Chapter 121 – Exposure (4)

Lions bounced off the mana shield with broken limbs or died, and elephants were fighting goblins. Sun-woo easily approached the man who became the contamination source.

“You bastards who locked my beloved children in a prison called zoo and made them spectacles must receive our children’s anger!”

The man who became the contamination source shouted as if spitting blood when Sun-woo approached.

His emotions amplified by contamination were love for animals trapped in the zoo and anger toward humans who made animals into spectacles.

“So you sent animals outside the zoo to attack people?”

“Yes! With the power God’s apostle gave me, I made our children take revenge!”

“God’s apostle? Don’t tell me you also took pills?”

“Yes! I gained power through the holy covenant God gave me.”

With his words, the man’s hand pointed upward and countless birds soared into the sky from the forest.

“You thought you killed all our children, but still so many children remain. Now I’ll kill you and release these children into the city so everyone will know how great our children’s anger is!”

Hundreds of birds gathered in the sky began falling straight toward Sun-woo. But Sun-woo didn’t even look at the birds falling toward him and raised his sword.

Now that he learned how the contamination source became contaminated, there was no need to drag out time. Sun-woo swung his sword toward the contamination source far away.

“Now this world will see my revenge…”

Swoosh!

The man who was the contamination source couldn’t continue his words and collapsed on the spot. Having only awakened the ability to train animals, he had no way to block Sun-woo’s sword energy.

Squawk! Squawk!

When he died, contamination gradually began disappearing and the birds rushing toward Sun-woo scattered in all directions unable to come to their senses.

The elephants brawling with goblins and the groaning wounded lion also began returning to their original state.

Of course, being freed from contamination didn’t mean becoming normal. The elephants were still rampaging in all directions and the dying lion was still growling and thrashing in anger.

The controlled birds also scattered fighting each other, their previously contaminated minds confused.

“But well, now it’s civilians’ business.”

Sun-woo watching the scattering birds reverse-summoned all the goblins and moved to subdue the rampaging animals.

---

After the mission ended and contamination disappeared, broadcasts and articles immediately quieted down. The association exerted maximum effort to block broadcasts and articles.

Articles and broadcasts were reintroduced as escape stories of mentally disturbed animals, and ongoing bird hunts throughout Prague were introduced as confirmation footage.

But this world had the internet standing firmly. Until now they deleted posts and photos uploaded to the internet as much as possible, but this time too many people took photos.

Moreover, when the internet’s characteristic reprocessing and reproduction began, it was too much for the reduced control personnel to block.

No matter how much they deleted, videos shown on broadcasts and videos uploaded by individuals crossed bulletin boards, portals, and SNS, with overflowing comments flooding beneath them.

• Do you guys believe the new articles? They say mentally disturbed animals escaped and rampaged.
  
• Would you believe that? No matter how much it’s a bear, what bear throws cars like that?
  
• What about the ones that endured dozens of bullets?
  
• Some died from gunshots.
  
• Anyway, they’re definitely hiding something.
  
• Guys! Did you see this video? Animals rampaging is child’s play!
  
• No way! This is fake! I can’t believe the animals but this is ridiculous!
  
• Nothing ridiculous about it! Animals show superhuman strength, why can’t humans?
  
• Damn, is this the opening of the great superhuman era?
  

New videos began uploading to the internet that initially only had videos of rampaging animals.

A person who looked like a mercenary sniping animals unaffected by gunfire in one shot. A person with a sword jumping between buildings and killing animals at tremendous speed. Among videos of animals massacring people, videos of people hunting animals appeared instead.

People questioned mercenaries who killed rampaging animals in one shot, but the biggest issue was the video of a sword-wielding man whose face appeared blurry.

• Even ninjas are coming out.
  
• No no, not ninja, Chinese martial artist.
  
• Whether ninja or Chinese martial artist, it’s completely like a movie scene.
  
• But why is the face photoshopped?
  

“Sun-woo, you’re really popular?”

Caroline looking at a tablet PC teased Sun-woo with a smiling face.

At her words Sun-woo sighed. Because he hid his face with illusion technique it was this much, but he almost couldn’t go outside.

Today was the day after the Prague mission ended.

Sun-woo who visited Cleaners Korea branch from morning at the association’s call had to hear Caroline’s teasing as soon as he entered the conference room.

“I didn’t know it would become this controversial. I thought we could at least block it as rumors?”

At Sun-woo’s question, the branch chief and Caroline in the conference room made gloomy expressions.

“Most summoners in charge of information control got caught up in the Empire contamination incident and didn’t return, and the association headquarters lost almost all control over branches.”

