Chapter 146 – Saint and Holy Knights (1)

That day, at Clean Earth headquarters, punishment was carried out against the brainwashed individuals and traitors.

Naturally, there were many summoners who resisted, so fights broke out everywhere, and many people witnessed the scene.

Due to the commotion, mental ability users from the refugee faction were summoned to headquarters in large numbers for the first time in a while to perform large-scale memory manipulation.

The headquarters’ atmosphere wasn’t good either, and since their relationships weren’t the same as before, the headquarters’ summoners and the refugee support teams were a bit awkward with each other.

However, having spent a long time together and continuously encountering each other on missions, they soon broke the awkwardness and sorted out the situation as before.

“In the end, we’ll have to step back, won’t we?”

Standing on the second-floor lobby railing and watching headquarters and Korea branch summoners cleaning up together, Director Douglas opened his mouth with a tired face.

“We’ve had our weakness greatly exploited, and the damage from this incident is too great. Damn it, we’ll have no choice but to open our arms.”

Director Albert glared at the Korea branch summoners with an aggrieved expression.

“Fortunately, the Korea branch says they won’t announce the separation, so there won’t be any problems externally.”

“Tsk, it’s annoying that we’ve become the ones receiving help instead.”

Director Douglas continued speaking while blankly looking down below.

“And I should also gradually step back. I’ve been doing this too long. I’d like you to prepare to take over from me.”

“Me? While that’s what I wanted, isn’t this too sudden? Moreover, didn’t you have someone else in mind?”

“So you noticed too. Is that why you’ve been so prickly?”

“That’s part of it, but fundamentally our dispositions don’t match. Even now, didn’t he leave for Korea right away with a spatial teleporter, carrying a huge bag without even saying goodbye? No matter how I look at it, I don’t see any political acumen at all.”

“That’s why I’m saying… At first, with his tremendous growth rate and exiled refugees naturally gathering around him, he seemed suitable as the next director. But no matter how I look at it, Summoner Sun-woo is someone suited for the field.”

“Plus Adelio is alive too.”

“Right, since that guy is alive and has become an enemy, we also need a strong weapon. I can’t turn a weapon into a paper-pusher and let it rust.”

The director rubbed his face with his hand. When his hand came down, his face had changed back to a firm expression.

In that short time, the director had pulled himself together.

“First, please also take over the work Garcia was handling. I’ll hand things over one by one step by step. In the meantime, I need to dig deeper into these contaminated summoner bastards.”

“In the end, you’re just throwing a pile of work at me.”

“Originally, the higher you climb, the more work piles up.”

The director’s footsteps heading toward the elevator looked very energetic.

***

At the same time, Sun-woo was also dumping a pile of work on Caroline and Yeonhwa.

“These are a type of contamination injection I collected from this mission. Unlike the pills, they rapidly advance contamination itself, so you become contaminated immediately upon injection.”

In Sun-woo’s living room, the injections from the backpack Sun-woo brought were piled up.

“Carol, work with Yeonhwa to analyze this contamination agent and find out what happens if you purify it.”

In front sat Caroline with a serious expression and Yeonhwa looking at the contamination agents with a troubled expression along with Snow Cat.

Perhaps feeling responsible for Yeonhwa being kidnapped while Sun-woo was away, Caroline had been constantly with Yeonhwa whenever Sun-woo was absent since then.

Moreover, since Caroline’s home had been exposed to the media anyway, she packed her bags and moved into Sun-woo’s house.

Of course, Sun-woo said, “If you’re going to live together, you should at least pay rent.”

At those words, Carol promptly withdrew twice the local market rate in cash and moved in.

For six months’ worth.

Sun-woo had no choice but to reluctantly give her a room.

“Analysis alone won’t mean much. How contamination progresses hasn’t been revealed in any dimension…”

“Still, if we can just know how it changed, how they made it this way, what methods or materials they used, we’ll know what the ultimate goal is, right?”

Sun-woo picked up an injection in a transparent case and held it up to the light.

“The technology really keeps advancing. I don’t know what they’ll create in the end.”

The clear liquid showed no traces of contamination at all.

“Since this contamination agent is liquid, I could identify where it was transferred to, but I couldn’t verify where it was made with my ability. It’s a much more dangerous item than pills. We need to find and destroy where they’re making it as soon as possible.”

At Sun-woo’s words, Caroline nodded.

“I’ll do my best. Still, Yeonhwa will be a big help.”

Then Yeonhwa’s troubled voice interjected between the two.

“Um, well… There’s a bit of a problem.”

When Sun-woo and Caroline turned around with puzzled expressions, Yeonhwa picked up an injection.

“Well, this isn’t in pill form, it’s in liquid form.”

“Right. Because it’s an injection.”

“Unfortunately, in the Holy Church, the method of purifying water to make holy water was discontinued long ago. Everything changed to alchemy, so pills and powder are easy but…”

“Don’t tell me you can’t purify liquids?”

“No. It’s not that I can’t purify them, but it takes a lot of time, and hmm. In this world’s terms, it’s inefficient. Should I say it’s several times to dozens of times harder than pills?”

It seemed nothing came easily. Sun-woo sighed inwardly and concluded.

