Ari.
The daughter of a failed company president and a woman who had no choice but to sell her body to support her family.
She was also a woman who could have been Wilhelm’s wife.
The woman approached Wilhelm, her hand slowly sliding toward her thigh.
Wilhelm, completely captivated by Ari’s beauty, failed to notice the dagger she was pulling from her thigh.
Thud.
The price for his ignorance was his life.
Wilhelm looked at Ari with shocked eyes.
The shy demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold gaze that met his in the air.
Ari.
There was no such woman.
There never was, and there still isn’t.
Inside that lie-ridden shell was a muscular man named Amon.
Amon, who once won a cross-dressing contest with nothing but cheap cosmetics and was even scouted by an entertainment agency.
To such a man, the active support of the paladins and high-end cosmetics had been given.
As a result, a perfect woman was born—one so flawless that even a notorious playboy who had embraced countless women couldn’t notice the truth.
‘Shit…’
Amon didn’t particularly enjoy the situation.
Amon moved behind Wilhelm while still keeping the dagger embedded in his neck.
Blood burst from his right carotid artery, spilling onto the desk.
The dagger had torn beyond the artery, shredding the trachea, leaving Wilhelm unable to even scream.
But just in case, Amon made sure to cover Wilhelm’s mouth.
The blade had been pushed in so deeply that Wilhelm couldn’t even resist, his body sagging limply.
Seeing this, Amon drew the dagger from the right side of Wilhelm’s neck to the left.
As the blade traced an arc, the sensation of severed flesh and arteries radiated up his hand.
The reason for such thoroughness was simple: this world was cyberpunk.
There were devices that could revive even when the heart stopped.
In the third installment, there was a ridiculous implant that managed to save someone with a gunshot wound below their eye.
Fifty years have passed since then.
It wouldn’t be surprising if an implant now existed that could restore a severed carotid artery.
One moment of carelessness is enough.
After discovering that the salesman who visited the orphanage was actually the chairman’s son, and learning that he had X-ray vision, Amon felt the blood in his veins go cold.
His actions, which he had once thought perfect, had been easily pierced through.
It was that carelessness that put us in danger.
Of course, what could a 15-year-old boy do against a mega-corporation?
Still, it was true that Amon had let his guard down back then.
If he didn’t learn from that experience, an even bigger disaster might follow.
For that reason, Amon obsessively confirmed Wilhelm’s death.
He periodically checked his pulse and monitored his vital signs.
After about five minutes of checks, Amon was certain Wilhelm was dead.
It was his first kill.
With the insane gorilla, he had been prepared to kill but didn’t.
With the ninja, there was no hesitation in throwing his sword, knowing it wouldn’t be fatal.
But this was different.
Wilhelm’s death was his intention from start to finish, and he had succeeded.
The sensation of taking a life for the first time sent a shiver down Amon’s spine.
He closed his eyes briefly and said a short prayer of repentance.
‘Lord, today I have taken a life.’
In that short prayer, he recalled a conversation he had with the goddess.
***
[If I must kill my brothers down below, what should I do?]
Though Amon loved the world deeply, he knew well that in a cyberpunk world, murder was unavoidable.
Therefore, he had no choice but to ask her.
Was murder against her doctrine under any circumstance?
To that, she replied:
[Even if the child is wicked, for a parent to condone the murder of their children… It hurts my heart.]
Despite saying this, the goddess’s stance was firm.
It was possible.
She was a merciful mother but also the ruler of rulers.
She understood human wickedness better than anyone.
She did not absolutely forbid murder.
However, she made one point crystal clear:
[The innocent must never be sacrificed.]
With that answer, Amon’s recollection ended.
***
He opened his eyes and looked down at the life he had taken.
Did the person before him deserve to die?
Amon couldn’t answer that question.
He wasn’t someone great enough to decide that.
However, there was one thing he could say with certainty.
This act was for his survival, and going forward, his sword would only be drawn when absolutely necessary.
In less than a minute, Amon finished his brief reflection and began to search Wilhelm’s body.
From Wilhelm’s corpse, he found the card key he had been after.
To prepare for any unexpected situation, he cut off Wilhelm’s index finger and took out his phone.
‘Now, let’s see… How was the layout again?’
The map app displayed the floor plan of the building, which had been provided by the priest.
After examining the cross-section of the 3D-rendered building for a while, Amon identified his current location and the target destination.
‘Let’s end this annoying relationship once and for all, Mr. Chairman.’
The day Amon first stained his hands with blood.
At the top of the Hexen Group headquarters, all was peaceful.
Unaware of the events unfolding in his kingdom, the king was casually conversing with his loyal servant.
“How is the girl’s condition?”
The chairman asked the cyborg in front of him.
Moving its silicone face in an unsettling manner, the cyborg replied, “She’s stable. The time of awakening is drawing nearer. Once we secure the girl, the saint will awaken.”