The branch chief continuing the conversation looked extremely tired.

“Yesterday contamination occurred simultaneously in four countries: America, Czech Republic, Japan, and South Africa. Fortunately, thanks to Sun-woo’s confirmation, we confirmed it was terrorism using <Contamination Spreaders>.”

The branch chief showed gratitude toward Sun-woo.

“There could be various reasons. Testing how much the association can respond, whether secrets can be maintained, or it could be a type of test for creating contamination sources with contamination spreaders.”

Caroline added to the branch chief’s words.

“Or it could be to inform the public about contamination that Summoners tried to keep secret.”

The two people who spoke this far fell silent for a moment.

Now the main point seemed about to come. They didn’t mention special reasons over the phone, but Sun-woo roughly expected what story would come.

In the conference room with just three people – the branch chief, Caroline, and Sun-woo – the branch chief’s words quietly echoed.

“We’re currently negotiating with headquarters. With headquarters’ poor management up to this incident, Korea branch will continue cooperating with headquarters but plans to separate the corporation itself. As an independent corporation.”

“Is that possible? Headquarters won’t want to let go.”

“Most Empire refugees came to Korea branch during this time. Support duties excluding electronic warfare. Simply put, Korea branch came to possess most abilities like memory manipulation and spatial movement. With electronic warfare destroyed, our support abilities are quite good negotiation conditions.”

It was the result of Caroline and her subordinates, plus spatial ability users who came to Korea branch this time, and Korea branch steadily gathering refugees.

“Congratulations on the branch’s independence. But I don’t know why you want independence during such difficult times, or what this has to do with me.”

Sun-woo could roughly guess but had no intention of pretending to know and getting dumped on.

The branch chief pondered briefly then opened his mouth.

“Well, we mentioned various things earlier, but the biggest reason we want to separate from headquarters is because of Empire people including myself. Headquarters already gave up on, no, doesn’t care about the world with the Empire. Summoners also can’t give proper missions because the Empire is contaminated. But we can’t leave the Empire in such a contaminated state. We must somehow restore it.”

Sun-woo nodded at the branch chief’s words. It was the same as he expected.

“Of course existing Korea branch summoners might complain, but we plan to keep existing summoners’ duties unchanged as much as possible. Dissatisfied summoners will be connected to headquarters or other branches.”

The branch chief spoke easily but there would definitely be much resistance.

However, since it was unrelated to Sun-woo, he waited for the branch chief to continue.

“The reason we called Sun-woo here to explain this is because our reason for independence is that Sun-woo is in Korea.”

Sun-woo was inwardly startled at the branch chief’s words. Though probably exaggerated, they were putting Sun-woo’s position much more centrally than Sun-woo himself thought.

“This is the conclusion we reached and the decision of two prophets after confirming Sun-woo’s missions and growth.”

The reason Empire refugees who had been gathering personnel and waiting made this decision was because of prophecies from prophets delivered by Sofia who arrived in Korea recently.

“So, what do you want from me?”

Sun-woo’s question became slightly sharp. He didn’t like things proceeding without his decision.

“Ah, nothing else, we’d like you to work with us on Empire matters in association mission format. We’ll pay maximum mission fees.”

“Please.”

Following the branch chief’s words, Caroline bowed her head to Sun-woo.

Sun-woo’s heart became bitter.

He fully understood Caroline had reasons for staying close to him, but seeing Caroline bow her head like this inevitably made his chest feel stuffy.

Tap, tap, tap.

Sun-woo drummed the desk with his fingers, lost in thought. The relationship with Caroline and refugees, the contaminated Empire and Summoners, and summoners and contaminated summoners.

As Sun-woo continued thinking, one man’s face flashed through his mind. A face erased from memory then reappeared, the face of the man who killed Sun-woo’s family.

Tap.

Sun-woo’s finger stopped.

“Let’s accept the branch chief’s request. I also have someone to meet.”

The contaminated summoners’ base was definitely in the contaminated Empire. To meet him, he had to eventually go to the Empire.

“Thank you!”

At Sun-woo’s words the branch chief sighed in relief and Caroline smiled brightly.

“But I have one requirement.”

Though Sun-woo was doing this for his own needs, he had no intention of easily accepting the request.

“If there’s something you want, please say it. I’ll accommodate as much as possible.”

The branch chief looked at Sun-woo with a tense expression, worried unmanageable requirements might come.

But the words from Sun-woo’s mouth were completely different from what the branch chief and Caroline thought.

“Please tell me all abilities possessed by refugees at Korea branch. I’ll make requests after seeing the contents.”

Sun-woo planned to go skill shopping with this opportunity.