Chapter 121: Silver Mental Entity

The “unknown skill” was intriguing, but <Pain Tolerance> was also quite interesting. At the current point in time, a skill at Level 5 was extremely high-tier.

Lee Jin-ah spoke.

“High-level <Pain Tolerance> is probably from abuse. His back was covered in whip scars. If they were inflicted after awakening, there would be no scars, so he was abused before awakening. System Age may have existed even before the Cataclysm.”

“I saw the scars too, but they were self-inflicted. Not abuse by others—religious penance.”

“Hm, Leader.”

Jin Seong-ha spoke softly yet firmly.

“Do-jin was brainwashed by a cult into whipping himself. He was taught it was penance. It’s exactly what we call abuse.”

“…”

The old Ion would have insisted it was “training,” but now he quietly shut his mouth.

Jin Seong-ha glanced at Ion, then turned back to Do-jin.

“Does <Pain Tolerance> also resist interrogation skills?”

Lee Jin-ah answered.

“The description says ‘physical pain,’ so no. The ‘unknown skill’ currently active is probably what’s resisting interrogation.”

“Quite a powerful mental skill.”

“Yes. Either an A-rank with enhancement items or an S-rank awakener.”

Even Horizon’s A-rank interrogation skill failed, so they requested help from D-NATE—yet their dispatched hunter’s skill also failed.

The opponent had to be considered S-rank.

Jin Seong-ha stroked Ppuru and said,

“We’ll need help from another S-rank on our side too.”

“…Do you have someone in mind?”

“Yes. Exactly one person.”

The only other S-rank with powerful mental manipulation was Dam Il-on—who had gone missing in the demon realm…

Fortunately, one S-rank remained on Earth.

Elliot Middlerner.

News of S-rank hunter Elliot Middlerner’s visit to Korea caused global uproar. Not long after Korea discovered the other world Idea, the guild that invited Elliot was Korea’s Horizon. Speculation ran wild everywhere.

The U.S. government especially panicked, fearing they’d lose their S-rank hunter—but they didn’t need to worry.

He was only called for an interrogation.

Upon arriving at Horizon’s interrogation room, Elliot greeted Ji Pyeong-seop, Jin Seong-ha, and others, then sat in front of Lee Do-jin.

Elliot’s <Fata Morgana> wasn’t just visual mirages—it could create illusions inside the mind and manipulate thoughts.

He asked the expressionless, arms-bound Do-jin,

“What is System Age’s goal?”

VMMM—

The S-rank mental manipulation skill activated.

Do-jin’s emotionless brown eyes wavered like a boat in a storm.

He hurriedly closed his eyes, but Elliot had already infiltrated his mind.

A fierce mental tug-of-war ensued.

Moments later…

“…”

Do-jin opened his eyes again. All agitation gone—silver light swirled in his brown eyes.

“That’s not Lee Do-jin.”

Jin Seong-ha said from behind the magic mirror.

Ion instinctively knew too.

Through Do-jin as a medium, the user of the “unknown skill” had appeared.

The entity inside Do-jin calmly scanned the room with silver-glimmering eyes. The two guarding hunters tensed.

Elliot showed no agitation. Though clearly unexpected, he acted as if he had anticipated it, speaking calmly toward the mirror.

“Send your guild members out.”

He was talking to Ji Pyeong-seop. Ji Pyeong-seop, frozen until now, snapped “Ah!” and ordered the guards to leave. They bowed gratefully to Elliot and hurriedly exited.

Now only Elliot and Do-jin remained in the interrogation room.

“Who are you? The Cult Leader?”

“You… are Elliot Middlerner.”

“Yes. It’s me. I have no intention of letting go of your mind. So answer. What is System Age’s goal?”

“…”

“‘Day of Judgment’—what does it mean?”

“…”

Still silent.

But something had changed.

Do-jin slowly turned his head and stared through the magic mirror. As if he could see—Ji Pyeong-seop, Jin Seong-ha, Lee Jin-ah… he met each person’s eyes one by one, then fixed his gaze on one spot.

“Jin Seong-ha.”

An unknown voice spoke through Do-jin’s mouth.

“Come to us. Believe in the system and become a follower who shares our will.”

Everyone instantly turned to Jin Seong-ha.

Ppuru?

Even Ppuru.

Jin Seong-ha looked amused.

“Why me? Out of all these people. Elliot Middlerner is an S-rank too.”

“Because you obtained the fourth skill. The fourth skill is proof the system cherishes you above all. You must accept the system’s will and repay it.”

