Gillian entrusted the rest of his work to his employees and got off the helicopter. Steven Johansen, the secretary general of the association, was at the landing site, waiting for him. He was the acting president in the absence of association president Lee Tae-Han and all the other directors. They had not met before, but they acted as if they had known each other for a while.
The secretary-general climbed onto the cart and took hold of the handle.
“We have a place to go. There are instructions left by the King of Hell. Please let your bodyguards step back before that. There are many things I need to inform you in detail.”
As Gillian gave a glance, the bodyguards instantly backed off.
“There are no remaining Awakened. It is not an exception even for the unregistered Awakened. There is no doubt that we are the only ones left on the mainland.”
The secretary general’s tone was extremely polite. A strange excitement was detected on his face as well. He did not look like someone who had tasted fear.
Gillian noticed that he had been invited as a club member.
“When was it?” Gillian asked.
“It was the last time you left.”
The secretary-general responded while shifting his gaze in one direction.
“Do you know about the explosion work that took place a few days ago?”
“I have not yet heard the inside story.”
“It was due to a certain device. He brought in himself and the King of Hell personally oversaw its installation. We believe that the device is holding off the alien invasion.”
“He brought it in himself?”
However, the direction the secretary general was driving the cart was not where the device was installed. A grotesque building began to come into Gillian’s view. It merely retained the shape of a building, but in fact, it had been abandoned by humanity. It was covered in a black substance.
Gillian also knew about that building, which had been rife with all sorts of rumors. No, he knew exactly what the creature named ‘Orca,’ the King of the Maruka clan that lived there was.
The cart actually stopped at the entrance of the building. Gillian found that the secretary general had become stiff. The excitement that had filled him due to being invited to the club had evaporated.
The secretary-general said in a tense voice, “He told me that you needed to hear the truth from the Maruka clan.”
When Gillian finally stood before the Maruka clan, it was more terrifying than the fear he felt from the deity’s eyeball. While the eyeball did not specify anything and had just been floating in the sky, the two eyeballs of this horrifying tentacle monster were glaring at him. It would have been better if it were a condescending look at a biologically weaker species.
Gillian felt as if he was naked and being put on a butcher block.
“The King of Hell sent you this.”
The moment he said that the tentacles attached to the monster’s jaw moved threateningly.
Shriek!
Four of them stopped right in front of Gillian and the secretary general’s retina.
“O―din eui un uh ro mal hae ra. IN GANrrrrrr― ”
Although Gillian was still under the effects of the awakening drug, there was nothing he could perceive. The tentacles were threatening his life. It would not just be his eyes getting pierced. He could end up being chopped into small pieces.
Gillian realized why the Awakened described every moment of their battles against monsters as hell. He regained consciousness and said, “Hurry up and translate. Hey, are you okay?”
Besides the sticky sensation that came up to his knees, the monster’s underlings that could slaughter him were lurking around. The secretary general’s voice flowed cautiously from far behind after a while.
It was only then that the tentacles that were intimidating him were removed and the view was restored. Words that resembled Korean were spat out one by one from the monster’s mouth. Although it was just a language on earth, it felt like a curse that could imprison a soul when it came out of the monster’s mouth.
“Get your mind straight.”
“It says that it is a prospective god who will receive the worship of its kind. The reason for dealing with lowly creatures like you is because of… Odin… To be the only godlike figure…”
“Ask about the eye that appeared just before. Ask if it was either Doom Kaos or the Old One.”
“You cannot…avoid the Old One… The end… That was Doom Kaos’s. But it did not get in… the barrier of the mainland is… Uuuaaaack!”
The secretary-general eventually vomited.