“You’ve done well, Dr. Victor.”
The chairman praised the doctor, who rubbed his chin awkwardly.
The human brain is truly fascinating.
Even after being transferred to a mechanical body, habits remained the same.
Although Dr. Victor, as a scientist, didn’t believe in unscientific superstitions, if a god existed, they must have delicately coded the human mind.
This much was certain.
The chairman leaned back in his chair, satisfied.
“Yes, we’ll finally be able to put divine power on the market. But, doctor, is this amount of money really enough for you?”
“Yes, I’m satisfied with advancing humanity.”
Humans are great.
Humans must free themselves from the grasp of gods.
When divine power, that misguided superstition, is brought into the realm of comprehension under the name of “mystic power,” humanity will become an even greater existence.
As always, the doctor expounded on his beliefs to the chairman.
His words carried a subtle tone, as if he were instructing the chairman.
Yet, the chairman didn’t mind at all.
The doctor was one of the few business partners the chairman saw as an equal, not just a tool.
Knowing this, Dr. Victor never bothered to change his demeanor.
Displaying his mechanical arm, he said, “Human progress. I’m satisfied just to have brought this about with my own hands.”
“I’ve known you for decades, but I still don’t understand that conviction of yours.”
“But aren’t both you and I striving because we believe in humanity’s infinite potential? You want to sell anything, and I want to bring everything into the realm of understanding. As long as our paths benefit each other, there’s no need for us to understand one another, is there?”
That answer brought a smile to the chairman’s wrinkled face.
This was exactly why he liked the doctor so much.
The chairman didn’t understand Dr. Victor, and the doctor didn’t understand the chairman.
But both knew the other was a madman.
Because of that, they could trust each other completely.
“As expected, you and I are a perfect match.”
***
Decades ago.
The chairman had met the doctor by chance in a pile of garbage.
At the time, the doctor was dying due to rejection after his recent body transfer.
The chairman, who was just an ordinary supermarket employee back then, saved the doctor out of curiosity.
That encounter became the beginning of their partnership, and together, they built this company from the ground up.
During that time, Dr. Victor produced every product the chairman requested, never once showing signs of betrayal.
He didn’t even demand a high salary.
The doctor only ever asked for more reinvestment, more research facilities, and more research personnel.
For a chairman running a company, there was no one more admirable than the doctor.
That’s why he had no hesitation in showing him kindness.
“I know you don’t desire much. But since you’re such a valuable asset to our company, don’t refuse the favors I offer you.”
With those words, the chairman provided the doctor with a house and reliable security.
Though Dr. Victor had no greed, he recognized the necessity of having guards.
So, he didn’t reject the offer.
“If possible, I’d like friends who are tight-lipped.”
“Of course. If they start talking, they’ll tear out their own tongues.”
Having been business partners for half a lifetime, the two worked in perfect sync.
They clinked their glasses, celebrating that they were only one step away from their ultimate goal.
The cheerful atmosphere was abruptly interrupted by the sound of blaring sirens throughout the building.
***
The chairman received an urgent message.
[There’s an intruder in the lab!]
The chairman leapt from his seat.
Dr. Victor, who had been engaging in a friendly conversation with him, also stood up in a rush.
They exchanged glances and quickly ran toward the lab.
Their entire lives had been poured into this project.
The chairman’s reaction was more than justified.
With their personal security in tow, the chairman and the doctor arrived at the lab door.
The intruder had apparently locked it from the inside, and the thick metal door wouldn’t budge.
The chairman signaled to the security chief.
The chief, whose body had few traces of being organic, gathered energy into his right arm.
“Stand back.”
The chairman and the doctor retreated.
With one punch, the chief shattered the door.
The chief entered first through the broken door, followed by other guards.
The chairman and the doctor were about to follow, but one of the guards blocked their way.
“The security chief is currently engaging the intruder. Please wait until the area is secure.”
Though the chairman and the doctor were itching to rush inside, they exercised patience.
No matter how urgent the situation, getting killed by a stray bullet would be foolish.
The waiting didn’t last long.
In just one minute, the security chief, with his neural acceleration device activated, had subdued the intruder.
Once it was safe, the chairman entered the lab.
They immediately inspected the state of the lab.
Fortunately, the damage wasn’t too severe.
A few computers had been destroyed, but the most important area, where the experiment subject was kept, was untouched.
The saint’s shell had remained completely intact.
“Phew…”
The chairman finally exhaled a sigh of relief.
Confirming that the saint was safe, he turned his attention to the intruder.
According to the security chief, there was something peculiar about the intruder, which was why he hadn’t killed them.
With a wide grin, the chief proudly presented the intruder as a “gift.”
The chairman’s eyes widened when he saw the intruder’s face.
It was a face he had seen in reports.
Though their hair was drenched in sweat and traces of lipstick were smeared around their mouth, there was no doubt.
The man they had thought was a decoy—Amon.
