The Criminal Investigation Department of the Supernatural Technology Management Bureau is a national agency that oversees all supernatural crimes in Korea.
"...Wow, this is terrible."
An Seong-jin, a black magician who had been consulted as usual, instinctively clicked his tongue. He took his hand off the forehead of the man lying on the bed, who was drooling and unconscious, and shook his head.
"Is there any possibility of recovery in this case? It's completely destroyed, as if dozens of nuclear bombs were dropped. He's just in a vegetative state... It's strange that the brain damage isn't as severe as I thought."
"His original condition was even more severe than this. I called a priest to have him treated, thinking it might make him better. As you can see, the result was unpredictable."
"I thought so, too."
At the other person's calm reply, Park Han-cheol, the head of the Criminal Investigation Department, let out a short sigh and rubbed the back of his neck roughly. This was such a peculiar case that he had called An Seong-jin, a black magician, just in case, but it seemed to have failed again.
An Seong-jin continued to speak with indifference, whether he knew his feelings or not.
"There's only one thing I can tell you. I can never fix this. In the first place, the foundation is completely evaporated, so what is there to fix? It would be easier to create a new ego and turn this human into a bio-golem."
"...You know that's a ridiculous thing to say, right?"
"Ah, of course, it's a joke. I don't have the materials needed for the work in the first place."
Park Han-cheol clicked his tongue, frowning at the sight of him shrugging with a very black magician-like joke. He was a perfect black magician at times like this, even though he was a friend with a rarely sane mind among black magic users.
'The funny thing is that he's a good one among the returnees.'
As the head of the criminal investigation department, he had faced countless villains and knew this well. While it was true that most black magic users were dangerous, that didn't mean all criminals were black magic users. Even if they didn't commit crimes, returnees who lived in extreme environments and came back often had thoughts that went against the common sense of Earth. The experiences and revelations they had accumulated little by little while overcoming adversity completely changed their outlook on life. Just like how people who have already achieved great success in society believe that their way of life is the absolute truth.
'It's even better if they have a sense of being the chosen people. When they start to act as they please because they have a power that goes beyond that...'
It was only a moment until the society that humanity had developed and maintained until now would be destroyed. Wasn't that man lying there now the proof?
"Then why did this guy become like this? Seeing that he's here and not in a hospital, he doesn't seem to be a normal victim."
"They said it was an attempted rape against a minor. According to the victim's testimony, he suddenly turned violent and disappeared somewhere in an instant. We recovered him scattered a little away from the scene."
"Ugh! How unsightly. Is that cause and effect? Do I really have to fix this?"
An Seong-jin frowned and glanced at the man lying on the bed. He kept rubbing the hand that had touched his forehead, as if he had touched something dirty, on his pants.
"Whether he's fixed or not doesn't matter. The problem is that an Awakened person with this ability has appeared."
People with mental abilities were under special surveillance everywhere. Not only were there many restrictions on going abroad, but they also had to receive various interferences in their daily lives. It was only natural that the easiest and fastest way to destroy the social system was through terrorism using mental abilities.
'The first thing the World Returnee Association did when it was created was to bind people with mental abilities together to build a defense system. If it weren't for that, the world would have already been in a mess.'
From small misdemeanors to a nuclear war that the whole world could get involved in. Because of that, people with mental abilities had no choice but to be appeased one way or another, or they would be eliminated, so it was only natural for the Criminal Investigation Department to react so sensitively. Well, I heard that they would treat you that way instead.
"You've noticed it, too, haven't you? What was this person's rank?"
"Hmm, well...."
Moreover, if the target was a person with a powerful ability who could turn even a master-level dictator into a ruin, there was no choice. Given the nature of mental abilities, which can be easily blocked by people of the same level, the opponent had to be considered to be at a higher level than the victim.
'Considering the destructive power... it could be at a transcendent level.'
To prepare for an emergency, they had to gather information through all possible means. To get even a small clue about his identity.
"If that's the case, then it can't be helped. I'm sorry I can't help you. But wouldn't it be better to get advice from someone with a similar mental ability than from me?"
"...A lot of people have already been here. They said there was nothing they could do because all the connections were broken and all traces were gone. I called you because I thought a black magician might be able to do something..."
Park Han-cheol looked at him with a thoughtful gaze.
An Seong-jin, who felt a strange sense of foreboding, slowly backed away, but he stopped before he could even take a few steps as his arm was grabbed.
"There was another person who was transferred with the same symptoms just before you arrived. Since you're here, I want you to take a look at that person, too."
"We've already concluded, so why..."
"This time, it's a completely raw sample before any treatment. Still, aren't you the ace with the highest investigation rate in this field? The pressure coming from the top is so great that I can't even go home. Just do me this one favor."
An Seong-jin had no choice but to nod reluctantly at his words.
He had received more than one or two favors from the team leader during that time.
'Ah, now that I don't have to be thirsty for performance bonuses, was I working hard for nothing?'
As expected, it was not easy to ignore talented people. An Seong-jin's mouth watered as he recalled the 'subsidy' he had received from the Hahoe Mask through very legitimate channels. With that, I bought my parents' store building and invested a lot in my finances...
'Wait a minute.'
An Seong-jin, who was about to be moved to another hospital room after a brief stop by Park Han-cheol, suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu about the current situation.
'...Now that I think about it, it was in this very structure that I met the Hahoe Mask in the mental world.'
He pondered for a moment, then let out a small sigh and started walking again. Unlike then, he now had a strong supporter.
'That's because I'm under the Hahoe Mask now. I'm sure he'll help if a problem arises because I've made quite a few achievements so far.'
No matter how great his mental power was, he probably wasn't as great as the Hahoe Mask. An Seong-jin, who had already met him in person, knew very well how terrifying a being the Hahoe Mask was as a black magician who walked the same path.
