Chapter 67

In the past, Amon sold the country to the 3 Dollar Group and received a promise of royalties.

Though it sounds strange, the scale of the Hixen Group that Amon sold was comparable to a nation, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.

The royalties generated from it were substantial.

Even a small portion of it was enough to redevelop an entire district.

Whether it was a hospital or a school.

If Amon wanted, he could have redeveloped the area near the orphanage.

But he didn’t.

Because the world wasn’t kind.

In a world where even ordinary people struggled to survive, and where the poor couldn’t even afford to go to school or hospitals,

what would happen if, by some chance, such a place was built for the orphanage children?

The answer is simple.

The number of parents abandoning their children would increase.

Amon believed in the goodness of humanity but was also acutely aware of its darker side.

That’s why Amon decided to settle for just repairing the orphanage.

…forgetting that the person he was asking was the chairman of Megacorp.

“Uh… um…”

Amon looked up at the dazzling building in a daze.

The first thing that came to his mind was worry.

How many orphans were created by seeing this building?

How many parents abandoned their children, and how many children were hurt by seeing this building?

Such worries came first.

But those worries disappeared when he met the director in the director’s office on the 10th floor.

“Amon. You don’t need to worry about such things.”

The scenery of the director’s office was as humble as before Amon left the orphanage.

The only thing that had changed was the chair, as the director spoke with a kind smile.

“Far fewer children are being abandoned in front of the orphanage than before you left. In fact, more children are being adopted. It’s all thanks to you.”

The director sipped on the most expensive drink in the office—instant black tea.

The director had also considered Amon’s concerns, and the construction company was aware of them too.

But the budget Amon donated was more than enough to just repair the orphanage, and the director knew a better solution.

“Only the 8th and 9th floors of the building are for the orphanage. The rest of the floors are used as a daycare center.”

This massive building wasn’t just an orphanage.

It was a ‘Child Welfare Center.’

It took care of orphans until they became independent, but it didn’t just care for orphans.

It also accepted children with parents during the day or evening.

When parents left their children, the center took care of their meals, baths, and education.

Not for free, but at a very low cost.

“This way, there’s no need for parents to abandon their children at the orphanage for their happiness.”

Parents could leave their children while they worked and pick them up after work.

There was no need to endure the sadness of parting with their children, nor feel the relative deprivation of seeing orphans living better than their own children.

In fact, there was another advantage to this method.

“As children with parents befriend the children from the orphanage, there have been many cases where the parents adopt those children.”

In the past, adoptions from the orphanage were rare.

People were too busy with their own lives, and without contact with the orphanage, prejudice kept them away.

But after the welfare center was established, things changed.

Parents felt less burdened since they could leave their adopted children at the center, and frequent contact with orphans increased the likelihood of adoption.

Thanks to this, the current welfare center had fewer children than before Amon left.

Fewer children were being abandoned, and more were being adopted.

The orphanage became much brighter.

There was hope that they could be adopted, and children who had received love from outside taught love to others.

Unlike the past, there was no dark atmosphere at all.

“Thank you so much, Amon. You truly are an angel sent by the goddess to me. I have sinned…”

Tears formed in the corners of the director’s smiling eyes.

It was strange.

Only a year had passed since then, and she hadn’t even changed her makeup.

But the director seemed to have fewer wrinkles.

Amon’s heart warmed.

Embarrassed, Amon replied.

“An angel? That’s too grand. I just happened to meet a fortunate opportunity, and anyone in my position would have done the same.”

He truly believed that he was just lucky and had seized the opportunity to give back to the orphanage.

But the director’s expression hardened at Amon’s words.

“Amon. I can overlook many things, but I can’t let you belittle your own achievements.”

The reason why all the companies and gangs never invested in the orphanage was simple.

It wasn’t profitable.

The orphanage wasn’t a facility that produced anything.

It was a facility that relied entirely on external support.

In principle, the government should have supported it, but in a situation where the government was controlled by corporate interests, there was no reason for them to invest in unprofitable welfare.

Talented individuals?

Corporations didn’t expect talented individuals to come from orphanages.

Even if talented individuals did emerge, they would naturally bow to the corporations, so there was no need to invest more than necessary.

“The reason we can enjoy this now is because you gave up the rights you deserved.”

“But…”

“Shh. Don’t say it was just a small portion.”

If Amon hadn’t invested in the orphanage, he could have bought resorts and supercars, living a life envied by others.

