t quite extend to the act of “releasing Jinseong from captivity.”

“Hello?”

A new agent had come in.

What appeared was a female agent who looked to be in her twenties.

She was a White woman with flowing blonde hair.

Though she appeared kind, there was a strangely artificial aura to her smile as she interacted with Jinseong, displaying a mix of professionalism and friendly comments that suggested she had received proper training.

She even leaned towards him or subtly got close, trying to direct Jinseong’s gaze to specific areas with natural movements.

Seeing this, Jinseong became certain.

‘It’s Black.’

Non-official cover.

The so-called “Black agents.”

Jinseong was convinced this woman was indeed an agent.

Was it because of her behavior?

Of course, that played a part.

But what truly convinced him was the scent.

‘I’ve smelled this perfume before…’

The fragrance gently wafting off her body.

It was because he had encountered that scent.

‘Arcana, The Lovers.’

Among mercenaries, this perfume was known by the nickname of the “Lovers” from the tarot, used for seducing the opposite sex.

Its defining feature was the abundant use of pheromones and musk in the perfume.

The musk, reminiscent of skin scent, naturally draws focus to the exposed skin, invoking thoughts of hidden flesh beneath clothing. The pheromones misled one into believing they were feeling attraction towards the opposite sex.

Naturally, given its stellar effectiveness, this perfume was quite expensive.

It wasn’t the kind of thing that could just be handed out to agents.

Because it was made from real musk extracted from musk deer, and pheromones from specially genetically modified organisms.

‘Not a honey trap… it seems.’

Did they really send in someone with such perfume?

What ulterior motive could there be?

Jinseong pondered the intentions of the neocons who had detained him.

A multitude of possibilities passed through his mind.

Were they looking to lower his guard with a honey trap before launching a surprise attack?

Were they seeking to make him careless, then drag him away to soak him in chemicals and extract information?

Or perhaps the woman carried narcotic substances like fentanyl in her possession, intending to subtly apply it to him while pretending to be close, in order to subdue him?

Or maybe they aimed to mask the scent of a particular confession drug by spreading perfume and waste time until its effects kicked in?

Jinseong thought of countless possibilities.

However, he soon wiped away all such thoughts.

Instead, he decided to cooperate more actively.

While there wasn’t a huge difference from the male agent he encountered before, upon closer inspection, subtle distinctions emerged.

He displayed signs typically shown to someone he held a slight fondness for across various interactions, altering his tone and actions to seem mentally more relaxed than he did with the earlier agent. He maintained consistency in what he said, echoing similar sentiments to those he had expressed previously.

And as a result.

“Thank you once again for your cooperation, and I apologize for the inconvenience you’ve been through. If you contact us when you next plan to visit America, we would like to express our gratitude for Jinseong Park’s active assistance. Please take this business card.”

He was able to be released from captivity.

Had he shed his suspicions?

Or did they still see him as someone to keep an eye on?

Jinseong was now able to step out of the facility and set foot into the airport.

‘Hmm.’

But Jinseong remained vigilant.

He could still feel the watchful eyes lingering.

The surveillance devices scattered throughout the airport were distinctly aware of Jinseong’s presence, and even the animals moving casually around were slyly stealing glances at him. Among these animals, there were likely both real creatures and “special animals” created by America.

Spy animals equipped with lenses instead of eyeballs and eavesdropping devices instead of ears.

Moreover, that wasn’t all.

The first-class ticket in Jinseong’s hand.

This ticket, given to him as a token of gratitude for his active cooperation, belonged to an airline of American nationality…

‘There’s probably something on the airplane too.’

He was certain.

There would be trickery aboard that flight as well.

Eavesdropping devices or CCTVs were basic.

There might even be scanners.

Devices to scan the artifacts or divine objects Jinseong would possess, as well as the energy he carried within his body.

‘Isn’t it similar to Japan…?’

This tenacity was reminiscent of Japan.

Their obsessive efforts to prevent shamans from entering were akin to Japan’s notorious fixation on setting up all sorts of equipment.

But the difference was that the U.S. focused more on capable individuals rather than shamans, unlike Japan. The devices implemented by America were suited for uncovering the realms or origins of capable individuals like sorcerers or warriors, based on accumulated energy rather than arcane equipment.

‘Those who want isolation are often filled with fear… Like prey donning armor and spikes for protection.’

Jinseong thought of America’s psyche as resembling a fat person clad in spiky armor.

The individual was so enormously overweight that they could barely move.

