Chapter 62 : Between Chaos and Order (2)
Chapter 62: Between Chaos and Order (2)
Inside the maintenance room, Miss Choi was hard at work.
With her sleeves rolled up, she was completely absorbed in tuning Red Hare.
The more its performance improved, the brighter the smile on her face became, despite it not even being her own machine.
Watching Miss Choi wipe away beads of sweat, Kim Changsik smiled faintly.
“That guy from earlier... that was Python, right?”
Miss Choi suddenly asked as she tightened a bolt with a monkey wrench.
Sweat pooled thickly between her well-defined muscles.
“The one the Cult Leader and Executive Kim are trying to protect from MegaCorp and the City Government.”
“Haha.”
Kim Changsik looked slightly surprised by the question.
It was the first time Miss Choi had ever shown interest in a human rather than a machine.
He nodded.
“The sun must be rising in the west. To think Miss Choi would take an interest in someone else. Yes, that's right.”
“It's not exactly interest. He's just the biggest urban legend in the City's Lower District lately. Just like you said, Executive, the way he's been moving around has been anything but ordinary.”
The Order's intelligence network rivaled that of the Beggars' Sect.
Just as the saying went, the birds hear what is said during the day, and the mice hear what is said at night.
The Order's executives gathered every rumor floating through the city.
On top of that, thanks to the Cult Leader's gift of prophecy, they always knew exactly where to direct their information gathering.
With minimal effort, they selectively acquired only the most valuable intelligence.
That was why the Order had been the first to discover that Rahankel was searching for Lee Taebaek.
By the Cult Leader's command, they had also spread false information regarding Lee Taebaek's identity and whereabouts.
Otherwise, there was no way Rahankel would have remained absent for nearly two months.
Rahankel, MegaCorp's hunting dog.
The man was infamous for never letting prey escape once he had set his sights on it.
“That's what surprises me. I thought Miss Choi had absolutely no interest in current events.”
“No matter how out of touch I am, I still know the basics. Sometimes it feels like you treat me as if I were some cavewoman. I'm not that bad.”
Miss Choi grumbled.
“My mistake. I underestimated an elite graduate from Daeseong University. My sincerest apologies.”
“Would you stop teasing me?”
“My apologies.”
Kim Changsik scratched his cheek.
“That's your problem, Executive. You're too kind. Earlier, it looked like Lee Taebaek had no idea how much you and the believers have done for him. Why don't you tell him?”
“I never did it expecting anything in return.”
A gentle smile spread across his face.
“You must really like him.”
Still crouching beside the motorcycle, Miss Choi murmured those words before standing up.
“Use this, Miss Choi.”
Kim Changsik handed her a handkerchief as she wiped the sweat from her face with the towel around her waist.
“...Thank you.”
“Don't mention it. Consider it my apology for treating you like a cavewoman. Oh, and you can keep it. It's one of the new commercial products the Order recently began producing. Naturally, it's for promoting the Order.”
“Ah—”
A condom substitute.
Miss Choi barely managed to swallow the rest of the sentence.
That subject was Kim Changsik's sore spot.
Contrary to what most people imagined, the atmosphere within the Order was actually quite conservative.
Just because they advocated chaos didn't mean they were promiscuous.
She could state that with certainty.
Had they been that sort of organization, Miss Choi would never have joined.
She already had a boyfriend.
Then why were they distributing contraceptives?
And why had Kim Changsik said the Order had too many condoms?
As was already known, the former was part of their efforts to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
As for the latter, the Lilith Order had an unusually large number of families among its believers.
Furthermore, the Order celebrated the birth of new life.
It all began when several believers started voluntarily offering adult products as tributes, almost like paying taxes.
Eventually, donating contraceptives became one of the Order's traditions.
Kim Changsik always felt awkward about it, but he could never refuse.
It was an expression of the believers' sincerity.
How could he heartlessly reject it?
Even if Kim Changsik had remained a virgin well into his thirties, he still had to preserve his dignity as an executive.
