Salvation Religion

The greatest characteristic of Eye of Truth is understanding.

By visualizing and perceiving energy, it understands not just surface phenomena, but the principles and laws hidden within.

After understanding comes replication.

Through the ability to control energy, one can perfectly recreate the understood phenomena.

Due to these characteristics, the original Alice, who had no power at all, was able to grow into a monster capable of destroying a country single-handedly in just a few years.

Martial arts, magic, sorcery, psychic powers.

When you can perfectly recreate abilities that others spent decades obtaining just by observing them, how could you not become stronger?

Yuseong was also very well aware of Eye of Truth’s abilities, and had used it before to steal martial arts shown by Kang Changseok.

But that was both the first and last time Yuseong stole abilities.

There were several reasons.

The abilities used by Contractors had some imperfections that made them only D to E rank at best, or even if he stole abilities from quests and returned to Earth, he still had to pay karma as compensation just like purchasing from the shop, and so on.

In short, the efficiency was poor.

It was far more efficient to honestly complete quests and earn karma to grow stronger than spend time stealing abilities.

In other words, it wasn’t that he couldn’t steal abilities until now but that he chose not to, which meant he could steal abilities anytime if they were worth it.

‘The internal energy flow is much more complex and faster than I expected. With just one-tenth of internal energy used, it’s already this much… if full power were used…’

Clicking his tongue briefly, Yuseong used Asura Perception Way to adjust his perceived time and thought speed while focusing his spirit power to strengthen his mystic eye’s power.

In the world moving slowly like slow motion, Yuseong concentrated all his mental focus to thoroughly observe Bruce’s energy flow.

He paid no attention to the energy attacks.

Though Bruce was clearly displaying various martial arts, the internal energy flow connected too naturally to distinguish where one martial art ended and another began.

Instead, Yuseong focused on the internal energy flow that remained constant while performing various energy attacks.

He decided to steal the mental technique that could be called the foundation of martial arts.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The destructive power of Bruce’s energy attacks rose endlessly without limit.

At first they only made holes in buildings, but soon they were collapsing buildings, and now they were completely obliterating buildings without leaving a trace.

“Stop!”

“…What’s wrong?”

Bruce, who had been getting increasingly excited, stopped moving with a dissatisfied expression at Kang Changseok’s sudden interruption.

Though he was twitching slightly as if about to unleash martial arts again at any moment, he had to lower his raised fist at Kang Changseok’s explanation.

“What do you mean what’s wrong? Look around!”

The spaces where energy had hit or exploded were flickering like broken TVs and repeatedly returning to normal.

Anyone could tell this wasn’t normal.

“I only used one-tenth of my internal energy.”

“The problem is using that one-tenth for energy attacks. Stop here. If you rampage any more, the Shadow World will collapse.”

“Hmm, but there’s still so much I haven’t shown…”

“This is enough.”

Though he wanted to rampage more, it was awkward to insist when even Yuseong was saying this.

Slowly exhaling to settle his internal energy, Bruce looked at Yuseong and said.

“Did you gain anything?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t be helped… Wait, what did you just say?”

“I said I gained something?”

Bruce, who had been expecting an unsatisfied response, couldn’t help but be startled.

‘Not just simple martial arts but energy attacks, and I couldn’t even show much due to interruption halfway through, yet he says he gained something? Information about energy attacks? Or methods to utilize them?’

Though he wanted to ask exactly what was gained, he exercised patience and kept his mouth shut.

Yuseong had asked to see his abilities, and he had shown them as requested.

That was the end.

There was no reason to do more, nor any desire to get further involved.

“Then this concludes it. Kang Changseok?”

“Not here, let’s return to the association building. It would be strange if people who were in the meeting room suddenly appeared outside.”

“Fine.”

Just as when they came, Bruce led the way with Kang Changseok and Yuseong following behind.

No matter how powerful a martial artist he was, enough to call himself MartialGod, even if he was one of the three strongest among all users, he lacked the ability to read the expression of those behind him.

Therefore, Bruce couldn’t notice the bright smile on Yuseong’s face as he followed behind.

This was fortunate for both Yuseong and Bruce.

[You have acquired Infinite Origin Force(S).]

If he had noticed that smile, furthermore if he had known the reason for it, an unspeakably terrible tragedy would have occurred.

* * *

After the world changed, religion took the biggest hit.

Monsters that seemed to exist only in imagination appeared to attack humans, and people who made contracts with unknown transcendent beings gained mysterious powers to stop the monsters.

These stories appeared nowhere in scriptures passed down for hundreds or thousands of years, and naturally people’s faith crumbled.

Of course, religious circles weren’t completely idle.

Christianity referenced the apocalypse, Buddhism the degenerate age of dharma, Islam the end times, and others like Ragnarok, heavenly reform, and world renewal – they tried somehow to explain the current situation using existing doctrines and scriptures, and thanks to this were able to recover fallen faith to some extent.

