Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

57. Truth Beneath the Waters (1)



A groan escaped my lips as consciousness returned, unwelcome and hazy. My entire body felt leaden, especially the area around my forearm. Even in my muddled state, I found myself frowning as I recalled the pain of being shot.

With my eyes still closed, I tried to piece together my most recent memories.

I’d volunteered as bait in the pouring rain and taken a bullet. The Sea Spirit caught me as I fell into the ocean. The dull ache in my arm was likely an aftereffect of the potion. The fact that I was lying down now suggested things had been resolved successfully.

‘I’ll rest a bit longer before getting up.’

Still wrapped in my blanket, I rolled onto my side.

“Are you awake?” 

The scraping sound of a chair accompanied the voice as someone approached.

That voice… Han Cha-hyun? He shouldn’t be here right now. I forced my heavy eyelids open.

“Hunter Han Cha-hyun?”

Han Cha-hyun looked down at me with a gentle smile. I glanced around, recognizing the room I’d been using in the house.

‘So we’re back in Shella. But when did we return?’

Before I could ask, Han Cha-hyun, sensing my confusion, spoke up.

“I’ve just returned from Eidolon.”

“And your investigation—ahem.” My voice caught, prompting a small cough.

“It concluded successfully.”

As I cleared my throat, Han Cha-hyun handed me a glass of water. His next words nearly made me drop it.

“You found the Deep Sea Pearl?”

“Yes, as it happens.”

“The pearl—where is it now?”

Han Cha-hyun shook his head ruefully as he replied.

“Lee Kang-to-ssi took it to Badadkkot. He was quite insistent…”

“It’s like leaving a cat to guard fish,” he muttered with a deep sigh.

I could understand his concern. Even without knowing the full situation, Lee Kang-to didn’t strike me as particularly trustworthy. Apparently, Yun Su-ho had been sent along to keep an eye on him.

“Cha Taeyang went to retrieve the sea people imprisoned by the Shipowners’ Association. She left a couple of hours ago, so she should have reached Badadkkot by now.”

“Hunter Cha Taeyang went alone? You should have woken me—”

“Now, now, lie back down.”

As I tried to sit up, worried, Han Cha-hyun’s stern expression stopped me. He gently but firmly pushed me back onto the bed, even taking away the empty glass I’d been holding.

“You need to rest a bit longer.”

“But—”

“The treatment is complete, but there are still aftereffects. It seems the bullet wasn’t ordinary. We deliberately let you sleep, so please take it easy. They’ll contact us if anything happens.”

Left with no choice, I obediently lay back down and pulled up the covers. Satisfied with my compliance, Han Cha-hyun sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’ve heard about recent events from the others. They say you’ve been through quite an ordeal, Yun Gaho.”

“It wasn’t just me. I received a lot of help from those two—no, three people, including the Guild Master.”

I didn’t feel like I’d done anything particularly extraordinary. I’d simply done my part.

“There’s no need for modesty. Everyone knows how hard you’ve worked.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I changed the subject.

“By the way, where exactly did you find the Deep Sea Pearl?”

Han Cha-hyun’s lips curled into a smile.

“In a pseudo-religious temple. It’s quite a long story if I go into detail.”

◆◇◆◇◆

The Dandelion Festival, which should have been filled with joy and wonder, had turned into chaos. Those condemning the priests of the Helium Temple clashed with their defenders, resulting in a tumultuous scene.

“Let’s withdraw now.”

“Y-yes, of course!”

Lee Kang-to, who had been hanging upside down with his tail wrapped around a branch, righted himself while nervously eyeing Han Cha-hyun.

‘What a terrifying person.’

How could he remain so calm after causing such mayhem?

Lee Kang-to shuddered as he watched the footage being projected in the air. Han Cha-hyun, wearing a mask to prevent facial recognition, was laying out truths interspersed with a single lie.

“This is not a miracle. It’s black magic that uses human blood as a sacrifice.”

The video then showed priests walking along a narrow passageway. As they hurried through, one priest spoke up.

“Won’t we run short on blood?”

“We drained them to the brink of death just last week. That should be enough.”

“I think it should have absorbed all the blood by now…”

“I’ve been doing this for years. Don’t you think I can calculate that much?”

The scene then changed.

Between the priests, a magic circle emitting an ominous light came into view. The crowd’s attention was drawn to a jewel box at its center, identical to the sacred container on the altar.

As the priest at the front touched the box, its lock silently opened.

“See? I told you it was enough.”

Inside the box, filled with blood about a finger-joint deep, lay a pearl the size of a child’s head. The pearl, soaked in blood, gleamed with a dark red luster.

The priests began infusing mana into the circle drawn on the floor. The implements placed at each point of the hexagram emitted a sharp, discordant sound. In response, the magic circle flared with a sinister light intense enough to make even those watching the footage flinch.

