"Monk Seungju... do you have something to confess?"
"I-I'm sorry, Abbot."
"Sorry? For what, exactly?"
"I can’t explain the details. But please trust me. I’ve done nothing improper."
By this point, even the most oblivious person would have figured it out.
"Monk Seungju... the *Anti-Demon Warrior Monk Technique* isn’t something passed down from Master Yoohyeon, is it?"
"...I deeply apologize."
"Hah! I thought it sounded far-fetched from the very beginning."
What is this, some kind of movie about Shaolin monks?
The idea that martial arts from the Joseon era, used by warrior monks, could enhance the combat abilities of today’s Awakened was absurd.
‘It’s nonsense.’
Even our unit had people skilled in martial arts. The prime example was Corporal Gwangil.
He’d learned everything from boxing to Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a way to overcome his timid personality.
I can confidently say this: while martial arts might provide some minor benefits, they cannot dramatically enhance an Awakened’s combat capabilities.
‘Normal humans and Awakened are fundamentally different in terms of physical abilities.’
Martial arts designed for human limitations could never fully accommodate the superhuman physicality of Awakened individuals.
I glanced at the abbot.
[Awakened: Beophyeon]
[Class: Low-Rank Priest Lv.17]
[Martial Arts]
[C - Anti-Demon Warrior Monk Technique Lv.2]
At least for everyone except Seungju, their status screens listed the *Anti-Demon Warrior Monk Technique*.
But the problem was the ranking.
Seungju’s technique was rated as A. The *Anti-Demon Warrior Monk Technique* was rated as C.
I’d never seen this kind of discrepancy before, but one thing was clear: the two techniques were vastly different.
‘The *Anti-Demon Warrior Monk Technique* is just a watered-down version of Seungju’s skill.’
As I folded my arms and watched, Monk Seungju began trembling, seemingly unable to believe what was happening.
"How... how did you figure it out?"
"Let’s just say I’ve got a knack for these things."
"..."
"To begin with, isn’t this entire story just ridiculous? Even if martial arts from the Joseon era were exceptional, they’re still designed for humans. How would they help Awakened individuals?"
"..."
"Who’d buy this? People aren’t stupid."
"Ahem!"
The abbot’s face turned slightly red at my last comment.
"W-Well, I admit I thought it was a bit fantastical. But such an extraordinary technique wouldn’t appear out of thin air. It had to have some kind of origin."
"So, you convinced yourself to believe that nonsense."
"...Ahem."
The abbot lowered his head, as though he had nothing else to say.
"Hah..."
After a moment, Monk Seungju, who had been sweating profusely, let out a long sigh and spoke.
"I don’t know how you figured it out, but it seems you already know everything."
"More or less."
"You’re right. The technique I learned is not the *Anti-Demon Warrior Monk Technique*. And the story about it being passed down from Master Yoohyeon is a lie."
"So even the name is a fabrication?"
"...Yes. What I taught the other monks is a simplified version of my technique. It’s designed to be easy to learn but difficult to master. As for the name *Anti-Demon Warrior Monk Technique*... I made that up."
At first, he had been trembling as though terrified of being exposed. Now, he had resigned himself, even speaking with a hint of brazenness.
"...You seem awfully confident now?"
"Didn’t you already know? There’s no point in hiding it anymore."
Hmm.
I hadn’t known that the other monks’ techniques were simplified versions of his.
"But in the end, I’m already a monk who broke my vow of nonviolence. Lying isn’t going to make me any worse, is it?"
"...Hah. Fair enough."
It was absurd, sure. But his shamelessness was oddly refreshing.
"More importantly, can you really solve our problem?"
"I can. We’ve dealt with this sort of thing before."
"Hmm. In that case..."
He seemed to think it over briefly before speaking again.
"Would you accept payment after the fact?"
"Are you saying—"
"If your method works, I’ll tell you everything about the technique I’ve mastered."
Originally, my goal here was to form an alliance with this group.
But seeing how deeply flawed they were as a collective, I’d been thoroughly disappointed.
On the other hand...
‘If I solve their issues, they could become a valuable group.’
The information he held might not be as significant as I hoped, but setting this group on the right path was something I intended to do anyway.
If that meant they became worthy allies, then—
"That’s acceptable."
Muttering to myself, I stood up.
Monk Seungju looked at me curiously.
"You’re standing all of a sudden. Where are you going?"
