Chapter 146
The contract through the Geass Scroll was concluded with mutual consent, and the magic contained in the contract was commanding them to obey the terms they had sworn to.
Jung Dong-gun looked at the envoy of the Immortal Cult with a relaxed expression, whereas the envoy only stared at the contract and Jung Dong-gun with eyes filled with suspicion and anxiety.
The envoy definitely sensed some magical force being activated, but whether what Jung Dong-gun had spoken would truly happen remained a question.
However, if one were to assume that special magical items would gradually be born in this apocalypse…
‘I can’t just ignore what he said as a lie!’
Choosing not to believe Jung Dong-gun’s words was not an easy decision.
Because if it wasn’t bluffing and was actually real, it wouldn’t be Jung Dong-gun who suffered from this contract.
More importantly, if his level—more precious than life itself—were to drop, he might even face the risk of being removed from the leadership of the Immortal Cult.
“First question. What is the scale of the Immortal Cult’s influence in the Korean Peninsula? Tell me everything you know, including hidden details.”
“Hmm.”
Before the envoy could even calm down, Jung Dong-gun asked the first question.
It was a heavy question from the start, essentially asking the envoy to disclose the Immortal Cult’s influence to the Balhut Cult—something that had never been publicly known.
The envoy hesitated for a moment.
“Seoul. Incheon. Daejeon. Busan. And our base, Ulsan.”
Even if this information was revealed, it wasn’t like the Balhut Cult stationed in Gyeongju could take immediate action.
Rather, if they could save one executive by simply giving away the distribution of their influence, it was a bargain in the envoy’s eyes. So he spoke of the Immortal Cult’s reach.
‘So half of the Korean Peninsula is under their influence.’
Busan was understandable, but to claim influence over Incheon, Daejeon, and even Seoul—this could have been seen as a bluff.
“It’s spread more than I expected. No wonder we’re falling behind in numbers of believers.”
Jung Dong-gun glanced briefly at the contract and judged that the words were true.
He then realized that the Immortal Cult truly held considerable influence across the Korean Peninsula.
‘Ulsan and Busan make sense. With Ulsan being the base, it would’ve been strange if Busan wasn’t under their control.’
Since Busan was close to Ulsan, it would have been odd if they hadn’t exerted influence over it.
Just as the Balhut Cult expanded its influence to Pohang, the Immortal Cult naturally targeted Busan in their expansion strategy.
‘But to think their influence even reaches Seoul. I need to revise my assessment of their scale.’
Daejeon, located along the path to Seoul, was understandable, but he hadn’t expected their reach to extend all the way to Seoul.
In terms of pure scale, they far exceeded the Balhut Cult, which held influence in Gyeongju, Pohang, and Daegu.
The scale was surprisingly large, but in terms of practical power they could mobilize…
‘Probably just Ulsan and Busan.’
Since Daejeon, Seoul, and Incheon all still had functioning communities, Jung Dong-gun judged that the Immortal Cult’s influence in those cities was not direct control, but more like a network of sleeper cells.
The Balhut Cult also exerted influence over Daegu through a similar sleeper cell structure, so it wasn’t strange.
When Jung Dong-gun accepted the answer calmly without any visible agitation, the envoy of the Immortal Cult looked somewhat disappointed but still opened his mouth to properly conclude the deal.
“Keep your promise.”
“Of course. I don’t want to lose levels either, you know. Han Seong-geun. Go ahead and release one of the Immortal Cult prisoners. Negotiations are more or less settled.”
“Understood.”
In response to the request to uphold the agreement, Jung Dong-gun stated he didn’t want to lose levels either and ordered the release of one of the captured Immortal Cult members, as agreed.
Before long, a vehicle carrying the prisoner arrived in front of Ulsan Bridge, and the prisoner was able to cross Ulsan Bridge on foot toward Southern Ulsan.
As the envoy silently observed the scene, he looked at Jung Dong-gun with an even more doubtful expression upon seeing the contract fulfilled as promised.
It was certainly a tense moment, but was it really okay to release the prisoner so easily just because a contract had been made?
“Now, here’s the second question. Who is the leader of your group?”