“Where on earth did you obtain such a rare item?”

“There are plenty of naive fools in this world. Swindling them is child’s play.”

Finally, the priests closed the lid of the box and left the room.

“Don’t forget to bring it tomorrow. You remember the way, right?”

“Of course.”

“The problem is, its potency is weakening. We keep pouring divine power into it daily, but it’s becoming less responsive. Perhaps we should start looking for something else.”

As the priests descended the spiral staircase and entered the corridor, the magical recording device, which had been showing only their backs until now, focused on the face of a young priest who was chuckling.

His face was more befitting of a villain than a priest.

“Such items aren’t exactly common. Besides, it’s still remarkably effective for burns and fevers, isn’t it?”

“We can’t just treat those patients every year. Catering to the nobility is where the money is. Fortunately, we managed to create a suitable sacrifice this year.”

“Returning to our roots to illuminate the darkness. Heh, that does sound convincing.”

“The charitable nobles were so moved, they donated quite generously.”

As soon as the priest finished speaking, the masked man appeared once again.

“The misdeeds of the Helium Church don’t end here. Do you remember what the priest just said about ‘creating a sacrifice’? The priests of Helium have driven devout believers into ruin to use them as sacrifices.”

The footage then showed an investigation into a suspicious fire at a textile shop.

“It was almost laughably simple. We just shouted that his son was trapped in the fire, and watching him rush in was quite amusing.”

“You’ve taken care of any loose ends, right?”

“Since I was the one who started the fire, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll make sure it’s buried with him. Now, about my payment…”

The masked man methodically exposed how the temple had deliberately caused the fire and isolated the victim.

“Fellow believers, the temple is sacrificing its followers to satisfy its own greed. Perhaps you, standing here now, might be the next victim. Don’t be deceived by them any longer.”

As the man’s impassioned speech concluded, the video looped back to the beginning.

Lee Kang-to, his face pale, muttered, “Devilish editing… It’s so smoothly done.”

“Fabrication and incitement are the hallmarks of modern people, aren’t they?”

“I guess I’m not so modern then.”

Hearing Lee Kang-to’s words, Han Cha-hyun smiled faintly. He then gently patted Lee Kang-to’s shoulder.

“Come on, let’s really leave now. Things will get complicated if they discover this is fake. We need to pick up Berben too, don’t we?”

Han Cha-hyun nodded towards the box on the altar. In Lee Kang-to’s arms was a box identical to the one on the altar.

The one Lee Kang-to held was the real deal. The one on the altar was a replica created with a duplication sticker, set to disappear after half a day. They had switched it with the original by hypnotizing the priest carrying the box just before dawn, so time was running short.

The two players locked eyes and moved towards where they had hidden Berben.

◆◇◆◇◆

“And that’s how it happened.”

“I understand that Hunter Lee Kang-to discovered the box, and you, Hunter Han Cha-hyun, used its identity to cause a commotion and steal it.”

“It seems you have more questions.”

“How did you know that the box contained the Deep Sea Pearl?”

Han Cha-hyun ran his hand through his hair before beginning his explanation.

“I simply pieced together the context of the story.”

“Pardon?”

“The sea people lost their pearl 50 years ago, and it was around that time that the Helium Church began showcasing extraordinary miracles. It’s also likely when Yupeta was forgotten and the myths became distorted.”

I half-rose from the bed, leaning towards Han Cha-hyun. Anticipating that he might try to make me lie down again, I shook my head firmly. Han Cha-hyun chuckled, as if conceding defeat.

“Was that enough for you to be certain?”

“During my investigation, I learned that at some point, their miracles began to focus dramatically on patients with burns and fevers. Then suddenly, things returned to normal, which coincided roughly with the time Berben was imprisoned in the temple.”

“Berben… you mean from the delegation?”

“Yes, that’s right. His testimony provided the crucial evidence.”

Han Cha-hyun added that it didn’t take long for his suspicion about the blood collection coinciding with the Dandelion Festival to become a certainty.

“If even one piece of the puzzle had been missing, I might not have figured it out.”

First, Eidolon’s myths were particularly harsh towards Media.

Second, Helium’s rise to power coincided with Badadkkot’s downfall.

Third, the suspicious box and magic circle Lee Kang-to had seen atop the spiral staircase, surrounded by artifacts including Helium’s symbol, the golden arrowhead.

Fourth, the priests who periodically collected blood from the sea people.

Finally, the puzzle pieces fit together.

“And since the Deep Sea Pearl had gone missing, I took a gamble on that connection.”

Han Cha-hyun shrugged as if it were no big deal. Despite his kind smile, I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine, rubbing my shoulders in response.


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