How A Mythical Holy Knight Lives As A Villain (Novel) - Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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– According to an anonymous informant, it has been revealed that Go Johan of the Holy Order killed members of the Hojo Guild inside the Gate.
– This is considered highly credible.
The article had exploded from a small internet newspaper.
– Additionally, there were reports linking Go Johan to the disappearance of the entire Forest Guild.
– It is presumed that they were killed.
Truly.
– It is believed that this is the true nature of Go Johan, the villain of this era.
An article about a villain.
– Go Johan must immediately have his past actions thoroughly investigated, and it must also be revealed how he gained such power.
In another situation, these stories would have been dismissed as mere conspiracy theories and buried.
But the names “Holy Order” and “Go Johan” carried a star power that inevitably drew the attention of many.
And.
– Is Go Johan really that strong? I heard he was overwhelmingly powerful in the Black Gate.
Questions about the power Go Johan possessed.
– Welcome to today’s news! Is Go Johan of the Holy Order actually a Red Player?
Even on YouTube, a platform for sharing news in this advanced civilization.
A wave of criticism was targeting Go Johan.
– More nonsense. Isn’t it true that Go Johan cleared the Black Gate?
– If it weren’t for Go Johan, we’d all be dead. Tsk tsk.
– That’s just speculation. Even without Go Johan, our country’s players aren’t that weak.
– Can you stop with the nationalistic pride?
With the black land in Russia and the global Gate Break calming down, attention had shifted to Go Johan.
“Hmm.”
Go Johan let out a small sound.
“Is this how it’s going to be?”
Lee Jae-kyung was agitated.
“…I want to kill them all. But the Captain won’t allow it.”
Kim Si-on pouted in frustration.
– Captain.
Yoon Seung-ah and Grid had immediately offered to return, but Go Johan refused.
“What’s everyone so worked up about? I let this happen, so what’s the big deal?”
As Go Johan said.
Heukgwan’s Kang In had foreseen this situation and cautiously suggested dealing with the reporters, but Go Johan had ignored it.
“But doesn’t it make you angry when you see it?”
“It’s not just a day or two. What’s the big deal?”
Go Johan stood up.
“Hmm.”
He was pondering.
He had thought that these things would come to light eventually, and if they did, there was nothing he could do.
But perhaps it was because he had recently remembered things he had forgotten.
“Should I just crush it all?”
A pointless thought crossed his mind.
“Crush it?”
“Well, there are plenty of ways.”
Go Johan sat on a church chair and spoke.
“Heukgwan could step forward and say they did it.”
“…”
“Or we could bribe the reporters and start a fight.”
In Travania, there was no such thing as ‘influence.’
But here, thanks to those who had built that influence, such things were possible.
“We could pressure the governments of Russia, the U.S., or Europe.”
Finance, resources, politics.
If he just used any of these.
Or.
“We could make the Korean guilds protect me.”
The top guilds and corporations in Korea, under the influence of the church.
There were ways to make them step forward and protect Go Johan.
Already.
“Didn’t they all contact you saying they wanted to do that?”
Even though Go Johan hadn’t stepped forward, Heukgwan had volunteered to take the lead.
The influence of domestic guilds, corporations, and the Temple.
– Ivan wants to send you a gift.
Ivan, who had seized real power in Russia, had personally offered his help.
“…You know what?”
Lee Jae-kyung smirked as he spoke.
“You look like a real villain right now. Like some shadowy figure pulling the strings of the world, huh?”
“That’s not wrong.”
Go Johan said while looking at the internet newspaper.
“It says I’m a villain.”
That was what Go Johan had wanted.
No matter how the world talked, Go Johan was at ease.
“And…”
The last method he hadn’t mentioned.
“I could just crush it with force.”
“Captain! I like that!”
It was just a matter of which method to choose.
Go Johan had plenty of ways to crush and suppress public opinion.
But.
“That wouldn’t be right.”
Go Johan’s eyes had returned to their usual calm.
“The influence isn’t for me. It exists to fight demons. If I keep suppressing things, people will just fear what’s behind it and be wary of the wrong things.”
That would only lead to division.
“Let’s think about it for now.”
It seemed they needed to watch how things unfolded.
*
*
*
Public opinion about Go Johan was rapidly shifting.
Recently, there had even been protests against the Holy Order.
– The Holy Order is a monster born from inhumane human experiments.
There were even absurd rumors like that.
– That punk, just look at him. He’s a thug.
– He had tattoos since elementary school. Tsk tsk.
– Believe it.
In such a situation.
“Are you okay?”
Kim Da-yeon asked worriedly.
It was understandable, as the friend standing before her was related by blood to Go Johan of the Holy Order.
“What do you mean?”
“Johan.”
“…”
At Kim Da-yeon’s words, Go Min-ji’s face stiffened slightly.
