I leisurely sipped my coffee while scanning the internet reactions.
“Well, I somewhat expected it, but this is chaos like no other.”
The recent villain’s large-scale hospital terror incident was something I had been directly involved in.
So I was thinking of keeping an eye on how things unfold from here on…
“Even though not much time has passed yet.”
Judging by the level of the commotion, it seemed like it would spiral into something much bigger than I had anticipated.
While I was seriously observing public opinion, I suddenly sensed a stir coming from the quiet adjacent room.
“Huh? You’re up? That was quicker than I thought.”
My sharp senses picked up the rustling sounds, and I immediately got up, opened the door, and stepped inside to see Kang Tae-san, groggily lifting his upper body from his sleep.
“You awake?”
I had intentionally let him sleep deeply for better recovery, but being a naturally sturdy guy, it seemed like he couldn’t stay down for too long.
“Uh… What? Did I sleep? And where is this…?”
He looked dazed and blinked as he glanced around, tilting his head, trying to figure out why he was in this familiar spot.
It was natural for him to be confused since this was the house I had lived in before moving.
I didn’t really need the money, so I hadn’t sold it off and kept it as a base in Seoul, and it just happened to come in handy now.
“Wait, now that I think about it…”
But Kang Tae-san’s reaction didn’t last long.
Frowning and seemingly remembering something, he suddenly gasped.
“Wait! What was that explosion? And more importantly, what about my grandmother?!”
“Uh, over here.”
I subtly stepped aside and pointed to a corner of the room.
In that area, my grandmother was peacefully sleeping, undisturbed by the commotion.
“Huuh—.”
Kang Tae-san hurried over to check on her and sighed in relief.
Although he wasn’t a doctor, the sight of his grandmother breathing calmly with a healthier complexion than before her discharge eased the rising tension inside him.
Once he regained his composure, our conversation continued quietly outside the room.
“By the way, are you okay…? You seemed to protect us right before that explosion…”
“I’m fine. I work out daily, so I’m tough. You should exercise a bit too, instead of just sitting in the office.”
“What? Hey, our department spends more time outside than in the office! Plus, I’m the youngest, so I have to do all kinds of errands! Do you even understand the struggles of a low-level public servant?”
After a brief banter with my friend, we steered the conversation back to the main topic.
“But seriously, what happened? You seem way too refreshed for being caught in an accident…”
“Well, I think they said it was a terrorist attack. Check the news; they’re making a huge fuss about it right now.”
“…. Hah! A terrorist, huh? I guess it was too quiet lately. Those terrorists can’t keep hiding forever. I can’t believe I got caught in a terror attack during my vacation, and now work hell is waiting when I get back…”
Gripping his head and frowning, the rookie from the Crime Investigation Division tried to figure out the situation while pulling out his smartphone, only to realize it had been fried by an EMP, leading him to feel despondent before switching on the TV to find the news.
– Around 1 PM today, a terrorist attack occurred at a large hospital in Heuksang-dong, Seoul, targeting patients. The criminal disabled all nearby electronic devices…
The news that had already been reported several times was now replaying.
In reality, the occurrence of a terrorist attack itself wasn’t a headline-worthy event.
Such incidents happened regularly in this world, and that perception hadn’t changed, even with the decrease in crime due to the Hahoe Mask.
However, the reason this particular terrorist attack was drawing so much attention was that it was distinct from others in many ways.
– Suddenly, a bright light surrounded me and WHOOSH! it ignited! Wow, I had never seen anything like that before in my life!
– It was something I’ll never forget. I was carelessly looking out the window when suddenly one side lit up, and I turned to see some glow igniting into flames…
The footage continued to show the vivid scenes from that time.
Despite all electronic devices nearby being destroyed by the villain’s EMP, videos taken outside the radius remained intact.
“…What is that? We were right in the middle of that?!”
“Uh huh.”
Kang Tae-san muttered in astonishment while quietly staring at the TV.
Of course, his reaction was completely understandable.
Seeing it from a third-party perspective, it was undoubtedly an awe-inspiring spectacle.
WHOOSH!
Radiant brilliance mixed with gold and silver.
A light tornado shaped like a pointed funnel violently twirled, swirling as dynamically as flames that consumed everything—it was a mesmerizing sight that felt like it would overwhelm anyone just by watching.
And the news didn’t stop there, continuously pouring out more footage.
Videos taken by those who narrowly escaped the EMP chaos squealed in terror while filming the glowing area, interviews with guardians who rushed in after hearing about the incident, and…
– Patient at the Hospital: I really thought I was going to die. No joke, I vomited blood from the shock that came from below, and just when I thought it was over…
– Visitor at the Hospital Lobby: I fainted while being slammed against the wall when the attack first happened. I couldn’t hear anything later, and just when I regained consciousness…
– Security Guard at the Hospital: Just when I thought I was about to die, that guy appeared.
The vivid testimonies from those who were on-site at the time.
Their claims were remarkably similar.
As the flames of divine power engulfed their bodies, those who were merely inches from death began to rapidly regenerate.
Their depleted strength surged, severe injuries healed, and the diseases that plagued them withered away.
Moreover, this wasn’t just experienced by one or two individuals.
This was a level of miracles unparalleled by any clergy known to date.
It was a divine salvation that fell upon those who were lost in despair facing death.
“…That’s impossible. No divine power of that level has ever been reported… No, but there’s evidence, and more importantly, I experienced it directly with my grandmother… They’re my saviors, right?”