Yet, Amon gave up that life, content with a modest one, and donated to the orphanage.

In the director’s eyes, he was truly an adult.

Moreover…

“Tall Uncle. Is this you?”

Amon’s shoulders twitched.

The director’s smile deepened.

“Anonymous donations have been coming in for children graduating from the orphanage. Start-up support, independence support, tuition… all under the name of ‘Tall Uncle.'”

Amon’s eyes rolled.

It was practically a confirmation.

Seeing this, the director patted Amon’s head.

As if looking at the child who had warmed her heart since he was ten.

With a tender touch.

“How could I not love you?”

The director smiled with moist eyes.

Amon scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

*

After the meeting with the director.

Amon and Sonia were about to sleep at the orphanage for the first time in a long while…

But they didn’t.

They wanted to, but the orphanage was a space for children, not a guest room for two adults.

Besides, Sonia felt uncomfortable.

So they headed to a nearby motel.

After showering and preparing for bed in the twin room.

Before falling asleep, Sonia called out to Amon.

“No wonder you didn’t tell me the details of the contract. So this was why.”

Amon avoided her gaze for what felt like the umpteenth time.

Sonia, interpreting his reaction in her own way, smiled.

Then, without realizing it, she hugged him from behind.

And whispered into his ear.

“Don’t feel sorry. I’m not disappointed. I’m a woman who’s satisfied with just $100,000 a year too, you know?”

She then kissed his cheek with a peck.

Amon felt Sonia lying down behind him.

He turned around.

Seeing Sonia wearing an eye mask and preparing to sleep, Amon smiled.

He smiled back at her cheek and replied.

“We really are a match made in heaven.”

Sonia responded with a beaming smile.

Soon, Amon turned off the mood light and lay down on the bed.

Before his consciousness drifted into the realm of dreams,

He muttered words no one would hear.

“Sorry. Actually, the donation to the orphanage was just a part of it.”

*

The next day, the two headed to the dungeon.

White Dawn.

A dungeon Amon had created himself.

The exterior of what was once the largest distribution company in the area was covered in moss and vines.

Numerous adventurers were preparing to enter at the entrance.

Just looking at the massive crowd made them feel tired already.

The two lined up to enter the dungeon.

They decided not to form a party through the guild because they believed the two of them were enough.

It wasn’t arrogance.

Thanks to Cash’s recent help in upgrading their equipment, both of them were just below the level of the Security Chief.

Moreover, this was a dungeon they were already familiar with.

Considering these two factors, adding new party members would only be a hindrance.

– “Anyway, the two of you are more than enough to clear it.”

Although Cash’s foresight only revealed that future Amon would clear the dungeon with ease,

In other words, it meant that Amon and Sonia alone could handle it comfortably.

The two entered the dungeon without hesitation.

The dungeon’s monsters all took the form of angels.

At the entrance, small angels flapped their pigeon-like wings and spoke incomprehensible words to the adventurers.

Their words were also directed at Amon and Sonia.

Naturally, Amon’s reaction was the same.

– “Divine— Modoakidaa!”

Amon slashed their wings, tore off their limbs, and decapitated them.

The adventurers watching Amon vent his deep-seated anger at the fake angels slowly backed away.

There were no other special events.

The two cleared the dungeon effortlessly and handled the mid-boss with ease.

Along the way, Sonia raised a question.

“This dungeon doesn’t seem to be cleared often, but the monsters aren’t overflowing?”

After passing the mid-boss, the number of people drastically decreased.

With a significant portion of Hixen Distribution’s technology already transferred to the 3 Dollar Group, there was little merit in scouring every corner of the company.

Most adventurers were after the Essence, so traces of people became scarce after the mid-boss.

In such cases, the deeper you go, the denser the monsters become, but this dungeon showed no such signs.

Moreover, the strange thing was that this wasn’t the end.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of monsters overflowing here.”

Usually, dungeons are managed by adventurers.

Popular dungeons are naturally cleared, while unpopular ones are periodically cleaned by the government through requests.

If not, they would overflow.

If the money was tight or the dungeon was located in a slum, it was often left unattended.

But here, despite no signs of cleaning, there were no signs of trouble either.

Thus, Sonia’s doubts only grew.

Fortunately, the person who could solve her curiosity was right beside her.

Amon shrugged and said.

“Well. There’s still a lot we don’t know about dungeons with rampant Divine Power.”

Information about Divine Power was still largely unknown.

