‘So he’s finally making his move.’
An Ki-tae was a newcomer who had been issued citizenship just three days ago.
The reason I had been able to put Moon Byeong-ho on his tail the moment he showed suspicious movements was simple—I had never taken my eyes off him since the moment he entered.
Even while cleaning up the aftermath of the Jamsil incident, I continued monitoring An Ki-tae and his group through Absolute Dweller’s Eye.
At first, I had kept an eye on them because of their levels.
An Ki-tae’s group consisted of six people, and half of them were awakened individuals with notably high levels.
An Ki-tae himself was level 32, while the other two were at level 28 and level 27, respectively.
Since all three had awakened B-rank abilities and had likely started at level 25, it meant they had hunted a significant number of monsters.
That alone made them worth keeping track of. But then, they began exhibiting suspicious behavior.
‘They were talking about when to make their report.’
In other words, they were spies.
From the conversations I overheard, it became clear that they had infiltrated the JHS cult with a specific goal in mind.
However, the sudden Rapture had occurred, and after consuming the chocolate distributed by the JHS, they had nearly been sacrificed as live offerings like the rest of the believers—only to survive thanks to me.
Among them, An Ki-tae had been the first to recover his senses, and he had witnessed everything.
He had seen the countless souls flocking back to their bodies in an awe-inspiring sight, the massive landmass plummeting from the sky in a cataclysmic disaster, and the retainers risking their lives to stop it.
And finally, he had seen the transcendent power that had minimized the catastrophe.
‘That’s why his loyalty and trust levels were unusually high compared to others.’
The people who hadn’t seen that event had abysmally low trust and loyalty scores, but An Ki-tae’s were both over 80.
It was an ironic situation—a spy who had high trust in me.
Regardless, once I had confirmed they were spies from another organization, I couldn’t afford to take my eyes off them. And now, at last, he had begun moving.
Since the cleanup of the Jamsil incident had just wrapped up, I had Moon Byeong-ho tail him.
An Ki-tae started running along the tracks of Subway Line 2 from Konkuk University Station.
Though some parts of the railway were damaged, he skillfully maneuvered over the obstacles.
After about ten minutes of sprinting at full speed along the tracks, he finally arrived at a location where individuals who appeared to be his comrades were stationed.
It was Hanyang University Station—one of the few stations that had remained relatively intact compared to the others, which had been completely wrecked.
Two armed guards stood at the entrance to the subway station, holding rifles.
As An Ki-tae approached, they raised their weapons and issued a challenge.
"Hands up. Move, and we shoot. Bamboo."
"Ocean."
"Who are you?"
An Ki-tae raised both hands with a practiced expression and calmly identified himself.
"Captain An Ki-tae, 303rd Unit."
After a brief verification, one of the armed soldiers saluted and stepped aside.
"Honor."
"Unity."
Inside the subway station, soldiers in uniform were stationed at various posts, keeping watch.
‘Their numbers are larger than I expected.’
Hanyang University Station marked the point where the subway line, previously exposed to the surface, began to tunnel underground.
Descending further into the station, An Ki-tae encountered a staggering number of homeless people.
‘.......’
The platform was packed with people using tattered newspapers and cardboard boxes as makeshift bedding. Their numbers easily exceeded several hundred.
A stench of filth and decay permeated the air, almost suffocating.
Even beyond the platform, the line of homeless people extended endlessly into the subway tunnels.
Seeing their pitiful state, I had the sudden urge to provide aid, but if I acted too obviously, my presence would be exposed.
"Mommyyy... I’m hungry..."
"I... I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, baby... Hic."
A child’s feeble whimper and a woman’s sobbing cut through the heavy atmosphere, causing a dull ache in my chest.
‘Open store. Purchase chocolate.’
Bzzzt—
Without drawing attention, I materialized chocolate beneath the blankets covering some of the homeless.
They would find it eventually.
The entire subway track leading to Wangsimni Station was filled with people in similar dire conditions.
The situation was severe.
Many were clearly on the verge of starvation.
Cases of severe dehydration were also visible throughout the area.
‘They’ve hit their limit.’
The best I could do was discreetly scatter water and food supplies at key locations without being noticed.
By the time An Ki-tae arrived at Wangsimni Station, his pace had quickened.
After navigating through the maze-like corridors of the station for quite some time, he finally reached his destination.
Creak—
Inside the room he entered, dozens of soldiers in uniform were gathered, their eyes darkened with exhaustion as they held a meeting.
The room lacked electricity, and the only sources of light were several flickering candles placed on the table.
It looked as though both the meeting and the organization itself were on the verge of collapse.
As soon as An Ki-tae opened the door, all eyes turned toward him.
He took a deep breath and declared,
"Unity. I have found the Savior."
***
Commander Lee Hak-gi, whose stress levels were at their peak, snapped at An Ki-tae the moment he barged in, spouting nonsense.
"Captain An Ki-tae, have you lost your mind?"
"No, sir. I’m speaking with utmost sincerity. May I report immediately?"
Lee Hak-gi thought the man had finally gone mad.
They had sent him to gather intelligence on a cult, and now he was talking about finding a ‘savior.’