“I’m not okay.”
Go Min-ji said.
“That frustrating jerk! Why is he just sitting still? Or he could at least ask us for help!”
She had immediately contacted Go Johan after seeing the articles.
– Let it be.
– You don’t understand, but if we don’t handle this early…
– Let it be.
– You crazy jerk, you’re dead.
The only response she got was to let it be.
Her father, the guild leader, remained silent, and her mother seemed to be suffering in silence.
“That ungrateful jerk. That son of a… This is too much.”
Go Min-ji chuckled.
“Let it be. He must have something in mind.”
“But still…”
“He’s always been strange since he was a kid. You know the rumor about him having tattoos in elementary school? That’s not a rumor.”
Kim Da-yeon scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“But still… He’s not an idiot. If anything, I might be the idiot.”
She had only recently realized that Go Johan possessed such power.
In the world of players, power was something that could never be dismissed as mere talent or genius.
It required proportional effort.
‘What the hell has he been doing?’
Only by enduring hell and carving away at one’s own body and soul could one gain the power that players spoke of.
She wished he would just update his ranking and show everyone how amazing he was.
“The association’s movements are also suspicious.”
Kim Da-yeon said.
“Those shameless jerks.”
“…I’m part of that association.”
“Then tell your higher-ups to get their act together. Go Johan isn’t the type to do such things. Whether he has that power or not, there must be a reason.”
Go Min-ji knew that what she was saying was somewhat forced.
But she was angry and frustrated. What could she do?
“That’s why.”
“Huh?”
“That’s why I’m sticking with you here.”
During the global Gate Break incident, many had sought out Go Min-ji.
It was the same during the Black Gate.
But Go Min-ji hadn’t participated in any of it and had stayed with Kim Da-yeon.
“I also have questions about the power Johan has… and the Hojo Guild.”
Only now were people starting to realize that the Black Gate was different from what they had imagined.
But even so, they didn’t seem to fully grasp what that place was like.
It was.
‘Hell.’
Literally, hell.
It made people crave primitive survival, abandoning all reason and emotion as humans.
Terrified humans would throw someone near them to the wolves just to survive.
Even though they knew full well that it would lead to their own destruction.
“One thing’s for sure! It’s not the Forest Guild.”
Go Min-ji said.
The reason she spent time with Kim Da-yeon, the reason she was dedicating all her time to tracking this down.
That was something that could truly be called a monster.
“Heukgwan, those sons of bitches.”
It was Heukgwan.
*
*
*
Not long ago, Kim Da-yeon and Go Min-ji had shared the results of their investigation into Heukgwan and discussed it.
“This is unbelievable…”
The more they dug into Heukgwan, the more chilling the organization became.
“Eighty percent of the underground is literally controlled by them.”
Kim Da-yeon had thought it was just an exaggeration when she heard that an organization controlled eighty percent of Korea’s underground.
There had been countless guilds in the past that boasted about being nationwide or unified.
Especially as someone who lived in the light like the Holy Order, she had thought the underground couldn’t be that big.
“No, this is…”
But Kim Da-yeon was right.
“They practically control the entire underground.”
You could tell from a few incidents.
Four years ago, during the Pure White incident that shook Korea.
At that time, the organizations in Seoul, which had been fighting over interests, suddenly moved as if they were one body.
There were also other incidents where their movements were completely incomprehensible.
‘They have a separate head.’
You might think the lower ranks were the body, but there was a head.
“What the hell…”
Kim Da-yeon’s investigation results were even more shocking.
“Is something like this possible in Korea?”
With the appearance of players, the world’s security had definitely taken a turn for the worse.
Those who wielded superhuman powers used them to commit crimes that were more secretive and powerful.
But Heukgwan had crossed the line by a long shot.
“This is insane…”
Hundreds of kidnappings, and even more murders.
All of it was suspected to be linked to Heukgwan.
And when you considered the profits they were making, it was truly horrifying.
“…What the hell are they doing?”
But you couldn’t just think of them as entirely bad.
“Funny, isn’t it?”
Kim Da-yeon said as she listened to Go Min-ji.
“Heukgwan took over the underground, and drug trafficking hit rock bottom. The infighting among them might have intensified, but the damage to civilians is almost nonexistent.”
“…”
“Thanks to Heukgwan, Korea’s security has actually improved… That’s the truth.”
Go Min-ji and Kim Da-yeon locked eyes.
“But I can’t just think of it as a good thing.”
Kim Da-yeon, who had been tracking Heukgwan for a long time, said.
“What if their power shifts direction?”
“…”
“And… what if they’re actually lying low for some grand purpose?”
Then she said.
“Heukgwan, they are the true villains of this era… of Korea.”
Villains.
That word resonated deeply.
This was a power that no single organization should possess—it was far too great.