Chapter 84

〈 Chapter 83 〉 Section 4. How to Approach a Hero (3)

* * *

Approach him as a married man, form a romantic relationship, seduce him, and then turn him into a villain.

The chairman plans to turn Baek Seul-hee, Yumir, and several other women into mistresses, aiming to gain a psychological upper hand.

The plan to approach Do Ji-hwan is now clear.

The only thing left to consider is how to approach the Goblin.

'My reason for coming all the way to Seoul is deliberate.'

Do Ji-hwan is in Seoul.

The Goblin is on Sejong Island.

To separate Do Ji-hwan from the Goblin, I have to endure such inconvenient actions.

Click.

I took off the Taeguk Watch and transformed into the Goblin, creating one object.

Meow.

"Please take good care of it."

It's a virtual cat created by the Goblin's bat.

It's not a real cat, nor is it sophisticated.

It's just a cat that wanders around the room, and I attached the Taeguk Watch to its back.

"Go to the dining table, then the bathroom, and just do that. From now on, you'll move according to my living pattern. Got it?"

Meow.

After setting up the cat ghost to create an alibi for me, I changed into new clothes while keeping Do Ji-hwan's face.

Although mana is being emitted from my body, it's possible to put on new clothes after transforming.

If I use mana again, the clothes will tear, but it's not a big problem.

After all, I'll meet her not as Do Ji-hwan, but as the Goblin in a suit.

Rustle.

I pulled back the curtain and opened the balcony window.

There's a railing to prevent falls, but as usual, I grabbed the railing and jumped out.

Outside, it's pitch dark.

Even in the bustling areas of Seoul, the night is eerie, as if ghosts might appear, and the same goes for the apartment I live in.

Thud.

Just before landing, I gently released a bit of mana to touch the ground softly, and people didn't notice.

Seoul is ruined.

Those who live in this Seoul are all poor, and they are not the ones who are awake at this late hour.

They work hard from morning till night, return home too exhausted to even shower, lie down on their beds, and doze off for an hour before finally getting up to prepare for the next day.

These are the people who can only survive in this world by doing so, and thus they are too busy with their own lives to care about their surroundings.

Even if there are passersby, they won't pay attention to me.

Whether I come out of the front door or suddenly jump out of the bushes, their only concern is the hope of a new life amidst the repetitive daily routine.

But in this world, the poor have no such hope.

Hope, if it can be called that, ultimately lies in their children, but to have children, they need to get married.

Even if they get married, will they really produce a superhuman?

If they don't, what about the children who are born?

I got on the motorcycle I had prepared in advance.

Not one I usually ride for fun, but a disposable motorcycle arranged through the organization.

Vroom.

With a rough roar, the motorcycle sped down the road.

Some might wake up and get angry about someone riding a motorcycle at this late hour, but I didn't need to use a car just to move around by myself.

I'll ignore the traffic lights anyway, and a motorcycle is more convenient than a car.

Whoosh.

As soon as I crossed the bridge, the sound of the wind sweeping over the Han River's surface could be heard.

In the original world, the railings were filled with hopeful messages to prevent suicides, but here, nothing like that exists.

Splash.

The sound of something falling into the water could be heard.

I stopped the motorcycle and approached the direction of the sound, where two pairs of shoes were left alone on the railing.

"Joint suicide, huh."

The two pairs of shoes were of different sizes, as if a man and a woman had jumped together.

They are probably regretting their jump and drowning in the water right now.

"Tsk. Anyway... huh?"

A faint breathing sound could be heard from somewhere.

Next to the shoes, I saw something that looked like a small basket.

"Are you kidding me?"

I almost swore out loud.

I quickly checked the contents of the basket and made a decision.

"Damn...!"

I held the basket tightly in my arms and sped off to the southeast.

Faster than when I left the apartment, I rode so fast on the Seoul roads that it seemed questionable.

If the CCTV caught me, it would show me speeding like a madman.