‘Was he brainwashed?’
A sharp sense of tension gripped him.
If An Ki-tae had truly been brainwashed, there was no telling what he might do.
He subtly shifted his hand toward the cold steel of the pistol strapped to his side before speaking.
"Go ahead."
"Thank you, sir."
The report that followed was nothing short of shocking.
"First and foremost, the JHS cult has been eradicated."
"What did you say?"
A collective groan filled the command center.
They had pinned their hopes on the cult, believing it to be a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) stable supplier of food for over 100,000 citizens.
"Then it's over for us."
"There’s still a way. If we downsize the organization, we can resolve a large portion of the food crisis."
"Are you out of your damn mind? Are you suggesting we abandon the citizens?"
"Then are you saying we should just watch as we all sink together?"
"You lunatic."
"Crazy? My family and I haven’t eaten anything in days! Who wouldn’t go mad from that?!"
"That goes for everyone here!"
The discussion devolved into a brutal clash of survival-driven logic.
But An Ki-tae managed to shift the heated atmosphere.
"Everyone, please take a look at this."
Something materialized in his hand.
Bzzzt—
It was a high-calorie chocolate bar.
"This is an ability I obtained after joining an organization in Busan."
A hush fell over the room as they processed what he had just said, only for an uproar to explode moments later.
"You can create food?"
"What do you mean you joined an organization in Busan?"
"How much, how much food can you supply?"
Voices clamored in confusion until a heavy voice cut through the noise.
"Silence."
Lee Hak-gi, his face gaunt from stress but his eyes burning with intensity, stared at him.
"Explain how you ended up joining this organization."
"Yes, sir."
An Ki-tae launched into a lengthy explanation.
"Soon after infiltrating the JHS cult, an anomaly occurred. The entire landmass of Jamsil was lifted into the sky, and my last memory before being sucked in was an excruciating pain that felt like my soul was being torn apart. Based on the information I gathered, it seems the cult leader, Jeong Hyeon-su, was attempting some kind of ritual using human lives as sacrifices. At that moment, the organization I mentioned—the one in Busan—intervened and stopped him."
Lee Hak-gi’s gaze remained fixed on him.
"So? What made you decide to join them without reporting back to us?"
"At first, I was deeply suspicious of their sudden appearance. Given the timing, I considered the possibility that they were actually responsible for the disaster that nearly claimed thousands of lives. I observed them for several days before reaching a conclusion."
"And what was that conclusion?"
"The moment the ritual was disrupted, a massive landmass began plummeting from the sky."
A heavy silence fell over the command room.
"If Jamsil had remained airborne and crashed, the damage would have been catastrophic. But these people risked their lives to stop it. Afterward, they dedicated all their efforts to rescuing the survivors. Based on their actions, I determined that they were not at fault."
Murmurs spread throughout the room.
"This is ridiculous."
"Is he dreaming?"
"Did that group brainwash him?"
The notion of Jamsil floating into the sky, let alone someone preventing it from crashing, was simply too absurd.
"Quiet."
Lee Hak-gi’s stern voice silenced the room once more.
"Continue."
"Yes, sir. Above all, the level of food distribution I witnessed was astonishing. They provided cola, chocolate bars, and various processed goods in overwhelming abundance—all for free, without any conditions. That’s when I decided to infiltrate them myself."
"And what is your final assessment? What do you think of this organization?"
"...At first, I couldn't believe my own eyes. The place looked as if the apocalypse had somehow spared Busan entirely."
"What do you mean?"
As An Ki-tae continued his report, the room fell into an oppressive silence.
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A land monsters could not invade.
A residential area with a stable supply of electricity, water, and gas.
An endless stockpile of food.
And even a massive arsenal of firearms and ammunition.
Finally—
"...And this." He pulled a smartphone from his coat. "I obtained this today. They currently have working phone service, and text messaging is operational."
For a long moment, the officers simply stared at the device in stunned silence.
Then one of them burst into laughter.
"Puhaha!"
As if the tension had finally snapped, the laughter spread throughout the room.
"Ahh, they really went all out with this fabrication."
"You sure you weren’t in some kind of fantasyland?"
Only one person, Lee Hak-gi, remained silent.
When he raised a hand, the laughter died instantly.
Slowly, he spoke.
"...To be honest, I can’t believe what you’re saying. But the miserable truth is, we are in a situation where we have no choice but to bet everything on an unbelievable story. How pathetic."
The officers erupted in protests.
"Commander! Are you seriously considering this?!"
"You’re not actually believing this nonsense, are you?"
"If we waste time on this, we’re finished!"
Lee Hak-gi surveyed them coldly.
"And do any of you have a better plan? I will not accept a plan that involves abandoning the citizens. That would only be a temporary fix—like pissing on a frozen leg. If we’re going to sink, we sink together."
At that moment—
"Do not worry. What he is saying is not a lie."
A voice echoed from the air.
"Who’s there?!"
Everyone in the room tensed, their hands reaching for their weapons.
Bzzzt—
Before they could react, crates upon crates of emergency relief supplies—food, water, medicine—began materializing, filling the room to the brim.