Please Stop The Pope

Chapter 123
38. Contact

10 wins, 10 losses, 0 draws.

The Northeast Asia exchange event of South Korea concluded with a perfect record.

At first glance, the result could be seen as a festive atmosphere, but the mood wasn’t entirely as bright.

This was because, at the end of the exchange event, an unfortunate incident occurred.

“Ebony.”

I frowned as I fiddled with the black pill that Luna had confiscated from Li Jie.

A small pill containing condensed demonic energy.

If it were this concentrated, I should have detected it earlier, but the problem lay with the silver container that had stored the pill.

“What’s certain is that it’s neither a metal from Eden nor Earth. It has properties that perfectly shield magi, but other than that…I think we need to do more research.”

Toby, who had arrived at the scene in a hurry via helicopter after I called for him, stroked his beard and spoke.

I frowned as I listened to Toby’s words.

“Are you saying you don’t know the metal?”

“It’s definitely man-made. Otherwise, it would be impossible to block magi completely.”

Magi is an energy that cannot be easily concealed.

Since it originates from desire, it spreads much faster than any other energy.

A metal that could completely shield magi?

I had never seen such a thing in Eden. Magi would try to consume any metal, always leaving a trace.

Considering that,

“This is dangerous.”

“It is dangerous.”

The danger posed by this unidentified metal was beyond imagination.

The fact that it could hide magic meant that, in other words, tracking magi might become impossible.

If it were possible to mass-produce this metal, those who developed it could use magic to carry out a terror attack at any time.

A much larger incident than the previous terrorist attempt at the 2nd headquarters Department of Ability Management could very well occur.

Moreover, the power that this small Ebony contained could not be ignored either.

“Even though I quickly suppressed the magi, the magic core located near his navel was consumed by magi in just 2 seconds.”

I frowned as I looked at Wang Wei’s abdomen, where dozens of needles made from divine power were embedded.

If I had left him alone, he would have been poisoned by magi and gone berserk.

Eventually, he would have detonated himself along with the magi, turning the area into a mess.

Given the energy that Wang Wei had stored near his navel, that scenario was highly likely.

“No wonder. I thought something was off.”

“It’s dangerous, but it seems like it’s been managed well. At least we secured an informant. That’s much better than ending up with nothing…right, Jie?”

“Yes, yes.”

Even though I hadn’t given a direct command, Luna and Leo had managed to capture the Chinese delegation members.

This place was a detention facility specifically for great awakened, deep underground in the Department of Ability Management.

I had already obtained prior permission from Minister Yoo Sun-ho, as I was still hesitant to take them directly to the temple.

If the Chinese delegation was found to be connected to magi, the South Korean government could formally hold China accountable for the previous terrorist incident.

Therefore, the government hoped that the Limen Church would clearly reveal the causal relationship between the two.

“Li Jie.”

When I called her name, Li Jie responded with tears welling up in her eyes.

“I…I really don’t know the details. I was just given it before I was dispatched.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“I was given it by the higher-ups. It wasn’t from the Department of Ability Management, but there is a secret organization whose name I don’t even know. I was just told to use it in case of emergency.”

Li Jie wasn’t the type of person to lie in a situation like this.

She was constantly glancing nervously at me and Luna, clearly already having surrendered to us.

She wasn’t stupid enough to lie in a situation where she didn’t even know what the consequences would be.

“In case of emergency?”

“…It means when we cannot remove Limen Church members on our own. Our delegation’s first objective was to eliminate Limen Church…”

“You didn’t achieve that goal. Why didn’t you use Ebony? Why didn’t the others use it either?”

“It was Wang Wei’s order. Once you take the Ebony, there’s no turning back, so he prioritized eliminating Pope Kim Siwoo first.”

Using the exchange event as a cover to assassinate the irregular.

It was definitely something China would consider doing. But, in reality, it wasn’t just a Chinese idea.

I nodded as I looked at Aiden, who had been quietly observing the situation from my side.

“Seems like we’re in no position to criticize. Isn’t that right, Aiden?”

Aiden responded with a very cheeky tone.

“We didn’t indiscriminately eliminate them. We only removed the ones most likely to become villains.”

“Aiden, the fact that you’re alive is proof that what you said is a lie.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

Such a shameless guy.

“Anyway, Li Jie. What you’re saying is that you were given the Ebony, but you don’t know who created it?”

“Please believe me. I really don’t know anything. I was just told it shouldn’t be exposed easily, and if I had known, I would have told you right away…”

“I believe you.”

“…What?”

“There’s no way someone would tell such a secret to someone like you, not even Wang Wei. What’s bothering me isn’t that you didn’t know what the pill was.”

I casually waved my hand toward Luna. Luna then draped her arm over Li Jie’s shoulder.

“The problem is that even though you entered the country with such a suspicious pill, you didn’t tell us about it. It’s frustrating. Looks like Luna’s education wasn’t enough after all.”

“I’m sorry, Your Holiness. I thought we had gotten close, but I guess it was all one-sided.”

“This time, I’ll allow it, so go and spend some time properly.”

“Should we take her to the temple?”

“You said Lin Tao is there too, right? It’d be good if you could help them build connections as fellow Chinese. Alright, go ahead and do that. Also, Leo, go to the detention site for the Chinese delegation and help the Department of Ability Management staff.”

“Understood, Your Holiness.”

From the beginning, the information I could extract from Li Jie was limited.

Even if I pressed her more, there wouldn’t be any useful information.