“I can’t answer that. Ask something else.”
But the envoy wasn’t given time to dwell on that moment.
Jung Dong-gun posed a question that would be most difficult for the envoy to answer, and the envoy immediately refused and requested a different question.
With a fearful look and a desperate voice, the envoy pleaded…
“The core of this contract is answering truthfully to the best of your knowledge. I’ll ask again. Who is the true leader of your group?”
But Jung Dong-gun showed no sympathy toward the envoy.
On the contrary, he asked even more firmly about the one who ruled over the Immortal Cult.
“Our cult leader…”
“Wait. Not the Immortal Cult’s cult leader. Tell me who your true boss is.”
“…Kgh.”
As the envoy began to answer about the cult leader, Jung Dong-gun cut him off and demanded he answer with the name of the true leader, not the figurehead.
When Jung Dong-gun sharply called out the attempt to exploit a loophole in the contract, the envoy clicked his tongue but still…
“I don’t know their name.”
Once again, he began to answer Jung Dong-gun’s question as best as he could.
When the envoy said he didn’t even know the name, Jung Dong-gun glanced at the contract again, but there was no reaction.
‘No reaction from the contract. So he truly doesn’t know.’
In other words, the envoy genuinely didn’t know the name of the one who controlled the Immortal Cult.
It was laughable that someone in a cult didn’t know the name of the god they served, but it wasn’t due to reverence or fear of speaking the name.
“However, we all call him the one whose name cannot be spoken. The Dark Lord.”
‘That’s also true.’
But he added that the leader was referred to as the one whose name cannot be spoken—the Dark Lord.
There was no reaction from the contract, meaning even that statement was true.
“He gave us power. Gave us magic. He gave us the power to change this fallen world!”
“…Well, alright. That seems to be true as well.”
The envoy seemed to be trying to scare Jung Dong-gun by saying this being had given them powerful magic, but Jung Dong-gun only judged truth from falsehood like a machine, unshaken.
After all, Jung Dong-gun himself was a devout follower of God Bahamut.
At this point, Jung Dong-gun had no option to believe in and serve any other god.
‘The Dark Lord, huh. That’s quite the grand name. Well, we also call ours the God Bahamut. I suppose it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.’
More than anything, to call him the Dark Lord—it was laughable, like proclaiming oneself a demon king from a fantasy story.
Of course, Bahamut was also referred to as the God Bahamut by the Balhut Cult, but that was because his appearance was that of a mighty Dragon.
“Let’s release another prisoner.”
And since truthful information was given, Jung Dong-gun once again ordered Han Seong-geun to release another prisoner of the Immortal Cult.
Only two prisoners remained.
With fewer prisoners left, Jung Dong-gun had to be more careful when demanding information.
“Third question. What is the Immortal Cult’s goal? More specifically, what orders did you receive from the Dark Lord?”
“The current order is the destruction of the Balhut Cult.”
‘This too is truth without falsehood. So it’s real.’
They said their mission was the destruction of the Balhut Cult.
The contract had no reaction, indicating this was also the truth, but Jung Dong-gun still could not understand why the Immortal Cult held such hatred toward the Balhut Cult.
Even after hearing such a direct declaration of destruction, the doubts within Jung Dong-gun remained unresolved.
“Destruction, huh. Forgive me, but this is our first encounter, isn’t it?”
Sure, they were geographically close, but the Balhut Cult had never encountered the Immortal Cult until they reclaimed Pohang.
The first time the Balhut Cult became aware of the Immortal Cult’s existence was upon arriving at Ulsan Airport, and even then, the Balhut Cult had never expressed hostility first.
It was only later that they discovered the ghost fleet was operated by the Immortal Cult.
‘From our perspective, it was defensive. We never struck first. So where did this boundless grudge come from? Why do they want to destroy us?’
There hadn’t been any opportunity to accumulate such animosity, and the current war wasn’t something the Balhut Cult had initiated.
The war had erupted from a sudden attack by the Immortal Cult.
“Because that cursed Dragon ruined all of the Dark Lord’s carefully laid plans.”
However, the envoy from the Immortal Cult said that the God Bahamut had ruined all of the Dark Lord’s plans.
