I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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I couldn’t fully grasp the cult leader’s abilities since we rarely encountered each other, but one thing was certain.

[Divine Transmission]. The ability to share power with followers who share the same faith.

Of course, the power shared couldn’t be unlimited, and it varied based on individual aptitude.

Moreover, recovering a used ability required a significant amount of carnage and time.

If there had been no limits to his power, he would have long ago mass-produced combat weapons and conquered the world.

“There was nothing particularly special about him.”

However, the abilities of those surrounding him at that time were slightly above average.

For them to possess power comparable to a bishop meant that he had poured a massive amount of ability into them.

Since he couldn’t afford to massacre anyone, the only way to compensate for such immense power was to reclaim the power that was given to the followers.

“At least thousands must have been used up.”

If it came to this, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine what kind of plan he was concocting.

“Human sacrifice.”

Originally, he should have filled the life force he needed by slaughtering ordinary people, but instead, he attempted to fill it with his own believers.

“He’s really been cornered.”

And if the cult leader was making such a choice, he was truly reaching the end of his rope.

It meant that he intended to summon a god at the cost of everything the Haecheon Church had.

A plan that was quite literally a matter of life and death.

Thus, he used Jin Il-shin for the divine transmission and offered the location of the main branch as bait to the other heroes.

To prevent the interruption of the sacrifice.

“All that matters is summoning the god successfully.”

In this situation, there were two things that needed to be done.

Rescue the forces gathered in the large hunting party from the trap and locate the altar where the human sacrifice was taking place.

“Il-shin, you know how to do this, right?”

Jin Il-shin nodded and replied.

“I’ve prepared in advance.”

“Prepared?”

“Just in case. If I don’t contact you for a week, I’ve arranged for information to be sent to hero Park Eun-ho.”

He had even noted evidences that could be easily verified upon a bit of investigation, so there wouldn’t be any dismissals.

Even if Park Eun-ho would believe it, it would be effective in persuading others.

No matter how much he was the head of the hunt, he couldn’t make major decisions without convincing the team.

“Indeed, if we know it’s a trap, we won’t fall into it. We might even find a way to turn that against them.”

It likely leaned towards using it against them.

A huge bait set by their prepared enemies.

It would be dangerous if they didn’t know, but knowing in advance would surely provide a significant advantage.

“Did you pass on the location of the altar as well?”

“No. I don’t know that either.”

I didn’t have a clue.

As long as there was a large space, they could have dug a tunnel in some remote area, like in the Amazon.

While that would make it difficult to transport the followers, the possibility was slim.

“In return, I sent someone who can find it. Do you know Kim Tae-sang?”

“Are you talking about the guild master of the Crown Guild? I’ve tried to contact him for a commission, so I know a bit about him.”

The information guild Crown.

A ghost-like guild where nothing was known about its structure or members, except for the leader’s name.

However, its skills were so superior compared to other guilds that it had never dropped from the top position in the industry since its founding.

“Do you have a personal relationship with guild master Kim Tae-sang? I’ve never heard of him moving directly.”

“It’s a similar feeling.”

Guild master Kim Tae-sang of the Crown Guild.

He, whose name could very well be a lie, was well known to Jin Il-shin.

Everything from his identity to the location of his hideout, and how to deal with him.

“If it’s that guy, three days isn’t long.”

With the remaining commission money, he would surely handle everything well.

“…Huh?”

At that moment, a sound came from behind.

One of the team members, Han-rin, had woken up and stretched her neck forward, saying.

“There’s something weird over there… What is that?”

At her words, Jin Il-shin also focused his eyes.

In the distance, he saw an artificial structure rising abruptly in the vast desolate land.

“We’ve arrived.”

A closed city surrounded by great walls. To obtain what they desired, they had to head there.

“Let’s go.”

Jin Il-shin began to walk towards the city.

*

“Damn…”

In the alley behind the Hero Association building teeming with superhumans.

A man wearing a hat pulled low was gnashing his lips, swearing under his breath.

“I’ve truly lost my mind. How did I end up making a deal with that bastard…!”

The man’s name, who was pacing in circles with a damp voice, was Kim Tae-sang.

He was known as the leader of the Crown Guild.

The reason he was here was to deliver a letter that Jin Il-shin had entrusted to Park Eun-ho.

However, Kim Tae-sang found it hard to make his entrance.

It wasn’t because there was any other reason. He was simply scared.