Naturally, even wielding a weapon was not easy, and aiming a gun was a daunting task as well.

But instead of shedding those extra pounds, they chose to adorn themselves with protective spikes.

To ensure no one could approach them.

To prevent anyone from harming them.

But what good would that do?

Even if the spike armor could stop bullets, blades, or fists, what significance would that hold?

Ultimately, the real threat lay within, as it would lead to sickness.

The current state of America mirrored that.

And the future of America would likely mirror it as well.

Perhaps this time wouldn’t be any different…

With those thoughts, Jinseong boarded the airplane.

And very obediently…

Not eating anything, nor making any other moves.

He merely leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, preparing to sleep until he arrived in Korea.

And after arriving in Korea, only after moving sufficiently away from the airport.

“ᚱ, ᚳ.”

With a bright red wheel in sight, it rolled swiftly, reaching its destination, its hue signaling that nothing had gone wrong, indicating it was a trip that ended positively with something obtained and safely returned.

Thus, tattooed with the rune letter Raed (ᚱ), he marked his return from the journey, knowing this to be a place where he could finally rest his heart.

And as the negative elements fell away, the anxiety subsided, he communicated this safe journey verbally and in writing.

Then, following that, wishing to inscribe the flame resembling the sun upon his body, he carried the potential for melting away hidden things and bringing forth what was concealed. Thus, the flame ignited and began to burn away the hidden elements. Just as the sun does, so too did the power of purification manifest.

Thus, the runic symbol Ken (ᚳ) etched upon him transformed into flames, spreading across his body and incinerating the surveillance devices clinging to him.

‘I’ve burned it all away.’

With that, Jinseong had incinerated the myriad of devices affixed to his body.

Even the eavesdropping devices that had been miniaturized to an extent invisible to the naked eye.

The GPS device transmitting his location to the cosmos.

The tiny devices that recorded and sent bits of his personal information.

And the insect drones that had concealed themselves among his luggage, having disguised themselves as mosquitoes, ready to extract his blood and return to their base.

He obliterated every last one of them.

*

Just after Jinseong set fire to the rune symbols on his body.

“All surveillance devices confirmed destroyed.”

“Sensor detecting high heat. All scanning devices have been completely incinerated.”

A certain facility of the U.S. was operating actively.

As actively as the flames that Jinseong had ignited on his runes.

Messages announcing the destruction of the devices attached to Jinseong’s body began to erupt from various corners.

“Quick-witted, aren’t we?”

The person in charge chuckled upon hearing this news.

“Indeed. It seems quite perceptive. I thought it would hold out for at least a day….”

“Although, I guess the National Intelligence Service agent would have caught wind of it pretty quickly anyway.”

“A pity.”

They felt a tad disappointed that Jinseong had picked up on the devices.

Just a tad.

It was, after all, something they had deliberately set up, presuming it would be discovered.

Jinseong was a significant figure in Korea.

Being a young native shaman who emerged from the nation referred to as the Magic Desert, he was naturally under the government’s spotlight.

They must have known about his detention just before his departure, and it was only logical they would hypothesize that America had affixed surveillance devices onto him.

Indeed, they would have likely searched through Jinseong’s luggage and clothing.

Even if America intervened to hinder that, it would have been hard to fend off for more than a day.

Therefore, it was not an issue that all the devices had burned away.

In fact, the very knowledge that Jinseong had noticed and eliminated them could be considered valuable information in itself, acquiring a benefit.

But that was not all.

“Are the watchers in Korea prepared?”

“Yes. Now that he knows he is being watched, he will likely show some kind of reaction. We will analyze that response to check if it’s related to the ‘Crystal Key.'”

Being aware that someone was monitoring you brings a fair bit of stress.

And that stress tends to evoke some form of reaction from a person.

In one way or another.

The U.S. was quite adept at analyzing such reactions.

Through numerous experiments and research, they had successfully amassed reliable data suitable for intelligence agencies.

Thus, Jinseong would be under watch.

Until they could confirm whether or not it was connected to the object they were searching for.

Continuously.

However…

“It doesn’t seem likely. Student K-B appears to have no connection to the Crystal Key.”

“Yes, I think so too. It seems the incident at M point was a separate matter.”

“Of course. It’s unlikely that Lucas would hand the key to an Asian person he worked with just once… Still, it might be worth gathering information. He seems like a fairly noteworthy individual.”

“Understood.”

“If there’s a possibility of naturalization in the U.S., that’d be great too. If any prospects arise, please share the information with the CIA as well.”

“Of course.”

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