"We’re busy, too. We don’t have time to wait around."
"...?"
"They say you should strike while the iron is hot."
I grinned.
"Let’s solve your problem right now."
"...!"
"For starters, I’ll need access to your kitchen."
I took the two monks and headed to the temple's kitchen.
"The kitchen? Why there...?"
"Come to think of it, you said your class was a chef."
"A chef...! Is such a class even possible?"
The abbot seemed a bit surprised.
Well, what could I do? People with this class were rare, so I just had to accept their reactions.
‘It’d be nice if simply feeding them [Courage] meals could solve the issue...’
In our unit, turning all members into Awakened was straightforward—feeding them meals imbued with [Courage] while I cared for them personally was enough.
But that approach wouldn’t work here.
I wasn’t part of this temple, and I couldn’t stay here endlessly, cooking for every survivor awaiting their turn to Awaken.
So.
I needed a slightly different approach.
To come up with the solution, I sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor and popped a piece of jerky into my mouth.
[War Chef's Eavesdropping Alaur Jerky]
"What are you doing...?"
"Shh."
[Temporarily gains trait: Heightened Hearing.]
Ignoring the monks’ questions, I focused my attention.
Soon, sounds from all over the mountain began to flood my ears.
The sound of animals treading on the ground.
The rustling of trees in the wind.
The cries of monsters.
The heavy breathing of zombies.
And among all these sounds—
—“Did you see them earlier today...?”
—“Soldiers?”
—“But the military’s supposed to be wiped out...”
I heard voices.
I focused on their words.
How much time passed, I couldn’t say.
"Monks."
Eventually, I stood up and lit the stove under the kitchen cauldron.
As I began preparing a meal, I addressed the monks.
"You said earlier that since you’ve already broken your vows, a little lying doesn’t matter, right?"
Currently, a significant number of survivors from Yanggu County had gathered at Myohyangsa Temple.
Among them, a few served as representatives. One of these was a local figure of influence even before the world fell into chaos.
Hong Jeongsu, also known as "Father Jinsu."
Looking at the gathered people, he spoke.
"I saw people in military uniforms wandering around the temple earlier today."
"Military uniforms? Do you mean actual soldiers?"
"I’d like to think so, but chances are slim. You all know this as well—the military was wiped out."
"Then... does that mean..."
"Most likely, they’re deserters."
His words caused the group to murmur in alarm.
"W-Why would the monks take in deserters?"
"Who knows? What I do know is this—if they’re hiding it from us, it’s probably not in our favor. Though I do have a guess."
"A guess?"
Hong Jeongsu hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.
"My guess is that the monks are trying to change the current power dynamic."
"What do you mean by ‘current power dynamic’?"
"Ahem. The situation where the monks are protecting us as they are now."
Truthfully, the arrangement wasn’t normal.
In today’s world, the Awakened held all the power.
"All it would take is one moment of complacency, and those monks could start acting like nobles. It wouldn’t be surprising."
"Acting like nobles?"
"Think about it. They could start demanding we obey them, claiming that it’s thanks to them we’re even alive."
"But... they’re monks. Would they really go that far?"
"Hah. Monks are people too. If this situation drags on, corruption is only natural."
At his words, the group’s expressions darkened.
"We need to be vigilant to prevent such a situation. That’s the only way we can stay safe."
A few people looked uneasy, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Honestly, haven’t we been taking advantage of the monks too much? They’re the reason we have food and safety, after all."
But Jeongsu let out a derisive laugh, brushing their concerns aside.
"Hah. If you feel that way, then why don’t you go Awaken yourself and help the monks? No one’s stopping you."
"..."
"Of course, once you Awaken, you’ll have to fight monsters alongside them. Oh, and didn’t a monk die recently? Got eaten by those monsters, I hear—they couldn’t even recover the body. But hey, if that doesn’t bother you, feel free to step up."
At that, the uneasy couple quietly sat back down.
"Sigh. We can live comfortably under the monks’ protection if we just leave things as they are. Why complicate matters?" Jeongsu clicked his tongue.
"Sure, it might sting the conscience a bit. But think about it—these are monks we’re talking about."
"What’s your point?"
"My point is, they’re people who aim to become Buddhas through discipline and good deeds. If they suddenly start acting like nobles, turning us into slaves, that’d undo all their years of spiritual training, wouldn’t it?"
On the other hand, if they continued to protect others, sacrificing themselves...
