Chapter 133 – Net of Heaven and Earth

That evening, all broadcasts covered the terrorism that occurred at Cleanearth Korea branch as their topic. Overseas broadcasters also all covered it as an emergency topic.

That made sense because terrorism against Cleanearth, which was causing controversy, occurred before broadcast station cameras.

Moreover, the person who stopped that terrorism was a man in a coat holding a sword, something you’d only see in movies.

Strangely, the man’s face appeared blurry. Of course it wasn’t a mosaic.

That point made people even more curious.

And the person in question was sitting in his living room watching the news with a troubled expression.

On the news, while showing in slow motion Sun-woo appearing and dealing with contaminated dogs with his sword repeatedly, experts from various fields came forward engaging in heated debates.

“Just because his face wasn’t revealed doesn’t mean his body measurements weren’t all exposed, right?”

Yeonhwa, who was watching TV next to Sun-woo, opened her mouth with her characteristic expression and drove a nail into Sun-woo’s heart.

As she said, Sun-woo was being dissected thoroughly on the broadcast.

To explain Sun-woo’s abilities that realistically couldn’t exist, they were mobilizing all sorts of methods including body measurements.

“The company is also in chaos now. All phones were taken down, and we had to give vacations to all general employees.”

Caroline, who was half-leaning on the back sofa, complained.

“During headquarters’ press conference, general employees were just bewildered, but today’s incident was the deciding blow. Well, since terrorism occurred, a day’s vacation can’t be helped.”

She was also currently taking refuge at Sun-woo’s house. Not only the company that suffered terrorism, but reporters swarmed like a swarm of bees in front of her house too.

“Did anything come out about what happened?”

Sun-woo turned to Caroline and asked.

Sun-woo had fled the scene after killing the contaminated dogs.

So he couldn’t know what happened after that.

“Terrorism, no matter how much I think about it, it was a method I don’t understand.”

“Right. If it’s terrorism, it’s not naturally occurring contamination, and if they’re contaminated summoners, there’s no reason to use this type of terrorism. They have a goal to contaminate the entire world, so there’s no reason to instill such vigilance in people.”

“Well, maybe they changed methods?”

At Yeonhwa’s question, Caroline shrugged her shoulders.

“That might be, but even looking at the crime scene, it’s full of things that don’t make sense.”

Fortunately, thanks to coordinating with police until now, the crime scene could be confirmed by summoners and police together.

“First, inside the container were dog cages and medical equipment that remotely administered injections. At the last moment, the dogs were contaminated after being given contamination spread agent.”

That’s why Summoner couldn’t warn in advance.

“And in the driver’s seat, a foreign driver was found dead. It seems he lost his life from the shock of the truck falling. But seeing him holding a pistol, it seems he intended to commit suicide after the terrorism.”

Caroline’s expression hardened as she continued speaking.

“The problem is no traces of contamination were found on the driver who drove the truck. He was an ordinary person. Plus there’s no sign he consumed contamination spread agent.”

At Caroline’s words, Sun-woo’s expression also hardened.

“Lastly, the container entered from overseas just a few hours before the incident happened. It passed customs as moving supplies, but the documents were forged and the customs officer in charge has gone missing.”

Caroline finished talking and sighed.

“The entire situation doesn’t make sense. We’ll have to keep tracking, but everyone’s dead or missing so it’s hard to find clues.”

If only the driver were alive, mental ability users could try methods, but there was no way to extract information from someone already dead.

“The container departed from Los Angeles, America.”

“Huh? There’s an ability that can know such things?”

“Unfortunately, I could only know up to that point.”

Before exiting after killing the dogs, Sun-woo had placed his hand on the container and used his ability. He could soon confirm where the container departed from and the people who loaded the dogs and installed equipment.

But since they were people he saw for the first time, unfortunately he couldn’t know anything besides the departure point.

“Still, it’s fortunate we learned the departure point. Even though we split, we can request support from association headquarters.”

Caroline was about to make a call right away, but Sun-woo stopped her.

“If you’re calling America, please wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking since daytime. In mystery novels or comics, there’s always a story that comes out. ‘Think about who benefits most.'”

After confirming Caroline turned off her phone, Sun-woo continued speaking.

“If this terrorism had succeeded, who would really benefit? Would the contaminated summoners benefit?”

“Probably not. Rather, vigilance about contamination would increase, and everyone would listen to the association’s story.”

“Plus, if I weren’t there and summoners fired guns there, what would happen to Korea branch?”

“Well, since Korea is a gun control country, government investigation and media would beat them for a long time. That really would have been terrible.”

“Now, if the independent Korea branch suffered damage and everyone came to believe what association headquarters said, the conclusion is clear about which place ultimately benefited.”

“Surely not, you’re saying association headquarters did it?”

“I also find it hard to believe. But we have to keep all possibilities open. We have that kind of experience once.”

Recalling the former Korea branch manager who leaked information for his own benefit, Caroline had no choice but to agree with Sun-woo’s words.

“Okay. It’s hard to believe, but as you said, I should keep all possibilities open.”

Caroline sighed and stood up.

“You’re ultimately throwing work at me. If association headquarters is involved in the problem, it’s not time to be like this. If it weren’t for Yeonhwa, I would have aged prematurely.”

Caroline put on her coat and bid farewell with a tired face at the entrance.

“I’ll be going. It won’t be easy to investigate without headquarters knowing.”

“I’ll also look into it separately.”

“If you do that, I’d really appreciate it.”