That, apparently, was the reason for their hostility.
“Aha. If it’s the same method you used in Ulsan, then I can understand.”
Only then did Jung Dong-gun realize that the Immortal Cult likely intended to repeat what they had done in Ulsan in other regions too, and had come to resent the Balhut Cult for retaking those cities first.
Of course, only the Immortal Cult and the envoy before him knew the true answer, but with the information obtained, this was the most reasonable conclusion Jung Dong-gun could reach.
“Very well. We were destined to be enemies from the beginning. I’ll accept that. One more prisoner will be released.”
Satisfied with the explanation, he released another prisoner, leaving just one.
With three prisoners freed without suffering a single level-down, the envoy—perhaps feeling a bit relaxed—posed a question of his own to Jung Dong-gun.
“…This contract scroll. Is it really real?”
“It is. Haven’t we been releasing prisoners as promised?”
Although he had only spoken the truth, not once had the contract scroll shown any reaction.
It was natural for some suspicion to arise.
“Or… will you break the vow once and see? At the cost of a level-down?”
“…Ugh.”
But using something as valuable as a level just to test whether the contract was real felt like too great a price.
Even if he wanted to call out a lie right now, if the cost was his own level, continuing negotiations quietly would be more beneficial for him.
“Then, the final question. What happened to the people in Ulsan?”
“…………….”
However, the final question asked by Jung Dong-gun was not something the envoy could easily answer.
To the Immortal Cult, this was a reverse scale—something one must not touch. The envoy looked around with a flustered expression, but no one was there to help him.
If this truth were revealed and spread across the entire Korean Peninsula…
“……….”
It would be dangerous.
The envoy seemed to consider this information a secret worth guarding even at the cost of a level-down.
Yes, silence.
The contract only required truth to be spoken—remaining silent shouldn’t violate anything, right?
“You’re refusing to answer. Does that mean you’re willing to accept a level-down?”
Jung Dong-gun asked whether he intended to bear the penalty, and the envoy scowled as if laughing at him.
“Hah. And you expect me to believe this is real? What a joke…!”
Indeed, it hadn’t been confirmed if it was real.
If—by any chance—it was just a sheet infused with magical energy, then no level-down would occur, and the envoy would expose Jung Dong-gun’s bluff.
Then, the negotiations would tilt in the envoy’s favor, and he would earn great merit.
“Kuaaaaaaah!”
Of course, contrary to his hopes, the contract imposed a penalty on the envoy for violating the pact.
The penalty was a level-down.
It forcibly stripped away power from the fool who blatantly failed to honor the contract.
“The scroll must have judged that you refused to comply. You’ll need to accept your penalty.”
“W-Wait! Are you saying it’s real!? That I actually lost a level!? Level 20—just a bit more and I’d have reached Level 20!”
“Why don’t you check it for yourself?”
After enduring intense pain and regaining consciousness, the envoy glared at Jung Dong-gun in disbelief, while Jung Dong-gun simply smiled and told him to see for himself.
“S-Status window…! You fool!”
The envoy’s level had indeed dropped.
Three levels, in fact—and the corresponding stats had all been deducted accordingly.
It meant he would have to repeat a tremendous amount of effort just to regain those three levels, and it also meant his path to becoming a Transcendent had grown much longer.
‘My position! My authority! My strength! Is it all slipping away!?’
He could already sense that his rank within the Immortal Cult would drop as well.
“No! No way! This can’t be happening! I… I lost levels…!”
“But since you tried to protect your secret even at the cost of your level, I must also uphold my vow. I’ll release the last prisoner.”
The envoy howled like a beast, unable to believe the reality, while Jung Dong-gun, feeling a tinge of sympathy, upheld his own promise and released the final prisoner.
As if determining that the contract was now completely fulfilled, all magical effects on Jung Dong-gun and the envoy vanished, and the contract scroll burned to ash.
“Damn it…! Damn it! Damn it!”
“Then. Let’s meet again on the next battlefield.”
Leaving behind the envoy who collapsed in despair, weeping over his lost levels, Jung Dong-gun simply returned to Ulsan Airport.
—
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