“Hahaha, was it that obvious? Of course I'm happy. It means I won't have to hand out those dreadful things anymore.”
“...If you hated it that much, you should've suggested changing it to the Cult Leader. At the very least, you could've explained it whenever someone asked...”
“Do... do you really think... that's possible...?”
Chaos originated from denial.
Order originated from affirmation.
If Kim Changsik affirmed Lee Taebaek's question, it would violate the Order's doctrine.
It sounded like utter nonsense.
But that was religion.
Trying to understand it with common sense was a never-ending endeavor.
The Baekbaek Order was the perfect example.
They constantly chanted strange incantations while ending every sentence with “Baekbaek!”
To outsiders they looked like fanatics, but they were merely following their doctrine.
Kim Changsik was no different.
Having joined the Lilith Order, he was forbidden from affirming any question.
“You really do live an exhausting life, Executive... Anyway, judging by his face alone, Lee Taebaek looks like the type who'd have women throwing themselves at him. Are you sure it's okay leaving him alone with the Cult Leader?”
“There's no need to worry. While the Cult Leader admittedly has a tendency to joke just a little... a lot... way too damn much... she's still called a Saintess. Besides, Lord Taebaek has already transcended such... matters.”
Kim Changsik placed his hands on his hips and proudly raised his chin.
Miss Choi narrowed her eyes.
“But saying you're certain violates your doctrine.”
“Th- th- that's!”
Kim Changsik immediately realized his mistake and stammered.
Just as he was about to add something—
“Oh! It looks like your meeting is over! So, how was—”
The two turned around.
Sure enough, it was Lee Taebaek.
Just as Kim Changsik was about to greet him warmly—
“—it?”
His gaze instinctively fell toward Lee Taebaek's hand.
“Your Cult Leader's completely lost it.”
Something was clenched tightly in Lee Taebaek's fist.
It was slippery and translucent, hanging limply between his fingers.
The instant Kim Changsik recognized the very thing he himself had been distributing around the Red-Light District, the whites of his eyes became plainly visible.
Miss Choi simply wore an awkward expression.
Kim Changsik couldn't even form words.
He looked utterly horrified.
Lee Taebaek casually added,
“Took some effort to wrestle this away from her.”
Without offering any further explanation, he walked over to Red Hare.
When he glanced back midway, Kim Changsik had frozen like a stone statue.
What's wrong with this guy?
That thought lasted only a moment.
He wanted to get out of this damned Order as quickly as possible.
That Cult Leader has completely mastered dirty jokes.
There had been a brief scuffle between him and the Cult Leader.
Using a sultry voice and seductive gestures, she had relentlessly teased him.
He had considered simply ignoring her and leaving.
But he figured he needed to establish dominance during their first meeting if he wanted an easier time later.
After their brief exchange—and after confiscating that obscene item—Lee Taebaek emerged utterly exhausted.
He swung himself onto Red Hare.
The wall behind the motorcycle slowly rolled upward.
Apparently, the maintenance room also served as a garage.
Vrooooom!
The engine roared.
The tachometer needle instantly shot upward.
With nothing more than a slight twist of the throttle, Lee Taebaek immediately felt the difference.
Turning the motorcycle around smoothly, he gestured toward Miss Choi with his chin.
“I owe you one.”
“It wasn't anything special. I just gave it a little tune-up.”
Removing her goggles from her forehead, she smiled.
“Looks like we'll be seeing each other often. Bring it to me whenever you come. I'll upgrade another function each time. The hardware's excellent, but the software was pretty outdated.”
“Got it.”
Lee Taebaek put on his mask.
Only then did Kim Changsik hurriedly try to stop him.
BOOM—!!
Before Kim Changsik's outstretched hand could reach him, Red Hare shot out of the garage.
Twice as fast as before.
“Wow... He's way tougher than he looks.”
Holding a hand over her brow, Miss Choi watched him disappear.
Then she glanced sideways.
“Shouldn't you go check on the Cult Leader, Executive?”
