You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿

Chapter 41

"Are you talking about Pastor Imanbok?"

"Who else would it be? Someone who could gather people like Choi Mi-yeon, who is out there knocking on the door right now."

At those words, the sound of the door being hammered repeatedly started to quiet down.

I hadn't realized it due to the harsh voice, but it seemed that Choi Mi-yeon was one of the people knocking on the door outside.

It was easy to see that what was called a mentor-mentee relationship was, in reality, more like that of a watcher.

"...Hey, Lee Ah-rin. Get a grip. Before anyone else comes in."

With a voice so low it was unrecognizable from the bright one she had earlier when talking about idols, Choi Mi-yeon muttered, almost absentmindedly.

"I've known you since you were little, so if you stop now, I'll let it slide. Open the door and come out."

"Get a grip yourself, Choi Mi-yeon."

Lee Ah-rin retorted sharply.

"Do you think we're that different? No, you're worse. You don't even have the slightest clue what's happening to your own father."

For a moment, there was silence outside the door.

"...What did you say? Why is my father being mentioned here?"

"You’re the only one who doesn’t know that your father’s been used as a punching bag for the higher-ups, you idiot."

She said what she wanted bluntly.

"What? What did you say?"

"The good people next to you know it too. Why don’t you ask them?"

"You're talking nonsense. Just because you say that, I..."

At first, Choi Mi-yeon snorted, but her words began to trail off, and I could sense the uncomfortable silence even though we were separated by the door.

"...What’s going on? Why is everyone so quiet?"

Everyone had been loud outside the door just moments ago, but now no one was saying anything.

And sometimes, silence is the answer.

It seemed the fact that Choi Mi-yeon’s father, Choi Seong-hoon, was being abused by the higher-ups was no secret after all.

As Choi Mi-yeon went quiet in shock, I looked at the blood that was blocking the door, which swirled like a living snake near the doorknob.

I could control my own blood until it dried, huh.

'It's a form of telekinesis... but can she control just a part of her body?'

Telekinesis, in the end, is a supernatural ability that moves magic energy unconsciously.

But in the end, a unique skill is just a natural power, and if you don’t have the capability, the range of that power is very limited. It’s common, for example, for someone like Lee Ah-rin to be able to control only her own body.

Although, it's rare for someone to take control of their own blood like this.

Anyway, the skill can only block the door for a short time.

Right now, Choi Mi-yeon was shocked, and others were uncomfortable, so things had calmed down for now, but if they decided to break in, it wouldn't hold for long. Maybe just a few minutes.

"Let's get to the point since time's running out. Did the True Light Church import a smoke item developed in the U.S...? Is that true?"

"Yes."

"How did you know?"

"I was personally a test subject for that item."

At those words, Lee Ah-rin’s eyes glinted with a sharp light. This time, another woman's angry voice was heard.

"Hey, test subject? Watch your words! As members of the True Light Church, we are making a rightful contribution..."

"Where’s the laboratory?"

"The prayer hall. It’s called a prayer hall, but it’s actually an illegal building expanded down to the sixth floor. The whole building is basically a laboratory."

As expected.

Even though it was a cult, was there really a need for a blood contract to enter a regular prayer hall?

But if human experiments were taking place, it made sense that the barriers surrounding the prayer hall were in place.

"They said they had to check if the unique skills really disappear. Because of that, after inhaling the smoke, all the blood vessels in my body burst, and they forced me to use my abilities."

"Is that why you don’t have much time left to live? Because of the experiment?"

"Yes."

Lee Ah-rin rolled up her sleeve and showed it.

There were numerous bruises on her arm from needle injections.

"Hunters in the Water Balloon State are much weaker than ordinary people, and being forced to use their abilities in that state was a natural consequence."

"Then why was Lee Ah-rin chosen for that experiment? During the Gwanghwamun Dungeon Break, S-rank Hunters like Yoo Han-ul and Han Jae-young were the targets, so if the True Light Church really did this, why would they choose someone like you, who’s in the Water Balloon State?"

"...Jung Da-on Hunter really has the personality they say you do."

If Lee Ah-rin had secretly contacted me, asked for help in killing Imanbok, and handed over this information, I would have refused and just analyzed the magic circles before leaving.

-You will be blessed if you do good deeds? Quest in progress.

-User 'Jung Da-on' will face limitations in stats when engaging in actions against social norms.

Since this quest exists, I’m bound to have limitations.

Even though they are a cult, it’s hard to think of privately killing someone as righteous, at least in modern society.

"Still, this situation feels... doomed, doesn’t it?"

Outside, at least five cult members were knocking like mad, and even if I escaped, getting out of this building with over a thousand people packed in here seemed impossible. I couldn’t just call Yoo Han-ul or Han Jae-young either.

The real issue was that I couldn’t contact Jung Da-jeong until I got out of here.

Declaring an overnight stay and cutting contact—no matter how much Jung Da-jeong is a saint, this crossed the line.

I’d been thinking too easily, forgetting that I, too, was now one of the insignificant ones.

Crack!

As I reflected briefly, the hammerhead of a thick wooden door smashed through the door.

It seemed they had decided to stop persuading and just break the door down. That was definitely quicker.

"We can’t hold out any longer. Follow me."

Clunk!

Lee Ah-rin opened the window in the room.

"Even if you’re an S-rank hunter, you must have enhanced your physical strength, right?"

She really doesn’t seem to have a backup plan.

Climbing out through the window seems more viable than breaking through the mob outside the door, though.

"It’s not like I’ll fall from the 8th floor."

"It’s not falling. It’s the opposite."

With a creepy squeak, Lee Ah-rin opened the old window and sprinkled something powdery outside.

The powder turned murky in the air and completely obscured the view.

She must be trying to hide where we’re going from others.

Although, it seems like climbing out the window inside the building would end up in the same place.

"Follow me."

Whoosh!

Lee Ah-rin jumped through the window, grabbing a drainpipe outside and started to climb up.

It seems she plans to escape via the building’s outer wall.

"Ugh."

I looked down from the window and saw how far the drop was. If I fell, my fragile body would shatter immediately.

But...

Crack!

The door started to break open more violently.

Climbing the outer wall and escaping is looking more reasonable than facing a bunch of cult members with hammers at close range.

I sighed and set Leo, who had been in my arms the whole time, down.

Leo stared up at me, his eyes wide with excitement.

"You run wild and catch up."

"Meow."

-Hunting!

Watching Leo lick his front paws and eagerly anticipate, it seemed like this situation was actually fun for him.

Despite his smaller size, Leo wouldn’t be scared of regular humans.

I gave him the order and immediately rummaged through my inventory for an item.

Even though I was a mage who favored physical training, there was no way I could climb a building without help.

-Wearing item, 'Spider’s Hand.'

-Wearing item, 'Sylphid Boots.'

-Effects apply immediately.

-I must watch my mana usage as it will steadily drain while wearing these items.

I was glad I looted Han Jae-young’s inventory.

Sticky gloves and translucent silver boots were placed over my feet. I took a deep breath and stretched out my foot toward the window.

If this keeps up, I might just end up being an S-rank swordsman, as Han Jae-young mockingly said.