If the chairman had known about divine punishment, he wouldn’t have conducted the self-destructive experiment.

Amon knocked on the dungeon wall and said.

“This place was created by divine punishment. And the monsters are humans deprived of death.”

Unlike ordinary dungeons, dungeons created by divine punishment couldn’t be explained by scientific principles.

Even if the walls were destroyed, they would quickly regenerate, and even if the monsters were killed, they would revive.

Because this place was a prison created by the goddess to confine them.

Even if their bodies were shattered and their souls torn apart, their existence was bound here.

“In other words, they can’t leave a designated area.”

Like prisoners in shackles, the monsters here couldn’t leave the dungeon.

No matter how long it was left unattended, the monsters would never overflow from the dungeon.

After Amon finished explaining, Sonia asked.

“Is that also your Divine Power ability?”

Unable to mention his past life,

Amon playfully tapped Sonia’s lips and said.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

With that, Sonia accepted it and moved on.

The two delved deeper.

The further they went, the larger the angels became.

Either they simply grew in size or matured from children to adults.

Either way, they grew larger.

The duo continued to effortlessly handle the angels that appeared at a consistent density.

Throughout the process, they didn’t forget their mission.

“Anything special?”

“Didn’t feel anything.”

They fought the monsters while cross-referencing them with the existing records in the database, but nothing seemed different.

The giant baby angels cried loudly, the adult male angels wielded cold weapons, and the adult female angels used bows or magic.

It matched the previously reported information.

Eventually, the two reached the boss room, the purpose of their visit, without noticing any differences.

“We’ve come this far.”

Amon looked at the boss room door with eyes filled with emotion.

In the past, the room where he faced the fake saintess would be across from here.

His reminiscence was brief.

He didn’t miss it, and it wasn’t a particularly good memory.

Amon opened the door without hesitation.

As soon as he opened the door, he locked eyes with the figure inside.

A human with entirely white skin and red eyes.

So far, it matched the fake saintess.

But the rest was different.

‘Fewer wings.’

The fake saintess had far larger and more numerous wings than this boss.

Moreover…

‘The face is different.’

Except for the second phase, the saintess was considered beautiful.

But this boss’s face… was that of an old man.

And a familiar face at that.

‘I wondered where the chairman was. So he was here.’

It was the head of the former Hixen Group chairman.

Seeing this, Amon was convinced.

This boss was different from the fake saintess.

Of course, only Amon had witnessed the fake saintess, and few knew about it, so no one would know the difference.

Amon quietly drew his sword.

Sonia calmly loaded her gun.

The boss, seemingly unaware of the two who hadn’t yet entered the room, stared into the void.

Amon’s foot touched a thin barrier-like membrane at the entrance.

As the membrane rippled and Amon’s foot slightly passed through, the boss’s neck creaked as it turned toward the two.

And with a grotesque smile, it spoke.

[Oh. Youth full of potential. Shall we discuss evolution together?]

As a question mark appeared above Amon’s head,

The chairman-headed angel’s neck trembled, then suddenly

Snap!

It turned 180 degrees.

And from behind the chairman’s head, another familiar face appeared.

‘Dr. N.N.!’

The doctor, who had been the chairman’s partner, smiled, revealing yellow gold teeth.

He also looked at Amon and Sonia and shouted.

[You. Your fingers are quite tempting. How about selling them to our company?]

Sonia recoiled in disgust.

Amon also took a step back.

Since they were still outside the boss room, the boss’s attack didn’t reach them.

As the two stepped outside, the boss lost interest and stared blankly into the void again.

Sonia let out a sigh of relief.

Then she noticed Amon was unusually quiet.

Had he lost his mind again?

Sonia looked at Amon with concern.

But Amon’s expression was calm.

Not a trace of anger could be seen.

‘Why?’

As Sonia pondered, he asked her.

“Sonia. Sorry, but can I handle this boss alone?”

Sonia instinctively wanted to say no, but seeing Amon’s eyes, she closed her mouth.

His eyes were shining.

Reading something in his gaze, she responded with a question.

“Is there something you need to check?”

“Yeah. Several things.”

His eyes, filled with curiosity and even a hint of excitement, were something she couldn’t refuse.

“Don’t get hurt, okay?”

“Got it!”

As soon as Sonia gave her permission, Amon happily rushed into the boss room.

Amon’s eyes were locked on the boss as he entered.

In his vision, the boss was shattering like glass in a dreamlike world.

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