Chapter 127 - Swallow the Sun #5
In the base of the Sun Cult, there was a secret room that ordinary people couldn’t enter. It was called the Temple of Heaven, and no one could enter except for the leader and the bishops. It was full of things that couldn’t be shown to other people.
In this place, Cho Min-hyuk and the three bishops were looking at each other with blank faces. They still didn’t know if what they saw was a reality or a dream.
Song Chi-hyun, who was the oldest of the bishops, and had been there since the Sun Cult started three years old, opened his mouth first.
"Surely we weren’t drugged?”
It wasn’t hard to believe. They had used all types of tricks to deceive the believers. They got information about the other person in an unnoticeable manner and used it to know of their past. They figured out the people’s concerns or any illnesses they had.
Song Chi-hyun had 10 years of experience as a magician. Most of the tricks that the cult used came from his head. He used magic to create miracles such as levitating in air or removing a tumor from his abdomen. In other words, they were tricks that came from the head. It was quite good.
In the end, Sun became one of the nation’s top religious groups just three years after its creation. But now the real thing appeared...
Park Bum-ho, who was treated as the fake Pungbaek after the real one appeared, said,
“L-Leader... He really...”
He was particularly agitated.
“Damn. No matter how I look at it, he is real.”
"I-Isn’t it the setting that I made?”
“Huu...”
Park Bum-ho was a manhwa writer whose work didn’t sell. He prepared a story based on Gojoseon, but he hadn’t been able to find an artist, so he plunged into suffering. That’s when the leader scouted him.
Although many parts of Park Bum-ho’s setting were awkward, he had the strange power to attract people. In particular, he was en expert at penetrating the mentality of a person.
"Pungbaek’s abilities could be set up. In particular, we had a plan to change the face and clothes that hadn’t been revealed yet.”
In order to actually do it, they needed to figure out a way to change the mask on the face in an instant. Unsa Kim Jin-woo, who was in charge of the camera installation and eavesdropping, gave his opinion.
“...I analyzed the footage of that person. I couldn’t find any traces of a trick."
Cho Min-hyuk asked Song Chi-hyun to show them his belly and looked closely. The image of a vast amount of blood spurting from it could still be seen in their minds. However, the wound was like he had never been stabbed at all.
Cho Min-hyuk asked,
“You didn’t pretend to be stabbed with a fake knife right? There also wasn’t plastic bag of blood either, right?”
“Yes... I can guarantee it. I was clearly stabbed by a knife. If you take a closer look, my blood stains are still here.”
Song Chi-hyun showed them the knife that had stabbed him. The blood had disappeared, but the traces still remained.
“Damn... What the hell...?”
Did a celestial being really appear in the setting that Park Bum-ho created?Fortunately, the person hadn’t said that they were fakes. They were just worried about how Sun would operate in the future.
“Leader. First, let’s assume that he really is a celestial being.”
"I think this is right.”
The leaders came to a conclusion at the end of an one hour meeting. First of all, they would cooperate with the heavenly being as much as possible. They couldn’t give up the Sun group. It was literally the goose that laid the golden egg.
At first, they asked the believers to give up the goods they had accumulated. Then they could get some peace of mind. However, that didn’t last long.
It was natural. It was because they lived an unhappy life that they joined the cult in the first place. Just removing the cause wouldn’t stop them from feeling unhappy. Then they would once again have to give something up in order to get some rest. Thus, an endless chain began.
Once the berries were ripe, they would be harvested.
Song Chi-hyun said,
"The good news is that the celestial being treats Leader-nim as a fellow god.”
“It really is fortunate. At that moment, I really thought I was the reincarnation of a celestial being. No, maybe...”
"Leader, I’m sorry but let’s start with the worst case scenario. Maybe you will have to hand over your position to him.”
“Hrmm...”
The leader being advised to retire from his position. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
"There is one good thing. Pungbaek doesn’t have the ability to read a person’s mind. You know what that means.”
Song Chi-hyun listened to the leader’s words and muttered,
"We can fool him?”
“Yes. That person is looking for other celestial beings. We can use that as an excuse to expand Sun.”
The bishops nodded at their leader, who managed to turn the crisis of retirement around.
"You want to create a huge group.”
"That’s right. Think about it realistically. That person really can use divine techniques. Imagine if he became the leader and showed the miracles in front of all of the believers.”
“Haah...”
“Woo...”
The news would spread and many new spectators would come to see the heavenly being.
It would work. It had to work.
Right now, they only had 1,200 believers. That could increase by 10, no 100 or even 1,000 times.
"Even if it is only half...”
"What do you think about my idea?”
The scammers raised their thumbs.
@
As the group was plotting, Tae-hyuk was preoccupied with other things. He needed to find definite proof that the Sun Cult was related to the Yakuza. First of all, he decided to check the incense, since that was the only connection point.
He asked the person who moved the supplies and found out that there was a warehouse they were stored in. The guard was someone who hadn’t been able to attend the rally a few hours ago. He sat in his chair and played on his smartphone, as if he didn’t know that a real celestial being had appeared.
Tae-hyuk used Disguise to turn into Song Chi-hyun. Although his height was a little shorter, a man’s height could change depending on the situation.
"Hum hum.”
Tae-hyuk coughed and the guard raised his head with an annoyed expression. Then he used as he realized that Bishop Song Chi-hyun was in front of him.
"B-B-B-Bishop-nim!”
His reaction was like a soldier meeting his commanding office while he had been dozing off.
"You went through a lot of trouble. I need more incense at the rally.”
"I-Is that so? Normally the others come directly...”
"I am tired from waking up at down. I thought a walk would be good for me so don’t think too hard. Then can I go in?”
The guard could only say one thing in response.
"Yes! You worked hard!”