But to me, protecting this basket and the life inside it was important.

Following the North Han River, I arrived at a large building in a quiet rural village, even more secluded than Seoul.

A temple.

A quiet hermitage nestled in the mountains.

Squeak.

As soon as I stopped the motorcycle, I rushed inside with the basket.

"Monk!!"

"...I wondered what brought you here at such a late hour."

A monk came out from inside the temple.

An elderly man, who, if he hadn't shaved his head and worn monk's robes, could easily pass for a corporate executive.

"Take this child...!"

"...He's still alive. Fortunately, there were many warm items in the basket, or he would have frozen to death in the cold weather."

The monk carefully took the child, a living being, out of the basket and held it in his arms.

The child was deeply asleep, and the monk gently soothed it while whispering something.

"Shouldn't you have reported it?"

"I'm on duty as a section chief. I left the Taeguk Watch, which could be used to report, and stopped by here on my way."

"You must be working hard. Section Chief Do, would you like to rest for a moment? The children who are awake would be happy to see you."

"...I can't stay long. I need to go to the East Sea and cross the sea right away."

"Hmm... So you need to erase the fact that you visited here. I understand. I'll take care of that later. But at least have a cup of coffee. Think of it as a rest stop."

"...I can't stay long."

I leaned the motorcycle against the wall for a moment and followed the monk inside, who was carrying the basket.

* * *

"I've entrusted the child to the older ones. They'll take good care of him, so don't worry and rest for a while."

The monk, whose dharma name is Samuel, handed me a paper cup.

"I'll have one too."

"Samuel, monk?"

"God won't say anything if I smoke one on a day like this."

Click.

"Do you look for God in the temple?"

"For the sake of the children, I temporarily changed my appearance, but He knows that I have a cross in my heart. The Buddha would surely show great tolerance for such a matter. Well... if He says it's wrong when I die."

Samuel smoked a cigarette, even curling his legs.

"I have no regrets for my actions, so I'll gladly accept any punishment."

"...How many today?"

"34."

"Ha."

It's too many.

There are too many children in this small temple.

It can't be helped.

This place is a temple, but it also serves as an 'orphanage.'

"At least the company is providing financial support, which is fortunate. Since Section Chief Do came, things have become more abundant. We can easily take in about ten more children."

"Monk, you'll hurt yourself if you keep this up."

"What's the problem with burning this body to provide a shade for the children abandoned by their parents?"

Samuel, with a cold expression, took a piece of paper from his robe.

­Please take care of him.

"No name?"

"Probably not a child they planned to name and call seriously. Do you like games? Have you heard of Pokémon?"

"Of course."

It's a game I played so often in elementary school.

The trend continued in this world, and after 2000, it was released in a completely new form.

Everything I knew changed from the so-called third generation, and when I think the world won't end, I plan to take a month off and play through all of them.

"Have you played the battles too?"

"...I only cleared the story."

"Then I'll explain. When people battle each other, the talent of the monsters they use is crucial. It's a 6V kind of thing... but explaining it in detail might give you a headache. I'll put it simply."

Samuel blew a large puff of smoke toward the ceiling.

"They tried to have a superhuman child to reverse their fortunes, but when they had a regular child, they abandoned it. It's like they scratched a 10-month lottery ticket and threw it away when it didn't win."

"......"

"Didn't you try to find the parents? You did the right thing. Those who treat their children like that will get a straight punch from both God and Buddha."

"Indeed."

"Or the Goblin might have smashed their heads while they were alive."

Samuel sighed deeply.

"Section Chief Do, I believe in the group. If the group dominates the world, they will surely take care of abandoned children... no, abandoned children will disappear. The chairman will definitely create such a world. You think so too, don't you?"

"Yes."

I decided to believe and follow the chairman after seeing this with my own eyes.

A world where children are not abandoned for not being born as superhumans. I believe it will surely come.

One year.

Many children are born.

And they become non-existent.

Superhuman.

For just one reason.

* * *