That’s right.

To some extent.

No matter how plausible the explanation, it was inevitably difficult to have stronger persuasive power than the monsters and Contractors visible right before their eyes.

People who lost faith split into two groups.

One was irreligion.

These people weren’t a problem.

Whether agnosticism, deism, or atheism, though the types varied, they didn’t harm others.

The problem was those who chose a different path.

“Believe in Lord Dain! He has the power to heal the wounded and sick!”

“Do not kill monsters! Monsters are apostles of the great one who came to purify the world. When the apostles take away the sinful and purify the world, a new world will open!”

“I will absolve your sins. Everyone, believe in me.”

Those who abandoned existing religions to create or accept new ones.

These people caused social chaos by clashing with existing religions or each other, or deceiving people with sweet words for profit and causing all sorts of incidents.

People urged countermeasures but no suitable method could be found.

This was because these people were truly chosen by transcendent beings.

People claiming to be chosen by gods and transcend humanity actually proved superhuman abilities.

Those claiming to receive power to control the world’s rules demonstrated manipulating physical laws, and those claiming to receive healing authority could cleanly heal wounds.

Beings that were hard to call cults but also hard not to call cults.

After long debate, the conclusion reached was surveillance and disposal.

Watch their every move closely and immediately arrest or shoot to kill if they cross the line.

The reason such an extreme measure was created was simple.

“I instigated it from behind. I convinced the government, media, and civic groups that shoot to kill authority must be granted.”

Yuseong stared blankly at Kang Changseok.

He was wondering what he was trying to say with this sudden speech, but never imagined he would make an unexpected confession.

Wondering how to react, Yuseong decided to first resolve the question that came to mind.

“Was there a need to go that far?”

“We had to quickly settle the early chaos. These issues need to be dealt with firmly from the start. If we responded passively, it could have spread from an issue of some Contractors to an issue of all Contractors.”

“Still, shoot to kill seems too extreme.”

“To be blunt, it’s pruning. We went through all that trouble to make them Contractors but instead of hunting monsters as told, they cause social chaos – better to quickly eliminate them and birth new Contractors.”

“There could be gentler methods. Since you created the Contractors, you could just take away their power and give it to others.”

“I’m a mediator. I can arrange contracts but the formation or termination of contracts rests entirely with the parties involved. To birth new Contractors, there’s no other way than killing existing Contractors. The number of Contractors I’ve killed directly and indirectly is uncountable.”

Yuseong couldn’t say anything.

Not because he was shocked to learn an unexpected side of Kang Changseok who seemed like a pushover.

He was just dumbfounded.

‘So why are you telling me this? Want to relieve your guilty conscience by confessing your sins?’

As if noticing Yuseong’s thoughts, Kang Changseok cleared his throat and said.

“Well, in short, I’m saying I don’t kill people without reason. I hope you don’t think of me as a crazy murderer or psychopath.”

“Ah.”

Only then could Yuseong understand why Kang Changseok gave such a lengthy explanation.

‘It’s because of this operation.’

The mastermind behind instigating terrorism and causing social chaos was the leader of a new religion that had been explosively growing in power recently.

Kang Do-hyeon.

Originally a porter, but one day he became a Contractor and established a new religion.

The religion’s name was Salvation Religion.

Unlike its commonplace name, word spread that the leader Kang Do-hyeon possessed abilities on a different level from ordinary Contractors and could artificially create superhumans rivaling Contractors, and in less than a month it grew into a force surpassing decent-sized guilds.

The problem was Salvation Religion’s members.

‘Fanatics willing to give their lives for their leader.’

When Kang Changseok learned Salvation Religion was behind this, he initially sent an official letter requesting dialogue with their leader.

Though the other party’s identity was uncertain, he thought someone capable of creating and running a religion must have some intelligence, so the situation might be resolved through dialogue.

But Salvation Religion’s followers refused, saying they absolutely could not send their leader outside, and not satisfied with that, they even committed terrorism in Gwanghwamun Square.

Fortunately Yuseong was there, otherwise tremendous chaos would have erupted.

The day the terrorism occurred, Kang Changseok decided to completely wipe out Salvation Religion.

However, things became complicated when Yuseong got involved.

‘Han Yuseong. This guy will definitely say something.’

Salvation Religion’s followers numbered in the four digits.

No matter how necessary it was, it was obvious what someone would think seeing over a thousand people killed, not just dozens or hundreds.

‘Other users could understand after years or decades of experience as users. But Han Yuseong who just recently became a user is different. He might seriously misunderstand me.’

This was why Kang Changseok suddenly gave a lengthy speech.

‘…Just what kind of person does he think I am?’

Of course, it was a completely unnecessary worry.