The guard bowed low, like a broken robot. He wouldn’t be brave enough to take a look inside.
The warehouse was filled with a variety of props, like it was the set of a historical drama.
"I can film a drama with the things here.”
The incense wasn’t difficult to find.
However, the contents were empty.
"Hrmm..."
It seemed like he would have to use Spying to determine if there was a secret space. Tae-hyuk activated the crime skill.
‘Spying!’
Then the screen of the Demon Revealing Mirror flashed in front of Tae-hyuk. Information about the objects in the room were written down. This was the ability of the Hawk Eyes attribute.
“Here.”
Tae-hyuk approached a jar placed in a corner of the room. A safe was hidden behind it.
"This won’t open without fingerprint recognition.”
First of all, he gained Cho Min-hyuk’s fingerprints using Counterfeit. However, there was no reaction from the safe.
Next he tried Song Chi-hyun and Park Bum-ho.
"It looks like Kim Jin-woo is in charge of this.”
He used the thumbprint of Kim Jin-woo and the safe door opened with a loud clunk.
Tae-hyuk smiled.
Recently, the number of fingerprint recognition safes had increased over the dial or lock type. It was much harder for other thieves, but Tae-hyuk was the opposite.
‘I don’t have the skill to pick a lock yet. I’m feel sorry since I’m always getting its help, so I should buy some stock in companies that make fingerprint recognition locks.’
Tae-hyuk looked into the safe and as he thought, there was a glass bottle of perfume.
He sniffed the sweet scent. It was definitely ‘that.’
"Then let’s see the source of this.”
Tae-hyuk pulled out a notebook and pencil. He would prefer a proper easel or drawing sheet but there was no time.
"Then Forgery...!”
[The Forgery skill has found an intense image.]
[The work has been completed through automatic mode.]
The familiar intense illusion appeared in front of Tae-hyuk’s eyes. It was the hidden ability of Forgery that helped him many times. The secret deal between the Yakuza and bishops was drawn inside the notebook. The atmosphere was enough to use it as a poster for a crime movie.
"Bingo. The Yakuza was behind the Sun Cult.”
Tae-hyuk was able to close the notebook when he saw someone drawn in the corner. He looked like he was in control of the transaction, but he felt strangely familiar.
“Hrmm... This person...”
Anyway, he could ask the bishops if he was curious. Tae-hyuk took the perfume from the safe and quietly left the warehouse. He had everything he wanted.
Now it was time to strike.
@
Tae-hyuk took the appearance of the celestial being and gave orders to the leader and bishops. He told them to gather the members of Sun into a room so that he could introduce himself formally.
It would be the celestial being’s first public appearance. The cult leaders who heard this couldn’t help laughing.
"T-Those words...”
“Yes. It is my job to look after the members here. I can’t promise forever, but I will lead them as long as possible.”
Kim Jin-woo murmured in a touched tone,
“P-Pungbaek...”
Then Song Chi-hyun said,
“Pungbaek. It is sad but there are still many believers who don’t believe that Pungbaek is a celestial being. Then can you please show us a miracle again?”
“Of course.”
“Ohh... T-Thank you. So I will get it ready.”
Tae-hyuk laughed and didn’t say anything.
The bishops accepted and the rally to introduce ‘Pungbaek’ was organized in an instant. Thousands of believers gathered in an auditorium. Rumours of Pungbaek started to spread among them.
It was all staged by Song Chi-hyun.
"Aren’t we gathered today to be introduced to the real Pungbaek?”
"Eh? So the Pungbaek we met until now...?”
“He was just a proxy while the real Pungbaek was away. Maybe he will get another position?”
“I see. Then what will Pungbaek show us?”
The believers looked up at the podium with excited faces as their expectations grew. Then Song Chi-hyun appeared on stage.
"I am here to introduce you to Pungbaek, who has been ruling the winds of the world for thousands of years.”
It was like he was introducing a magician. But the public was excited about the obvious direction.
"Eh? The clouds...”
“P-Pungbaek!”
The clouds gathered together on stage and revealed one person. It seemed like a figure from the myths was appearing. It was enough to cause the crowd in the auditorium to cheer. Some followers even shed tears.
“It is really Pungbaek...”
"P-Pungbaek! Please save us!”
“Please lead us, Pungbaek!”
Tae-hyuk walked towards the microphone on the stage. He truly was like a magician.
‘I am a magician without a stage crew.’
Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue.
"After thousands of years, I am able to appear in front of you thanks to Hwanin. I...”
Tae-hyuk stopped for a moment and looked at the crowd. They were gazing at Tae-hyuk with hopeful eyes as they wished for a miracle. Even though thousands of people were gathered, it was so quiet that not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
‘I will give them a miracle like they wished. However, it will be a little different from what they want.’
Tae-hyuk slowly opened his mouth and said...
@
"Once Pungbaek opened his mouth, the Sun group was literally decimated. Isn’t this a miracle?”
Tae-hyuk smiled as he left the auditorium.
He told the believers that the leader and bishops were fakes. Once he recalled what happened in there, his stomach hurt again.
Who would have imagined? Ridiculous words had emerged from the mouth of the person called the celestial being.
"Get the scammer!”
"That bastard is running away!”
Several hundred people were running around the building trying to catch Tae-hyuk, but they couldn’t find any signs of him.
‘Originally I didn’t look like that.’
He released the disguise of the celestial being. Then he pretended to be searching as well.
‘Surely they won’t notice that two of the same people are searching. I won’t have to worry about it if I enter another building.’
Tae-hyuk pretended to be searching while looking at the Demon Revealing Mirror. Then he muttered,
"This has definitely changed the fate of the Sun group. Then give me the reward.”
How many affinity points would he get?
Tae-hyuk stared at the Demon Revealing Mirror.
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