“Get blessed before going out.”

Yeonhwa placed her hand on Caroline’s head and faint light flowed from her hand.

“Purification.”

“Thank you.”

When Yeonhwa lowered her hand, Caroline waved to both with a brightened face and went outside.

Sun-woo, who was watching that sight, asked Yeonhwa.

“What was that blessing just now?”

“It’s an ordinary priestess’s blessing that purifies negative energy.”

“What effect does that have in reality?”

“It clears mind and body and is good for skin care.”

“Ah, it’s really a good blessing for women.”

Sun-woo had to acknowledge it.

And media and broadcasters organized news on contamination and summoners day after day.

After terrorism occurred in Korea, the world changed rapidly. People who believed the press conference content increased, and reports began being received everywhere of seeing contaminated people and animals.

And people trying to approach Cleanearth and extract summoner information also increased.

Especially, there were tremendously many people looking for the man who swung a sword at Korea branch’s main gate.

But they couldn’t know who he was. With information inside the association, there was no way to find him who was an outsider.

Meanwhile, Sun-woo wasn’t in this world. He had crossed over to Dimension Delta, the Central Plains, by Nanseol’s summon using the Summoner Calling Stone.

***

[Could not be summoned to scheduled region. The region where Summoner Nanseol is located became contaminated after the summoner calling stone was used. Dimension moved to the closest possible place. Mission has started. Help Summoner Nanseol and complete her mission.]

Before Sun-woo who dimension-moved, a not-so-high low mountain spread out ahead.

That low mountain was dyed turbid colors.

It meant the entire mountain was contaminated.

Sun-woo could know several facts by seeing Summoner’s voice and the contaminated mountain spread before his eyes.

“So, there are those who can contaminate the entire mountain here, and inside that contaminated mountain is Nanseol in danger, is that the story?”

Those who contaminated it were likely Blood Cult, and the story was they had business important enough to contaminate the entire mountain here, or with Nanseol.

Sun-woo immediately spread sorcery and senses to check the surroundings and soon became serious.

He felt the energy of warriors hiding all around.

The warriors were slowly moving while surrounding the mountain at quite regular intervals.

“Is this what they call Net of Heaven and Earth?”

Heaven’s net and earth’s net.

It was a term referring to an encirclement created by numerous warriors using formation techniques.

“A formation that prevents strong warriors trapped inside from escaping outside…”

However, Sun-woo hadn’t heard it prevented going from outside to inside, not from inside to outside.

And Sun-woo’s thinking wasn’t wrong.

Warriors who were cautiously moving toward inside the mountain lost their lives one by one to Sun-woo’s ambush.

After dealing with five or six people like that, Sun-woo checked the warriors he felled and tilted his head.

“No matter how I look, they’re not Blood Cult…”

The Blood Cult members he had met wore black clothes with ochre-colored clothes, and their martial arts weren’t rough martial arts like these but used martial arts with quite a sinister feeling.

After pondering briefly, Sun-woo could finally remember the martial arts they used.

“This is… Demon Cult. No, Divine Cult’s martial arts.”

He remembered seeing martial arts of the same lineage among the martial arts he experienced on Divine Cult’s tomb wall.

“Then, the story is those who formed the Net of Heaven and Earth aren’t Blood Cult but Demon Cult? What’s going on?”

There wasn’t enough time to capture an encircling warrior alive and question them. Sun-woo decided to hear the story from Nanseol.

Sun-woo gave up breaking the Net of Heaven and Earth from behind and entered inside quickly while only eliminating those blocking him.

At the same time.

Inside a half-collapsed shrine located on the middle of the low mountain, Nanseol was sighing.

The reason she sighed wasn’t because of surroundings that became a contaminated area, nor because of the Demon Cult members encircling this place.

It was because of her companions who were raising their voices inside the shrine right now.

“That’s why I said I’d take the lead! Because we went safely for no reason, we fell into the Net of Heaven and Earth, didn’t we!”

A handsome young man in splendid martial attire was wildly criticizing a middle-aged warrior with a stern expression.

Next to the young man, two other men and one woman who appeared the same age were looking at the middle-aged warrior with the same expression.

They had been continuously protesting to the middle-aged warrior who was leading the party since earlier.

Listening to their words, all matters were because of others who didn’t listen to their words.

As if confident they could make everyone escape quickly if given command authority right now.

However, other warriors scattered throughout the shrine resting shook their heads with tired expressions.

“Mount Hua’s Sword Flower thinks the same, right?”

One of the party who had been talking for a while spoke to Nanseol.

The way they spoke showed they wanted her to support their words, but Nanseol had absolutely no such intention.

“I have nothing particular to say. Just that rather than making noise like this now, it seems we should rest even a little…”

At Nanseol’s words, the young people’s expressions contorted instantly.

Because the expected answer didn’t come out.

Nanseol inwardly sighed once more at their pathetic reaction.

She had expected something since they were people belonging to Five Dragons Three Phoenixes, supposedly the best among righteous faction youths, but now only pathetic thoughts came.

It was then.

Several people entered from outside the shrine. They were people who had gone out to scout the surroundings.

“Something is happening as the Net of Heaven and Earth is shaking. We must move now.”

The man speaking was a tall young man with a fine impression wearing neat white martial attire.

He was called the foremost among Five Dragons Three Phoenixes, Tang Clan’s successor, and the brother of Tang Sahae who lost his life in Demon Cult’s forbidden Dark Cloud Valley.

Dark Dragon Tang Samin.