'He's no longer a human. He's Death itself .'
But was it unfortunate or fortunate? To make my worries in vain, such a thing never happened again. Of course, it was also the same as getting no clues. Just like the criminal investigated earlier, his mental world was completely destroyed, and there was no trace of it.
"Ah, if it's like this, I'm going to leave."
The team leader, who had been groaning and frowning, suddenly raised his head. As if a surprising idea had suddenly popped into his head.
"Now that I think about it, there was a saint from another world! That white knight named Heinrich. Isn't he still active in our country?"
"Ah, that gentleman?"
An Seong-jin was also well aware of Saint Heinrich, the saint of this world. No, it would be difficult to find a person who didn't know about him unless they were completely isolated from society. And that was even more so in Korea, not in other countries.
"But wouldn't it be difficult?"
"No, there's a possibility. I heard that he often goes on service trips and performs all sorts of miracles, even curing terminally ill patients, right?"
If you have that kind of ability, you'll be able to restore their condition. Recently, I heard that they were communicating with the government in some way, and I emphasized that to maintain 'order,' we had to get some clues about the people with mental abilities...
"No, that's not it. Don't you really know?"
"...What?"
Still, it wouldn't have been easy to ask such a huge being to do this. There were a lot of things to prepare even with the help of his superiors. Park Han-cheol, who had no idea what to do for this, was displeased with An Seong-jin's attitude, who was picking a fight for no reason.
Of course, it would be better to just send him back quickly—.
"That person went to the United States, didn't he?"
"What?"
However, he could only stand still and blink blankly at the other person's next words.
"Huh? You really didn't know? I saw it on the news when I came here."
I had no idea. It was because I was busy running around because of the sudden appearance of the 'Mind Breaker.' Since Saint Heinrich and the underworld started working in the sunny side, he had somewhat lost interest because it wasn't in his jurisdiction.
"...Why did he go to the United States? When is he coming back?"
"Hmm? I'm not a party, so how would I know? In the first place, I'm not even a person from our country. According to what was on the news...."
I asked him reflexively, but it wasn't that important. The problem was that the best idea had been in vain even before it started. As An Seong-jin's answer fell into his ears, he let out a big sigh and massaged the back of his neck.
"He said he was going to visit the Pantheon headquarters?"
Kiyung—
San Francisco International Airport, California, USA.
"The car is over there. Please come this way, Brother."
Heinrich left the airport, which was constantly making a loud noise, got into the car he had prepared in advance, and was followed by a sturdy priest in his 40s.
"It's truly overwhelming to finally be able to serve Brother Heinrich."
"I think I made you wait too long. I'm just having a hard time focusing on one thing right now."
"Haha! Not at all. I fully understand your situation. There are many things to do on the other side, but the time difference between dimensions can't be helped."
Priest Jason, the representative of the investigation team dispatched from the US Pantheon headquarters, a middle-aged man with brown hair and a short, smart-looking beard, laughed coolly and waved his hand. The most important thing to him was his life of faith, so it was important to have a somewhat relaxed attitude toward his mission.
While in Korea, I had a very satisfying time interacting with other priests. Heinrich, who was having various conversations with Priest Jason, looked out the car window.
The land of the United States was very different from Korea. I had been here once before when I was dealing with the scribe, but it felt new to visit here officially like this.
'I've finally come here. I've been putting it off day by day, using the excuse that I have a lot of work to do.'
There was no particular reason for him to come here. While he was collecting and organizing information about the Lord of the Heaven-turn society, he suddenly realized that he had missed one important fact.
'Beyond just having a divinity, he even possesses his own divine power... He's closer to a true God than anyone else.'
The Heaven-turn society's secret operations were still continuing day by day. It was true that his competent subordinates were able to deal with it in some way, but it was also a little overwhelming due to the difference in the amount of time accumulated and the scale of the foundation built. However, despite that, the reason they were able to survive like this was that their dark world was blocking them from coming up to the sunny side on the opposite side.
'And that's probably entirely because of the restraints on the Lord of the Heaven-turn society'
He had been working hard to gather information through various means. But he was still ignorant about what he considered truly important.
Why don't mysteries grow naturally on Earth?
Why did the Akasha System use Earth as a hub to connect various worlds?
Why is the Lord of the Samsara Society trying to destroy other dimensions and make new mysteries sprout on Earth?
Heinrich, who was looking outside, gently closed his eyes. During that time, the information about the Lord of the Heaven-turn society that he had collected was mixed in his head, and his thoughts began to sink deep.
'He can't affect the world as he pleases.'
That was true not only for Earth but for other dimensions as well. He had the power to destroy the entire world, like Cosiyas, but he had never used that power from the beginning.
No.
He couldn't.
'If the Lord of the Heaven-turn society had been able to use his full power from the beginning, he wouldn't have been defeated by in Auterica.'
And in the end, the same was true for the Ganghwan, Devore, which was destroyed, and even Cosiyas. Didn't it take decades or more for one world to fall as a basic rule?
From a theological point of view, it wasn't that strange. The beings called gods were basically bound by their own rules, which were somewhat distant from mortals.
'We need to learn more about the existence of gods. Not just about Auterica, which is my base, but also about religions in other dimensions.
From what dimension did he get his power?
Where did that power come from?
How did he become an angel?
How does he even have his own divine power?
And...
What is the relationship between the Akasha System and the gods?
And This was the place he chose to investigate him first.
"We have arrived, Brother Heinrich."
A global religious hub where most of the world religions connected to Earth were gathered in one place.
"That place is the Pantheon's headquarters."
The saint of Auterica and the angel of the main god stepped into the Pantheon of the world's religious union.