Though Jin Seong-ha hadn’t pressed the speaker, the entity answered as if it heard.

“Interesting.”

Jin Seong-ha showed interest—whether genuine or to extract more information, no one could tell.

“Tell me more. What is the system’s will?”

“You already know the awakening condition by now. You heard it from the mercenary beside you… In Idea, it’s common knowledge…”

“Yes, I know. Only those who tried to save the world from destruction awaken.”

Ion had told him right after returning from Idea. Everyone was shocked at first, but after sharing their pre-Cataclysm experiences, they accepted it.

They had all contributed to environmental protection in their own ways—vegetarianism, reducing waste, etc.

This fact was known to guild masters, the Association, and high-ranking Hunter Agency officials. They were reviewing how to announce it to the world.

“The awakening condition is clear. The system distinguished between those beneficial to the world and those who weren’t—and selected the beneficial ones. By granting us special power, it conveyed: ‘Your actions were not wrong.’”

Do-jin’s gaze left Jin Seong-ha and swept over the others.

Jin Seong-ha was priority, but he wanted to recruit the rest too.

“Think about it. When we struggled in our own ways as destruction loomed, those who mocked us saying it was pointless—none of them awakened. Now those same people rely on awakeners.”

Non-awakeners didn’t just need awakeners for gate outbreaks.

Earthquakes, typhoons, man-made disasters, violent crimes by non-awakeners… there were countless situations requiring awakener abilities.

“Those who did nothing as destruction approached now dare order us to protect them. ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ And what responsible actions did they take to fail even awakening?”

For the first time, emotion seeped into the flat voice.

Contempt and hatred.

By now everyone in the room understood what the entity was saying.

“Hunters who did good and received power from the system are sacrificing themselves to protect those who never did anything good for the world. Is this right?”

Power the system gave only to me for my efforts.

Purely my own power—why must I use it for those who mocked me?

“Non-awakeners contributed nothing to the world. They are evil. They can disappear. They must disappear. This is not emotional human judgment—it is fact acknowledged by the system. Otherwise, why would the system withhold power from them in a world full of dangerous dungeons?”

“Overgeneralization.”

“The system selected awakeners to create such a world from the beginning. Yet awakeners use the gift on worthless trash. This is wrong…”

“…”

“Imagine it. A world of only awakeners…”

The voice turned reverent, as if speaking of something holy.

“A society without conflict, made only of those who love and protect the Earth. A world of only those willing to endure personal inconvenience to safeguard their home… Wouldn’t that be paradise?”

Do-jin fell silent.

The unknown entity hadn’t left—silver light still swirled in his brown eyes.

Heavy silence followed.

Ji Pyeong-seop, looking uncomfortable, grumbled.

“What kind of cult nonsense do we have to listen to…”

It was indeed a cult—and an extremely dangerous one.

Ion recalled the fake <Hunter and Hero>. In the novel, Age caused the Daisy Town dungeon overflow. Many awakeners died, but civilian non-awakeners numbered thousands of times more.

A cult willing to sacrifice anything for its goal.

Jin Seong-ha stroked Ppuru silently. Elliot Middlerner, who had been listening quietly, asked,

“According to that logic—what about children? Children didn’t even properly understand climate crises or human extinction. They just did what adults told them. And children born after the Cataclysm?”

“Don’t worry. We will select children who share our values and awaken them.”

“How will you select, and how will you awaken them?”

“I understand your concern, Elliot Middlerner…”

Do-jin stared at Elliot.

“Your parents were educators with strong political beliefs, and you grew up constantly vetted for ideology. I understand, Elliot Middlerner…”

“How do you—”

“Don’t worry… Selection won’t be left to humans. Human judgment mixes emotion. Selection will be done only by me.”

“What kind of bullshit is that? You’re human too!”

“I am not human. I have no flesh. Look—I am conversing with you now, beyond human limits.”

The tone was as if he were a god.

That narcissistic voice was more emotional than any human in the room.

“So? Among you… is there anyone who wishes to join us?”

Do-jin—still with arms bound behind—looked in turn at Elliot, Jin Seong-ha, Lee Jin-ah, Ji Pyeong-seop.

His gaze never reached Ion.

He knows I’m not awakened.

Ion felt a bone-chilling cold, as if left alone on a snowy mountain, and hugged Sanse tighter.

A completely useless being.

An existence whose mere presence caused discomfort.

He felt exactly like trash.