“For now, please do what you can. I’ll also look for methods.”

“I’ll try to analyze them as quickly as possible too.”

Caroline immediately called the association, and Yeonhwa took out one injection and went to her room saying she’d try praying.

Sun-woo also returned to his room and checked his phone.

**[Min Sun-woo: 9 Stars. Achievement Rate 84%]**

〈Earth Spirit Grade 7〉 Grade increase: 400p

〈Illusion Technique Grade 5〉 Grade increase: 200p

〈Revolving Divine Demon Art 10 Stars〉 Impossible

〈Revolving Sword Technique 10 Stars〉 Impossible

〈Revolving Movement Technique 8 Stars〉 Grade increase: 800p

〈Body Enhancement 3 Stars〉 Grade increase: 100p

〈Water System Magic 4th Circle〉 Grade increase: 200p

〈Fire System Magic 2nd Circle〉 Grade increase: 200p

〈Flowing Time Grade 6〉 Grade increase: 1000p

〈Barrier Magic 2nd Circle〉 Grade increase: 200p

〈Summoning Magic 2nd Circle〉 Grade increase: 400p

〈Phantom Pain Grade 2〉 Grade increase: 400p

Now he wasn’t far from level 10 stars.

Moreover, he had points accumulated: 1,200 points from the sudden mission and main mission this time, 120 points from killing contaminated beings, and the 500 points he originally had. A total of 1,820 points was accumulated.

Sun-woo first spent 200 points for magic bullets to raise barrier magic to 3rd Circle, and boldly threw 1,600 points into movement technique to make 〈Revolving Movement Technique〉 10 stars.

He had definitely peeked slightly inside the wall of super absolute, but he had barely just set one foot in.

He planned to do everything he could to properly enter super absolute.

As a method for that, he first made all martial arts related to Revolving Divine Demon Art 10 stars.

Sun-woo sat cross-legged on the bed for a moment and meditated on the increased knowledge of barrier magic and enlightenment about Revolving Movement Technique.

In Sun-woo’s mind, the design of a magic circle to mass-produce bullets appeared and disappeared, and Sun-woo could feel that the wall of super absolute had cracked more with the increased enlightenment of movement technique and harmony with other martial arts.

“Phew, for the magic circle, it seems I just need to get some materials and get confirmation from another mage when I go to a fantasy world, and breaking through to super absolute just needs a trigger now.”

Sun-woo who opened his eyes took a deep breath. There was a reward for his forced march so far.

Sun-woo shook his tired head and got off the bed.

“Then shall I rest? My ranking probably dropped again… First, let me report my return…”

Sun-woo, who said he’d rest, flicked his finger sending a wind blade to turn on the computer’s power. For him, playing games seemed to be the same as resting.

However, unfortunately Sun-woo couldn’t play games.

A voice reached his ears as he was about to sit down.

“Ah, let me rest a bit!”

***

A moment later, Caroline who came to call him for a meal could only see the computer and monitor left on alone in the empty room with a post-it note attached.

[Mission. Fantasy. Damn it!]

The words written on the post-it note were filled with Sun-woo’s anguish at not being able to play games.

***

“So, this mission is to find and bring back the saint and holy knight order who entered the dungeon to catch the demon king?”

“Exactly.”

At Sun-woo’s question, the current hero and prince nodded. At his affirmation, Sun-woo could only sigh.

“After dragons, now it’s the demon king… Next time, will a floating continent appear?”

“There’s no floating land. Though there are islands that wander the sea.”

At the prince’s answer, Sun-woo emptied his mind.

Sun-woo was now standing at the entrance of a cave with a large hole in the desolate wasteland.

This was a place where blackened earth and withered grass and trees stood sparsely.

No living creatures were visible anywhere.

According to Prince Adolf, this was an area contaminated by the miasma coming from the demon king’s dungeon, where nothing could live for dozens of kilometers around.

“When a powerful summoning mage or black mage summons a demon king from their dungeon, the entire area becomes dead land like this. Some summoned demon kings rush out and make a mess of the world, while some stay holed up in dungeons like this plotting something.”

Well, since monsters could be summoned, it made sense that demons or demon kings could be summoned too.

“If we leave those demon kings hiding like that, we really don’t know what will happen later, so the Holy Kingdom steps up to clean them up. Sometimes we handle them together with mercenaries, and I participated then.”

“What an eventful world. It’s amazing it hasn’t collapsed yet.”

“Huh? It’s already collapsed several times though? The ancient empire collapsed that way too.”

Sun-woo scratched his head and apologized to the prince.

“Anyway, this dungeon is quite famous too. It’s been reputed for devouring many mercenaries and knight orders. The Holy Kingdom hasn’t touched it much either, but it seems they made a move without people knowing.”

Sun-woo looked at the black hole and sighed.

Sewers, underground cities, tombs, lairs, and now dungeons. It seemed he was destined to visit every underground facility there was.

“Can’t be helped. I’ll hear the rest as we go.”

Sun-woo moved toward the cave while ignoring the intense gaze he felt from behind.

Behind Sun-woo, Spirit Mage Alda was glaring at Sun-woo.