After I gave my orders, Leo and Luna bowed to me and quickly left the room to do their tasks.

Now, only Aiden, Wang Wei, and I remained in the room.

“Alright, shall we get to the main point?”

“Aiden. You too, leave.”

“What’s this? Why are you kicking me out? We’re in this together. Let’s hear the good news together…”

“Who’s going to let you eat off of what I’ve earned?”

“Well, if you put it that way, I have no choice. But I’ll pay the appropriate price, so make sure to share later. Got it?”

As expected from the headquarters of capitalism, the conversation moves quickly.

Aiden scratched his cheek, looking disappointed, and left the room. Eventually, it was just me and Wang Wei left.

Finally, all distractions were gone.

I looked at Wang Wei, who was lying as still as a dead rat.

“I think even the barbarian figured you out. How long are you going to keep pretending? Come out already.”

At that, Wang Wei slowly opened his eyes.

At the same time, faint magi began to leak out from his body.

It was a completely different kind of energy from the magi that had erupted when he took the Ebony.

This magi was perfectly restrained, completely pure compared to the lower-level magi I had experienced when I returned to Earth.

Only the highest-ranking demons could possess such magic.

After a moment, Wang Wei’s voice, surprisingly soft, came from his mouth.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Holiness. I am truly grateful for this private conversation. You cannot imagine how long I have waited for this moment.”

“I usually prefer to speak face-to-face, but I guess you don’t?”

“I don’t think I’m at the level where I can have a conversation with the Black Pope yet. Please forgive my rudeness.”

The magi from the Demon Lords of Wrath and Pride, whom I had faced in Eden, was transmitted to me at the same time.

It was familiar yet foreign, an eerie magi that felt strange to experience for the first time.

I grabbed Wang Wei by the collar, staring into his magi-imbued eyes, and asked,

“I’ve never seen you before. Who the hell are you?”

“We will be spending a long time together from now on. I took the liberty of visiting you to introduce myself. I am Muyeong, leader of the Purifiers.”

An unexpected big player appeared.

Purifiers.

They are the ones who scatter magi, and because the magi they spread was that of the seven demon kings I encountered in Eden, I naturally thought they were related to them.

However, the one who appeared in front of me was definitely not of the same kind as those demon kings.

The desire I felt from the demon kings.

The primal, raw desire to conquer and devour an entire world was something I could not find in this person.

“Those demon kings you sent to Earth have become my excellent companions. Though not perfect yet, I believe they will reach a satisfactory level soon. This is all thanks to the grace you have bestowed upon me, Your Holiness.”

“If you made a contract with a demon king, you should just be their subordinate, not a companion.”

“I am equal to them. I obtain what I need from them, and they, in turn, take what they need from me.”

“The demon kings wouldn’t allow that, would they?”

“That’s why I am grateful. Had their powers been as they were before, I would never have dared to even dream of such a thing. But their souls were torn apart by Your Holiness. As the saying goes, when the desperate dig a well, they too find themselves in a similar situation.”

A being whose soul is bound to a demon king cannot be casually dismissed.

That’s because the contract between the demon kings and mortals is made with the soul as collateral.

But this person openly explains that they are equal to the demon kings.

At least, according to what I know, this was outside the realm of common sense.

“So, what now? The people you sent to kill me are all destroyed. How do you feel about that?”

“Even if those insects were caught, would it change anything? I never expected anything from the start. Just being able to have a conversation with Your Holiness, I consider those insects to have fulfilled their purpose.”

I couldn’t figure out what this person was after.

A being whose true intentions were unclear.

The one using Wang Wei’s body continued to speak while looking into my eyes.

“I wish to negotiate. I have information about another heretical group, Baegmyeong Church, that has settled in the land where Your Holiness resides. If Your Holiness desires, I am willing to provide that information. If you accept this proposal, we will completely sever ties with the Korean Peninsula.”

“Sounds like a threat, not a negotiation.”

“I am sorry if it came across that way.”

The metal that can perfectly block magi was shown intentionally.

It was to demonstrate that they had the ability to carry out terrorism at any time.

“But Baegmyeong Church is not a group that would benefit either you or me. It is already a rapidly spreading tumor within China.”

“Shall we check Baegmyeong Church together?”

“Isn’t the enemy of my enemy a friend? You might not know, but they are far more dangerous than you think. They are the worst hindrances to my pleasure.”

At those words, I scoffed. I then injected divine power into Wang Wei’s body.

Gray flames erupted, and the magi that had been enveloping Wang Wei’s entire body began to fade.

“The enemy of my enemy being a friend? No, if they are enemies, then they’re just enemies, and if they are friends, then they’re friends. Don’t worry. Whether it’s you or Baegmyeong Church, I’ll destroy both of you fairly.”

“Aren’t you curious about who Baegmyeong Church is?”

“I am curious. But our order has this doctrine.”

Whooosh—!

The holy light enveloped Wang Wei’s entire body, and I lazily finished speaking.

“Do not compromise with those who walk the path of evil.”

“As expected, just as I hoped. I will visit you again soon.”

“Then I hope you come personally. Only then will I have the pleasure of tearing you apart. Got it?”

“Heh, I’ll try my best. Well then, goodbye.”

With those words, I could no longer sense magi coming from Wang Wei.

I sighed as I carelessly threw Wang Wei’s limp body onto the floor.

“Looks like this is going to be exhausting.”

It seemed like the exchange event wasn’t going to end neatly after all.