Hexen Group had assumed that Sonia was the one with mystic power, believing there couldn’t be two mystic power holders in the same region.
But seeing Amon here, their assumption had been wrong.
Divine power radiated from Amon after the fight.
“Hah…”
Had Sonia been the decoy all along?
They had fallen for it beautifully.
However, luck seemed to be on the chairman’s side, as the man himself had come all the way here.
And by entering this very lab, he had saved them some trouble.
‘Young blood is truly reckless.’
Though the chairman didn’t know why Amon had come this far, it must have been some impulsive act driven by youthful vigor.
With success just within reach, he had become overly excited, behaving in a manner unfit for his age.
But then, the chairman suddenly realized something strange.
‘How did he get in here?’
Vigor and ability were two different things.
The fact that he had entered this place meant there was a security breach.
The chairman needed to find out what that breach was to avoid repeating past mistakes.
“How did you get in?”
In response to the question, Amon gave a cryptic smile.
Instead of answering, he held up a single finger and a blood-stained keycard.
The chairman’s eyes widened.
His first reaction was fury.
Then came the tears.
His face turned red as he let out a roar of rage.
“Bill!!! What have you done to Bill?!!!”
Amon didn’t reply this time either.
He simply made a quiet gesture, mimicking the motion of slitting his throat.
The grotesque makeup and smeared lipstick left on Amon’s seemingly innocent face created an unsettling contrast.
With lipstick smudged around his mouth and that eerie smile as he mimicked a throat-slitting gesture, he looked every bit the part of a psychopathic murderer.
The guards in the room faltered, but a parent blinded by the rage of losing a child knew no fear.
Smack!
Amon’s head whipped to the side.
A handprint appeared on his cheek.
The chairman struck Amon’s other cheek with his weak hand, but the smile never left Amon’s face.
The more the smile stayed, the more the chairman’s rage swelled.
“You… It’s my eternal regret that I can’t tear you to pieces!”
In the storm of anger, which seemed on the verge of making him lose his mind, the chairman felt a sense of bitter frustration.
In his mind, he knew of countless ways to inflict suffering on a person and had the ability to carry them out.
He could extract Amon’s soul and torture him endlessly.
He could put the orphanage children into a gas chamber right before Amon’s eyes.
He could even assault the woman known as Sonia.
But none of these options were possible.
Amon had to be sacrificed to awaken the saint.
He couldn’t be subjected to any tortures that might kill him.
Even mental torture wasn’t an option, as Amon might find a way to take his own life.
They had to sacrifice him now, while they still could.
If the chairman failed to make Amon the sacrifice, they might have to wait decades to try again.
The chairman weighed his son’s revenge against his lifelong ambition in his mind.
The scale tipped in favor of his ambition.
After all, the chairman was a city man at heart.
In the end, his self-fulfillment was more important than avenging his son’s death.
Swallowing his tears, the chairman raised his head and spoke to Amon.
“I’ll admit it this time. You’ve beaten me.”
Though the saint would awaken, and he would achieve his lifelong ambition, the chairman knew he would never have his revenge.
That hatred would haunt him until the day he closed his eyes for good.
‘This man probably planned for this.’
Even if he couldn’t bring down a mega-corporation, Amon had succeeded in leaving them with an irreparable wound.
As chairman, he had seen countless people try to bring him down this way.
Most of them failed, never even stepping foot inside the company.
But this young man had succeeded.
He had inflicted a scar that would never heal.
Suppressing his lingering regrets, the chairman looked over to Dr. Victor.
“Hurry up and make him the sacrifice.”
At least if they could extract the divine power in the most painful way possible, it would be some consolation.
Trying to comfort himself with that thought, the chairman gave the doctor his order.
But Dr. Victor’s response was unexpected.
“Chairman. For some reason… the saint is already complete.”
“…What?”
“It seems this intruder has completed the saint.”
The chairman was thrown into confusion by the doctor’s reply.
And it wasn’t just him.
Dr. Victor, the surviving researchers, and the guards were all bewildered.
For what reason? How did he know?
More importantly, how was Amon still alive?
As their confusion deepened, Amon’s smile only grew wider, his head bowed slightly.
Then he raised his head and, with a bright smile, recited, “The Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my mother’s name before you. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’”
While everyone stood baffled by Amon’s sudden scripture recital, he muttered softly, “Thanks for stalling for time.”
With a calm and confident posture, Amon straightened his back.
Though the others sensed that something was off, they had no idea what it was.
They couldn’t act.
They couldn’t run, they couldn’t kill Amon, and they couldn’t evacuate the chairman.
Without knowing what to do, they could only stand frozen in place.
Moments later, the saint’s containment chamber shattered.
As the sound of the glass breaking echoed behind him, Amon recited, “And the Lord said, ‘You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.’”
As soon as those words left his lips, the guards began to collapse, blood pouring from their bodies.