Amon and the Seonwoosunhwa siblings successfully rescued Lee Hyun.
But when they returned to the camp, it had turned into a hellish battlefield.
The front line, which had been barely holding together thanks to Amon’s efforts, had collapsed in that short time.
“Amon! The First Prince is in danger!”
Sonia, the first to notice Amon’s return, shouted as she fired at the ghosts.
At her words, Amon immediately rushed toward the troops led by the Crown Prince.
Sure enough, just as she had said, the front line was in complete shambles.
‘Was the Sword Sect’s assault really that devastating?’
Amon recalled the general who had confidently assured him that things would be fine before he left to rescue the youngest prince.
‘Was it a miscalculation? Or was it a sacrifice made in prioritizing the prince?’
The only person who could answer that question was currently in the middle of the battlefield, having a full-blown seizure.
***
“Get a hold of yourself, General!”
“Ohhh… Father… Lord, Father, Lord…!”
Not in ecstasy—but possessed by some strange ghost.
Swinging his sword wildly, the general was bringing the entire camp to ruin.
“Sigh…”
Before the Hunt Legion began, this was exactly the kind of disaster Amon had feared the most.
‘Of course, it’s not really the general’s fault.’
This was just a case of the AI controlling the Sword Sect displaying exceptional strategy.
Now that he looked at it, the AI had focused entirely on targeting the artillery and gunners.
Without the hwapo—the Joseon army’s traditional exorcism cannons—the teams had no way to stop possessions, leaving them defenseless.
Clicking his tongue at the AI’s cunning, Amon dashed into the Crown Prince’s army.
***
Thanks to Amon’s return after rescuing the youngest prince, the front line was barely restored.
Countless lives were lost in the process, but in the end, they managed to hold out for a full week.
“Son of a bitch… Why the hell did you have to trigger that damn flag back then…”
“This bastard’s got it good. Got promoted two whole ranks above me. Congrats, you… bastard… Ugh.”
Whether they had died or survived, Hunt Legion had left wounds in everyone’s hearts—wounds as deep as those of war itself.
“Alright, repeat after me. Not ‘Father’—‘Mother.’”
“Heeek…!”
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing! I am merely grateful for Mother’s mercy!”
“That’s the spirit~”
Of course, there was one general who had caused wounds for entirely different reasons—but no one really cared about that.
Still, not everything was lost in this battle.
***
“I express my gratitude for your service.”
When it was all over, the Crown Prince approached Amon with an unusually warm attitude.
The battlefield’s horrors had earned the Crown Prince something far more valuable than dozens of feasts and tons of gold—Amon’s unwavering trust.
On top of that, Amon had even saved his life on the battlefield, earning something close to royal favor.
Of course, Amon had no interest in Joseon’s political scene, nor did he need the Crown Prince’s backing.
But at this moment, he welcomed the prince’s trust.
The story he had to tell after the Hunt Legion was over was one that required a great deal of credibility to be believed.
Without hesitation, Amon told the prince about the forces behind this incident.
The demons, the AI, and the Second and Third Princes, who had allied themselves with them.
Though it was a hypothesis formed from circumstantial evidence and the youngest prince’s testimony, its credibility was undeniable.
And as soon as Amon finished speaking, the Crown Prince reacted exactly as expected.
“Are you telling me to believe that?”
Amon nodded.
But as Amon kept nodding with a serious expression, the Crown Prince eventually grew just as solemn.
***
“The Second and Third Princes did… such a thing…?”
It was impossible to deny.
Every single piece of evidence lined up too perfectly.
Had Amon not been there, the Crown Prince’s army would have been annihilated or possessed by the Sword Sect.
And the court—completely unaware that this was an AI infection—would have dismissed it as a mere accident.
The Crown Prince’s position would have been left conveniently vacant, giving the Second and Third Princes the perfect opportunity.
“They were also the ones who introduced Lee Hyun to those people…”
It was almost certain now.
The Crown Prince immediately considered punishing them for the failed assassination attempt.
He could easily mobilize his maternal family in the military to purge the Second and Third Princes.
But unfortunately, he couldn’t put that plan into action just yet.
“There’s no evidence at all.”
Evidence—that damn evidence was the problem.
“If I try to purge my brothers without proof, Father will not stand idly by.”
Of course, the king wouldn’t overlook an assassination attempt on his son.
But without solid proof, if the Crown Prince insisted on their guilt based only on circumstantial evidence, the king might believe his son was suffering from PTSD-induced paranoia.