“……”
Kim Changsik lowered his head in resignation.
Lee Taebaek was speeding down the road.
A phone number suddenly appeared across the motorcycle's glass windshield.
That feature definitely hadn't existed before.
Judging by what Miss Choi had said, it must have been part of the software upgrade.
An unexpected bonus.
Especially after his utterly bizarre first meeting with the blind shrine maiden.
Setting those thoughts aside, Lee Taebaek manipulated the handlebars and answered the call.
[Hey! Where are you right now?!]
Kang Hyunseong's booming voice tore through the sound of the wind.
“Finished what I had to do. I'm on my way home.”
[Taebaek, did you watch the news today?]
“I told you. I've been out. What happened?”
[Dojon joined the Daeseong Group!]
“…What?”
[That bastard actually went on the news saying someone inspired him and made him want to belong to an organization. You don't have to be a genius to know who he meant. Obviously you. I knew things were going too smoothly.]
Lee Taebaek almost slammed on the brakes.
It had only been around ten hours since his conversation with Dojon.
In that short amount of time, he'd met with the Daeseong Group and signed a contract?
Bullshit.
Most likely, Daeseong had been trying to recruit him continuously.
Desperate to obtain even a single member of The 10 Wings, they must have offered something impossible to refuse.
Dojon had simply tested the waters before finally accepting.
This is completely different from the scenario.
Dojon's decision itself wasn't surprising.
According to the setting, money was Dojon's guiding principle in life.
If anything, it was stranger that he had waited until now to accept.
What truly shocked Lee Taebaek was the timing.
Three hours earlier.
—If the Daeseong Group recruits someone from The 10 Wings, who do you think would be the best choice?
—Dojon Muyachi. He wouldn't be a bad pick.
—I happened to think the same thing.
His conversation with Kim Changsik resurfaced in his mind.
He had only half-jokingly said that it would be nice if Dojon joined Daeseong...
The timing is unbelievable.
Damn it... this isn't some Truman Show, is it?
Am I really some kind of Master of Chaos?
The very first thing that perverted Saintess had said to him.
She had rambled endlessly with twisted logic.
Yet that one statement alone...
She had spoken with complete seriousness.
Throb—
Damn it.
A sudden stabbing headache assaulted him.
It felt as though a bundle of needles were rolling around inside his skull.
[Hey, are you okay?]
Apparently he'd let out a groan without realizing it.
Steadying his ragged breathing, Lee Taebaek reassured Kang Hyunseong.
“...Yeah.”
[I think that bastard Dojon has taken an interest in you. But getting noticed by someone like him never ends well. He might come looking for you, so absolutely avoid him. I'll ask the Supreme Commander to arrange personal protection for—]
“I don't think that'll be necessary.”
He entered a road so narrow that even motorcycles barely had enough room to pass.
Large vehicles couldn't possibly fit.
“I'm hanging up.”
The motorcycle's side mirrors barely avoided scraping against the walls on either side.
He had no choice but to slow down.
[What?!]
“Because the guests... have arrived.”
The haphazardly constructed buildings devoured both sides of his vision.
Above them, black silhouettes sprinted across the rooftops.
There were dozens of them.
And every single one ran with perfect form.
They held both arms swept behind them to minimize air resistance.
Every movement was identical, as though copied and pasted.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Without changing posture, they reached behind their backs and drew katanas.
Between the fingers of their free hands, shuriken were wedged into every gap.
Ninjas.
“Damn it... Am I some kind of independence fighter?”
Yeah.
He'd been wondering when they'd finally show up.
In a world like this, ninjas were practically mandatory.
“Come on then, you damn Japs.”
A gleaming white blade extended from Lee Taebaek's right hand.
[The Providence of the Universe has been excessively distorted.]
[A bug has occurred due to displacement.]
[You will receive additional EXP for deleting the bug.]
[＃1 Small-Scale] 1.9.1 Patch Notes
◈ Main Patch
• You have acquired 「Concept: Master of Chaos (True)」.
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