Kang Tae-san, knowledgeable in the field due to his job, was overwhelmed by confusion, but the news naturally shifted to the miraculous ‘Knight in White Armor.’
The hero who appeared at a critical moment, took down the villain, and saved numerous lives teetering on the brink of death.
Who was he exactly?
What were the limits of his abilities?
Where had he vanished to so suddenly?
Of course, the devastation left by the attack was not small.
No matter how incredible divine power was, it could not bring back those who were already dead.
But the immense divine power that had prevented what could have escalated into a more significant disaster, saving not only patients but countless others, deeply impressed the citizens.
The news ended with someone from the Pantheon’s Korean branch glorifying the deity, but the buzz didn’t die down and carried on straight to the internet.
I casually pulled out my smartphone to check the bustling community.
– I smell something… the massive presence returning to Earth! And in Korea at that!
– Wow; I never thought Earthlings could reach such a level with divine power. I heard they grow really fast.
– I’m a current clergy. With that kind of power on Earth, he’s probably at papal level in the original world. Truly a commendable faith. I’ll strive even harder. In that vein, I would like to share Tarakmin’s words…
The main stream was the excitement surrounding the unidentified knight who had just appeared.
In this world, there are as many gods as there are dimensions, and not every cleric wielding divine power had a kind heart.
It’s not uncommon for dark deities’ clerics to act as villains, so the appearance of someone with unfathomable divine power saving many from terror wasn’t surprising.
For average citizens who live in constant anxiety, having more people with pure and strong powers was undoubtedly a good thing.
In fact, thanks to that notable returner, Hahoe Mask, the security situation had become quite stable.
Let alone, the knight didn’t wield the ominous black magic like Hahoe Mask, making it even more thrilling for people.
– If that level of divine power is considered a realm, isn’t it top 3 in the country? Maybe he could catch Hahoe Mask, the dark mage?
└No way. I acknowledge his greatness, but there’s gotta be limits. Output is a problem, he can’t use it much, and it’s all gonna spread out.
└What are you, blind? Don’t you recognize output after watching that video?
└Did you just come back from abroad? Hahoe Mask has achievements, what are you talking about; why would you compare a newbie back to Hahoe Mask?
└Yeah, then what’s Hahoe Mask doing now? Isn’t he already dead somewhere with no one around? LOL
└You must not live in Korea, huh? No wonder you’re acting strange. Seriously, you’re a drama queen.
└[Deleted Comment.]
There was even a spat between Hahoe Mask’s zealous fans and those who viewed him with suspicion.
“Wow, seriously, people will fight over anything.”
It was obvious to me that they both seemed to be wasting their energy unnecessarily.
I resumed my casual examination of the community to gauge the public opinion while stroking my chin.
– Witness testimonies created a montage of the hospital knight. Though it’s just the armor.
└Oh, so cool. I recommend it.
└It looks pretty good like this. But how the heck did he suddenly appear and vanish wearing that? That must be some expensive magical equipment.
– Knight, please help! My mother is severely ill. I swear to appreciate it…
– I’m a writer for MBS broadcasting station. If anyone witnessed anything else, please contact me…
Perhaps it was due to such a flashy debut that there were still no decent pictures but nonetheless, the popularity was soaring, leaving me with a peculiar emotion.
And it wasn’t just limited to public opinion.
Various institutions both domestically and internationally had likely already begun actions to locate Heinrich.
“Even if they search, they won’t find me. I made sure to broadcast divine energy over a broad area on purpose.”
No matter how many diverse abilities there were in the world, they wouldn’t be able to read anything from such high purity spiritual energy waves.
Since I used Blessing: Leap to go back and forth between the bathroom and the scene, it would also be tough to find any physical connection.
“Summoning Heinrich would have been the most certain, but… the situation wasn’t that grave.”
It was just moments ago that I fought against the revolutionary.
Naturally, the Dimensional Teleportation Circle Summon was used to send Hans, who was at the Abyss’s border, back to Auterica, so summoning him back at that time would have resulted in days of hiatus.
“Just as the period for the pope’s funeral was about to end and I was wrapping up my procedures.”
Once things on that side settled down, it would be an easy matter to summon him occasionally to create an alibi, so it wasn’t a big issue.
Closing the community site while giving a light shrug.
“Ah…! By the way, our team members know my grandmother was hospitalized there. They already know why I’m on leave today.”
At that moment, Kang Tae-san blankly stared at his dead smartphone.
It was clear to see what kind of situation would have unfolded if it were still alive.
Being the rookie who had been there on the day of the incident, even if he said he fainted from the beginning and remembers nothing, it was crystal clear that he would be grilled by his superiors for even the smallest clues.
“Let’s hold off on getting a new phone until just before the leave ends.”
Yet, of course, due to the nature of their work, that wasn’t really possible.
Thus, the rookie hurriedly activated a new smartphone, preparing himself for the anticipated flood of messages and calls that left him groggy.
At least it was lucky that his team members understood he had to care for his grandmother, allowing his leave to remain intact.
“AAAH—! Don’t tell me we have to find him too? Please report in, noble knight! The law exists for a reason… If you end up taking the Hahoe Mask route too…!”
Kang Tae-san trembled in dread, sensing a bleak future ahead.
“Sorry.”
I left my anxious friend behind and headed home after what felt like a long outing.
Since I had debuted, I thought it might be good to utilize Heinrich more often in the future.