“He might even call a shaman, thinking I’ve been possessed by the ghost of Yeonsangun.”
That meant he needed undeniable evidence.
Fortunately, Amon already had a plan.
***
“Then… could I borrow Prince Lee Hyun for a while?”
“Lee Hyun?”
“Yes. They used him to infect the Sword Sect’s PIP system.”
According to Lee Hyun’s testimony, before releasing the virus (which he still believed to be a virus), they had first proposed linking him to the Sword Sect’s PIP network.
At the time, they had used the excuse of improving security efficiency.
But now, it was clear—it was actually a setup to bypass firewalls more easily.
This gave Amon an idea.
Lee Hyun might be the key to tracing the culprits behind everything.
***
“The infected Sword Sect members all had their PIPs destroyed, but…”
“Lee Hyun is still here. But is he really still connected to them?”
“Yes. I’m certain of it.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“If he wasn’t, there would have been no reason to kidnap him.”
If spreading the virus had been their only goal, they would have killed the prince the moment the infection was complete.
But the disguised assassin from the Assassination Sect had done no such thing.
Instead of killing Lee Hyun, he had kidnapped him.
“I don’t believe a member of the Assassination Sect—who despises the royal family—would have spared him if he had the chance to kill him.”
That left only one possible explanation.
Lee Hyun couldn’t be killed on the spot.
“The AI controlling the Sword Sect must have used Lee Hyun as a conduit.”
That was why they had kidnapped him.
To keep him alive, at least until everything was over.
But that plan had crumbled thanks to Amon.
‘Who could have predicted that someone would cut through a forest full of ghosts, rescue the prince, and survive an entire week after that?’
Unfortunately for them, Amon’s unexpected arrival had flipped the board completely.
Now, it was time to strike back.
***
“A conduit doesn’t just disappear without a trace. It’s like a network log—it leaves behind records.”
If they investigated that trail, they would find undeniable links between the conspirators and the rogue princes.
Hearing Amon’s explanation, the Crown Prince couldn’t hide his admiration.
“Not only do you have exceptional combat skills, but you also possess remarkable intelligence. The more I see, the more I want to recruit you. Have you ever considered enlisting in Joseon’s military?”
Amon refused without hesitation.
“I already serve someone else.”
Seeing the cross hanging from Amon’s neck, the Crown Prince nodded in understanding.
“What a shame.”
“However, to clarify one misunderstanding, this wasn’t something I deduced.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I have a friend among my colleagues who is well-versed in hacking and AI. That friend told me, and that’s how I found out.”
“I see. Even so, there’s no doubt that you’re a talent worth having. Even if I searched the entire land of Joseon, there wouldn’t be many who could accomplish what you have.”
The crown prince still couldn’t hide his regret about recruiting him. Instead of rejecting him outright, Amon politely clasped his hands together and said, “Amen.”
It was his way of telling the prince to stop lingering—he already had someone he served.
At Amon’s response, the crown prince let out a small laugh and returned the gesture with an “Amen” of his own.
With that, Amon received Lee Hyun from the crown prince and headed to his hideout.
On the way, a lingering question kept surfacing in his mind.
‘Why did ghosts keep targeting this child?’
***
After that day, Amon and the crown prince formed a cooperative front and shared information.
First, it was the crown prince’s turn.
[My younger brothers are under house arrest for now.]
Since it was an attempted assassination of the first in line for the throne, there was enough circumstantial evidence to confine the princes to a separate palace.
It wasn’t a purge, so even the king did not intervene.
[They are under constant surveillance to ensure they aren’t up to any mischief. You can take your time gathering evidence without worry.]
The crown prince encouraged Amon not to rush and risk losing crucial data.
He seemed almost too relaxed, making one wonder if he fully grasped that he had nearly been assassinated.
Amon then reported a week’s worth of findings.
“We’ve managed to narrow down the AI’s location to a single province.”
[Didn’t you say there were five candidates last time?]
“Our net walkers filtered out the decoys.”
[Excellent.]
The crown prince was pleased with Amon’s report.
Then, he inquired about his younger brother’s situation.
However, it wasn’t out of concern for Lee Hyun’s safety or well-being.
[So, how’s Lee Hyun and that girl? Any progress?]
The crown prince’s interest in his youngest brother had nothing to do with his health or security.
Instead, it was about something that intrigued people across all ages, eras, places, and social standings—romance.