"That would all count as merit. It’d bring them closer to enlightenment."
"Does it really work that way?"
"Of course. Helping us is part of their spiritual practice. So there’s no need for us to feel guilty about it."
Although a few people still looked uneasy, no one voiced further objections.
‘Hah, hypocrites. They don’t want to fight monsters themselves, but they love to act morally superior.’
"Ahem."
"Anyway, we need to ensure things stay the way they are. I don’t know why the monks brought in deserters, but we’ll find out at tomorrow morning’s meeting."
"Sigh. It’s concerning."
"The important thing is this: no matter where the conversation leads, we must steer it so the monks don’t fall into corruption."
"Understood."
"I don’t want to fight monsters, so... fine."
Watching the group nod in agreement, Jeongsu smirked.
‘The monks are ridiculously naive. With this many people on my side... they won’t dare say a word.’
As long as public opinion stayed in his favor, those overly kind monks would remain their obedient servants.
The survivors of Yanggu County, gathered at Myohyangsa Temple, had agreed to align their stories in preparation for the next day’s meeting. Their plan was simple: maintain the current status quo at all costs.
However, when the meeting began the following morning, their counterparts weren’t the monks.
“We are from the 12th Corps.”
"...The 12th Corps?"
Standing before them were not monks, but soldiers—dressed in military uniforms and armed with guns and advanced equipment.
‘What kind of giants are these...?’
These weren’t ordinary soldiers. Each one was massive, their physiques overwhelming.
One man even appeared to be over two meters tall. The uniforms they wore were subtly different as well, suggesting they might be some kind of special forces.
‘The only one who looks somewhat normal is... him?’
Amid the group of towering figures was one man with a relatively average build—at least, average compared to the others.
His face was sharp and rather handsome, though his piercing gaze and dangerous aura made him seem anything but ordinary.
The man at the center of the group stepped forward and spoke.
“To be precise, we are from the 423rd Battalion, a direct unit under the 12th Corps. My name is Sergeant Shin Youngjun.”
“Wait, are they really soldiers?”
“I thought all the military units were wiped out.”
As murmurs broke out among the crowd, Sergeant Shin Youngjun nodded calmly.
“We’re aware that such rumors are widespread. And yes, it’s true that most military units were annihilated.”
“...”
“However, not all units were destroyed. The 12th Corps has been rallying the surviving forces to wage war against the monsters.”
“Whoa...!”
Excitement spread among the survivors.
The military, which they had thought destroyed, was still intact. Not only that, but they had come to save them.
It was a story too good not to believe.
‘Fools. They’re actually buying this?’
But one person wasn’t so easily convinced: Hong Jeongsu.
“As I was saying, while many units were destroyed, our resources are still limite—”
“Hey, you!”
Before Shin Youngjun could finish, Jeongsu interrupted, standing up from his seat.
“...You seem familiar. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing much. You claim to be from some unit, but everyone knows the military was wiped out.”
With that, Jeongsu began walking toward the soldier.
He recognized that man. He was the very same person Monk Seungju had brought in yesterday.
Whatever plot he had cooked up with the monks, Jeongsu wasn’t about to let it slide.
“And what proof do you have that you’re not just deserters?”
With this thought in mind, Jeongsu approached.
But at that moment—
“Stop.”
“What proof do you have—”
“Who said you could move without permission?”
*Click.*
“Huh?”
Shin Youngjun calmly drew a handgun and aimed it at Jeongsu, stopping him in his tracks.
“Hah. What, are you planning to shoot me with that—”
*BANG!*
The sudden gunshot echoed throughout the temple grounds, a sound utterly alien in such a sacred place.
“...”
Jeongsu, who had always been confident and composed, found himself frozen for the first time.
His ability to dominate conversations and assert his authority among the survivors had always set him apart.
But now?
Sweat began to bead on his face.
He glanced downward, his gaze locking onto the ground between his feet.
“...Gulp.”
A single bullet hole stared back at him from the dirt, mere inches from his foot.
“That was a warning shot,” Shin Youngjun said coldly. “If you move again without permission...”
His sharp gaze locked onto Jeongsu’s forehead, the barrel of his pistol pointed directly at him.
“The next shot won’t be a warning.”
“...”
At that moment, every survivor gathered at the temple felt it.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
And not just slightly wrong.
Disastrously, irrevocably wrong.
