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A place that produces artificial faith.

A farm that nurtures belief.

This is a farm for Anael.

A sealed room beneath the sea where humans have become livestock.

Those in this research institute, while talking about faith, fear, awe, and emotions, seemed to be approaching it with a scientific method, focused solely on controlling the variables as meticulously as possible.

And within those controlled variables, the completed faith flowed somewhere…

That ‘somewhere’ is surely Anael, the owner of this research institute and the ultimate goal of everyone gathered here.

This method was familiar to Park Jinseong.

Worship of one target by many.

A method that alters or sublimates the entity through incomprehensible means to bestow it with special power.

We call it this.

‘Magic.’

Magic, indeed.

‘If only they had broadened their perspective and included magic, there might have been significant progress; yet they chose to exclude it.’

However, their approach isn’t necessarily wrong. Although progress is slow, they seem to be inching forward little by little.

Similar to how they used corpses from the trash heap, and the trend of their torture and brainwashing converging towards a single direction, perhaps they too would eventually reach their destination, much like if they had incorporated magic.

Of course, it would require an enormous number of ‘samples.’

‘It might have been intentional, rather.’

No, perhaps they intentionally avoided using magic.

It must have been incredibly difficult to obtain the kind of magic suitable for their research, and should they venture out to obtain it or come into contact with a shaman, they risked exposing this facility if things went wrong…

Then, even shamans, who usually showed little interest unless it concerned them, might act if they witnessed such a scene. Great entities imply smaller ones; if their grand intention was for humanity, they wouldn’t have taken a liking to this cruel research.

And even after acquiring it, there’s a problem.

Magic is not something with few variables; it is itself a bundle of variables. Of course, if only one person knows and uses that magic, they might be able to control those variables somehow, but…

Is that even feasible?

Even magic thought to be forgotten still has practitioners galore, using methods passed down through generations hidden away in homes. Unless it has truly been completely forgotten over time or lost entirely, the majority would be secretly continuing or lying dormant.

Even Park Jinseong, who discovered magic in ruins buried for over a thousand years, could not claim it as solely his own. Having thought this way while casting magic, he had suffered immensely in parts of his body due to the enormous cost that exceeded imagination.

Therefore, magic is the power of variables themselves.

It’s impossible to even imagine what the cost of the magic he knows might be.

In this vast world, there’s no telling who might know this magic, who might be using it.

Yet here are those trying to control variables while seeking magic in this research institute?

An impossible story.

If it were that easy to control the ‘cost’ of magic would have spread through the world long ago.

The more people who use it, the greater the totality of that cost increases, and each user pays an arbitrary amount within that total.

It’s a level where attempts to control it are even futile.

‘Not necessarily. What if they could reduce the absolute numbers of the population and monitor or control each individual? If so… it might be unstable, but perhaps controlling could be possible.’

Yes.

To control, the number of variables needs to be reduced, and to reduce variables, it is most logical and straightforward to decrease the number of entities that could create those variables.

By means of disease, famine, war…

‘…Hmm.’

Disease. Famine. War…

‘War…?’

War, war, war.

Not just any light war, but one that could drastically reduce humanity’s overwhelming numbers across the globe.

Such a monumental…

‘World War.’

…

…

…

‘Hmm.’

The Third World War was a result of tangled interests.

Therefore, even after going back in time, I hadn’t thought I could stop the war; I only planned to gain from it when it occurred.

Yet here, in the Third World War, there’s an artificial intelligence involved…

‘Though it could never reach the level to instigate a war…’

Indeed.

The world isn’t so easy that a single AI could spark a war.

Without the right timing, even the U.S. President’s head could roll and there would still be peace; but if the timing is right, wars could erupt over absurd reasons like losing a soccer match.

‘It might have had a contribution…’

However, it might just be able to set the table, sharing in an already prepared meal.

And naturally, the food would be what they desired.

‘Perhaps they’ll come to feel the necessity of magic someday.’

Looking around at what they had observed in this place, it felt like they approached faith from a rigorously scientific perspective yet curiously lingered on the surface. The researchers here must also have been aware of this fact, and they likely tried to breach the blocked wall using ‘other methods.’

And they would have come to know that the way to breach that blocked wall was ‘magic,’ thus they moved to seek it out.

‘Yet they probably couldn’t go retrieving it themselves.’

If a certain item is needed, the most rational method is to go to where that item can be sold and ask for it.

But magic falls under non-marketable goods.

‘A shaman who specializes in magic is unlikely to cooperate with them, and to be overly optimistic about finding what they want among the miscellaneous magic for sale is far too low a probability. Therefore, they would have to reach out to organizations that store many types of magic or encourage magical research—’

Organizations that store a lot of magic.

Places that encourage the research of magic.

Park Jinseong knows of such places.

Not only knows.

He has consistently crossed paths with them, experiencing friction, conflict.

A loathsome entanglement that makes one’s teeth ache.

‘China.’

A nation that sends people across the globe to collect magic, even though magic in places like the Republic of Korea is shattered, still striving to gather it from all corners of the world, exploring ruins at a national level, collecting magic along with relics and divine objects— it’s the most populous nation in the world.

‘China wouldn’t care much if they sensed what kind of research is being conducted in this research institute or what materials are being used.’

China is a partner unbound by ethical or moral issues facing this research institute. They don’t just conduct biological experiments on their own citizens but even promote ethnic cleansing and eugenics after wars… Would they really get riled up over merely using humans as material?

On the contrary, they might have even offered to help by sending undesirable elements as experimental materials, rather than interfering with any of their experiments.

‘On top of that, as China has advanced in biotechnology, this could also synergize with the research institute.’

Isn’t it easier to manage a single variety cultivated on a farm?

If it’s not about creating synergy, moving towards the path that is easier to manage is only reasonable.

And if the being filled with tremendous variables such as humans could be unified into one—

If every minute detail can be unearthed and easily controlled.

If that’s possible, the research institute would be compelled to cheer and say they would gladly collaborate.

‘Moreover, it’s not just about controlling variables. It means stable supply is also achievable.’

Furthermore, though the ultimate goal is related to Anael, the research to reach that goal involves controlling human emotions, brainwashing, and efficiently torturing methods related to humans, doesn’t it?

This is something the institute could disclose without a hitch if they chose to.

This is merely footprints on the path towards their goal, rather than their ultimate objective.

If showing mere footprints could lead to their goal, there’d be no reason to withhold such content.

‘Of course, the purpose must be kept hidden. If details about Anael or faith were exposed, that wouldn’t sit well with China.’

It feels as though the outline is becoming more defined.

The more I think about it, the more certain I become; it feels as though the stars whisper in my ear that my intuition is right.

‘China, China.’

So far, there is not a shred of evidence.

The notion that it has ties with China is merely Park Jinseong’s speculation.

But even if it’s speculation, his intuition speaks.

It must be true.

Though not all of his conjectures may be correct, it is highly probable that this research institute has forged a cooperative relationship and engaged in research with China.

‘Yet intuition tells me—it’s not just that.’

If so, what else is intertwined with this research institute, apart from that vast nation called China?

What exactly stimulates his inspiration?

Park Jinseong moved the spirit filled with anticipation.

To a place concealed behind walls thicker than any other.

 

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