And it was entirely Lee Hyun’s fault that his older brother had caught on.
Unfortunately for him, the net walker Amon mentioned was Levi.
While everyone else was dealing with serious matters, Lee Hyun had been walking around with a lovestruck expression, practically broadcasting “I’m happy” on his face.
Naturally, the crown prince noticed.
Ever since then, he had taken an interest in his youngest brother’s romantic affairs, leading to this moment.
Unfortunately, Lee Hyun’s love life was far from promising.
“It’s not even a flirtation—Levi doesn’t even see him as a potential partner.”
[How tragic.]
Though his words were sympathetic, the crown prince’s smirk stretched from ear to ear.
Clearly, he was enjoying the fact that his little brother was suffering from unrequited love.
‘Well, to be fair, there aren’t many things as entertaining as this, no matter the time or place.’
Amon had to agree.
After recounting the past week’s romantic developments to satisfy the crown prince’s curiosity, he ended the call.
Amon then headed back to the hideout.
***
Naturally, the hideout Amon’s team had secured for their investigation was a cathedral.
‘No one would suspect it.’
Their opponent had already taken control of the entire assassin guild.
They had received word that their previous base had been raided, so Amon’s team sought refuge in the cathedral.
They set up their equipment in the basement and, together with the net walker siblings, continued their AI backtracing efforts.
“Cathedral? Computers? Basement? Ugh… my head…”
Upon hearing those keywords, Cassie had a brief PTSD episode, but nothing else of note happened.
The investigation progressed smoothly.
Levi remained connected to Lee Hyun’s neural network, continuing her research.
Lee Hyun, meanwhile, was blissfully happy simply because the girl he liked kept touching him.
And whenever Amon had free time, he prayed on the cathedral’s first floor.
Then, when the time came, he ordered food, and they all had their meals.
It was a simple, uneventful routine—aside from the fact that all of Amon’s meals were suspiciously bright red, something even his teammates pointed out.
But that routine came to an abrupt end.
“Amon, we found it.”
At last, led by Levi, the net walker siblings succeeded in tracing the AI.
Lee Hyun, who had seen no progress in his love life the entire time, slumped his shoulders in disappointment.
Amon turned to Levi and asked, “Do they know?”
“One hundred percent.”
Amon nodded.
Their opponent was a super AI.
It was foolish to think only they could observe without being noticed.
Without hesitation, Amon and his team reached for their weapons.
Levi unplugged the cable from the back of her neck and grabbed her laptop.
One of her brothers, formerly a security chief, checked his gun.
“This brings back memories.”
Meanwhile, the Sunwoo siblings each picked up their swords.
The only one unaccustomed to such a situation was Lee Hyun, who looked around in confusion.
“W-What’s happening…?”
Amon turned his back and pushed Levi toward Lee Hyun.
“Your job, Your Highness, is to get her to the palace safely.”
As Amon spoke, Levi’s two brothers opened the cathedral’s back door and guided the pair to a parked vehicle.
The Sunwoo siblings also started their bikes, ready to escort the prince.
That left Amon, Sonia, Cassie, and the squinting priest alone in the cathedral.
“Wait! What about me? Why aren’t you taking me?!”
The priest’s desperate cry was ignored.
Amon and the remaining team turned toward the cathedral’s front entrance.
Just as Lee Hyun was being dragged outside, a sharp metallic sound rang out.
Clang! Clang!
Amon deflected the swords flying toward him with precise strikes.
Lee Hyun was so overwhelmed by the sight that he lost the words he had meant to say.
Amon deflected countless blades targeting Lee Hyun and Levi, then took a brief moment to catch his breath.
“A man should save the woman he loves with his own hands. And if you manage to do that even once… take responsibility for her until the end. Otherwise, it will ache in your chest more than you’d expect.”
Amon’s final words weren’t as a royal guard but as one man advising another.
Lee Hyun watched Amon’s back, his priest’s robe billowing, and resolved himself before climbing into the car.
After watching them leave, Sonia let out a quiet chuckle.
“Haven’t you always saved them?”
Cassie added, “And taken responsibility, too.”
At their remarks, Amon smiled faintly and replied, “Because every time I thought I wouldn’t be able to… it hurt.”
“You sound like Lincoln,” Sonia said as she playfully tapped his shoulder, then pulled back the bolt on her gun.
Seeing that, Amon lowered his stance and muttered, “They’re coming.”
The next moment, the stained-glass windows shattered, and enemies flooded in.