“This bastard. No, worse than a dog. Making me do this? I said I wouldn’t do dangerous things anymore! I promised! But is this not a dangerous job? If I get caught while going in, I’m at least on a red line, and worst-case scenario, I’m dead, right? And he’s a hero trainee? He can go in without any issues, right?”

Contrary to expectations, his personality was quite mundane.

He had never harbored ambitions.

His dream was to live comfortably without facing difficulties. More is better.

With that mindset, Kim Tae-sang continued his ordinary corporate life.

The reason he became an information merchant was purely by chance.

When a magic book he had been searching for so long never came to market, he decided to collect information himself to find it.

However, information regarding the magic book hardly surfaced, and in the process, he accumulated other information.

Thinking that since he had gathered some, he might as well keep it, he stored the information.

Then, he heard rumors that someone wanted the information in his hands and, thinking little of it, sold it for money.

He thought it would end there, but another person soon requested different information, which he also had, so he gave it right away.

Several more transactions soon took place, mostly concerning relatively public matters like locations or people.

However, at some point, requests for information that couldn’t be obtained through ordinary means started coming in.

“I should have stopped there…”

But Kim Tae-sang did not.

Even knowing it could be dangerous, he was blinded by the huge rewards they were offering.

“Crazy. They’re willing to pay this much? Are they fools? …I can accept it, right?”

For Kim Tae-sang, it was information he could find out in mere hours.

For someone who hadn’t realized his own abilities, those rewards were unfathomable.

It wouldn’t be until long after that he realized it was an illusion, and by then, he had unwittingly become the industry’s number one.

He still hadn’t found the magic book that had been his initial goal.

“Why does this fit so well with my aptitude…?”

There has never been such a reversal of roles.

His message app was continuously ringing with contact from terrifying people.

Realizing that his life was thoroughly tangled, Kim Tae-sang began to prepare for retirement from that moment.

He could have done so right away, but having come this far, he wanted to save just a little more money.

That would be his last chance.

“Greed. Greed. Greed. Greed. Damn greed! I should have just cleaned my hands quickly…!”

Kim Tae-sang resolved to retire as soon as possible and completely cut himself off from this industry.

What he regretted the most was not having found the magic book. It was something he desperately wanted.

And it was right at that moment that Jin Il-shin came to him.

Directly to his perfectly concealed hideout.

“I should have never opened the door. I should have just called the police…!”

That was just the beginning of his troubles.

Caught up with Jin Il-shin, Kim Tae-sang had yet to break free.

“That bastard. Even Satan would skip him.”

Currently, Park Eun-ho was in a meeting regarding the secondary extermination operation against the Haecheon Church.

To deliver the letter to him, Kim Tae-sang had to use a secret passage in the basement of the building to reach his office.

External contact was not possible. This was because it was impossible to know where the eyes of the Haecheon Church were.

However, he confirmed that the area beyond the secret passage had not been infiltrated by the Haecheon Church yet.

So he had to go in, but his feet wouldn’t budge from the floor.

If he got caught while sneaking in, the best-case scenario would lead to imprisonment.

Then there would be immediate execution on the spot, and at worst, death through torture.

“How am I supposed to do this!”

Aside from his ability to gather information, the only skill he possessed was the stealth he had self-taught.

He had never fought before. He didn’t even know how to properly clench a fist.

He felt ridiculously slow, and if he got caught, it would be over.

One might say he could just get help from a guild member, but the Crown Guild didn’t exist.

Not that it was gone, but it had never existed in the first place.

It was a myth created from exaggerated rumors.

The name wasn’t even one he had coined. He still didn’t know why it had to be called Crown.

When he first learned this, it was simply unfathomable.

Since it was already accepted as fact, he couldn’t correct it, so he just left it as is.

Anyway, the conclusion was that Kim Tae-sang had to deliver the letter by his own strength.

He felt helpless. It seemed impossible.

“Ugh…”

But he had to go.

Though he wanted the magic book, Kim Tae-sang also knew the urgency of the current situation.

With Jin Il-shin gone, he had to deliver the letter to survive.

To him, Jin Il-shin was like a devil.

But he had known all along that Jin Il-shin was unique.

He must have had a plan.

Wiping away his tears, Kim Tae-sang slapped his cheeks and shouted.

“Alright. Tae-sang, you can do this! Let’s go!”

Finally resolved, Kim Tae-sang entered the association building, and the actual infiltration began thirty minutes later.

It was due to his chronic tension-induced gut troubles.