***
<Jessica: Was it that bad?>
<Gillian: It was indescribable with the word ‘bad.’ I still cannot calm down. It was a demon living in a different dimension from us.>
<Jessica: Tell me more about the fear you felt. How was it compared to when you saw the eye of the evil god?>
<Gillian: Are you…thinking of trying it?>
<Jessica: Yes, I should experience it myself.>
<Gillian: No. Never. It is so dangerous. You are not alone. Don’t even think about it!>
<Jessica: If His order is not maintained, then our child’s future will only be miserable. And do not worry. Orca cannot harm us.>
<Gillian: I cannot guarantee that. You can imagine what I felt, but you cannot really feel it. You don’t know what you are talking about.>
<Jessica: Think about it. You are a man who shared the battlefield with Him for a while. The only difference is that our weapon was currency. You are more amazing and brave than you think.>
<Gillian: No, I am just…>
<Jessica: Are you saying that He and the King of Hell were wrong? You are afraid. You saw the eye of the evil god, but Orca seemed more real to you.>
<Gillian: Because I was facing it right in front of me.>
<Jessica: That is why we need to keep exposing ourselves. Especially now, the public cannot take their eyes off the media more than ever.>
<Gillian: …>
<Jessica: Think about it. A demonic being, too terrifying to even hate, is paradoxically talking about our safety in one of our languages. But even such a horrifying creature has a greater fear to obey, and that is Him. In videos, prints, billboards… All media around the world until the end of the last day… Orca will be on our side.>
<Gillian: …>
<Jessica: The eye of the evil god floated in the sky for a few seconds and disappeared, but Orca’s eye will continue to appear in hundreds of media around the world. We can make it even more fearful with our technology. I will convince them. I don’t need a translator. Just give me permission. You are now the successor to the throne.>
His wife’s proposal was tempting. The problem was that his wife wanted to confront that devil of the Maruka clan herself.
However, Gillian could not deny it even then. To confront such an existence, one needed to have smooth communication and a belief that did not bend, while being clever. Jamie? She was not as smart or as strong in her beliefs as his wife.
Therefore, there was no other candidate in mind other than his wife… But considering the safety of his wife and child, it was dangerous to make a decision right away.
There were a few members who could not be contacted. They were unwilling to attend the meeting. They must have come to that conclusion after a painful calculation, but the clear thing was that the absence of Him and the King of Hell significantly influenced their decisions.
Thus, Gillian could not guarantee that the Maruka clan would not turn their backs like them. What if that moment came to his wife?
<Gillian: I will talk to you later in person.>
***
Gillian turned his head as he hung up the call with his wife. The secretary general, whose face had turned pale, was sitting there. He had become a club member due to a crisis. He had also heard from Orca about the truth that started in outer space.
A battle was starting between the evil god Doom Kaos and Him.
Gillian said, “You must have prepared for this, but now we have to keep an eye on you. I hope you don’t disappoint us.”
That was not enough.
“There is a cleaning organization in the club. Our eyes and ears are everywhere.”
“I understand what you are saying,” the secretary general answered with a stunned face.
“Where is our final destination?”
They both got on the cart. As before, the secretary general sat in the driver’s seat.
After a long detour, they arrived at a place that was nothing more than a common building of the headquarters. Once they unlocked the locks and passed by several security devices, a small passage was revealed.
The secretary general opened the passage and stepped back. Gillian bent and entered. Afterward, the passage was expanded enough to stand straight.
There was a golden room at the end of the passage. It was not glided, but all the bricks piled up in the room were made of gold. Nonetheless, this was not surprising for Gillian, who had experienced greater wealth.
His surprise began from the laptop placed on the altar. It was impossible to know when and how it was collected. His fingerprint was the password to unlock the laptop, and there were only two document files by the King of Hell on the desktop.
The first file.
「If I do not return or become unable to control the public due to unexpected events, arm all the human soldiers and invade outer space.」
The command of the King of Hell was inscribed at the beginning. It was not just an order. The real capitals of the Jonathan Investment Group, which was now untraceable, were there. There were many paths that even Brian Kim could not access.
However, what really chilled Gillian was the secret place where the Awakened were kept, enough to arm all mankind.
At the end…
「If our defeat is confirmed, then you must avenge us. Even if it is just a struggle, you should try. Remember what Sun has bestowed upon you, your wife, and all mankind. And remember. Our souls will watch over you after death.」
The public knew nothing about how their fate would be swayed according to the final result that started from outer space. Gillian was frightened and felt extreme pain just thinking about it. Even if he tried to deny it, he ended up visualizing himself carrying out the instructions left behind.
That was why he hesitated to open the next file. There was no way to expect what kind of fear would emerge from Pandora's box. His fingers that opened the box were filled with strength.
Click.
「 1. Lee Young
2. Kim Woo-Cheol
3. Cho Tae-Seob 」
The names and contacts of the three people came into view immediately. Then, at the end…
「In case the members refuse the orders of the chair, you will need to execute them. These three are specially selected from the citizens of the Savior’s City, and they are guarding Sun’s parents nearby. There is no need to mention their belief and strength, so feel free to use them. Nothing on the mainland will be able to stop them.」
Gillian could not take his eyes off the King of Hell’s testament. The only thought he had while looking at it multiple times was that he hoped for victory and also had to fulfill his last mission with a firm resolution like the King of Hell.
As soon as Gillian went outside, he called his wife.
<Gillian: Orca… Please convince that demon. I will join.>