Somebody Stop the Pope

Chapter 5. Irregular

“…… Team Leader. I’m still confused. Kim Siwoo is clearly rated as a Regular, so why…….”

“Hey, deputy.”

“Yes.”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be running around on the field, would I?”

Kim Dongsik casually replied to his subordinate’s words while quietly observing the horrific scene unfolding before his eyes.

There were wyverns with wings brutally torn off, wyverns with skulls caved in, spilling brains, and others with their heads completely severed.

One might think a giant predator had savagely killed the wyverns, but astonishingly, all this was the work of just one man.

With bare hands, no less.

‘…… Kim Siwoo.’

Kim Dongsik knew the name of the man rampaging like a wild beast in front of him.

It was impossible not to know.

He personally investigated the man yesterday, who was rated as a Regular.

Moreover, he had heard stories of the man’s return from a world called Eden, where he supposedly fought demons—a tale right out of a seasonal web novel.

Until yesterday, he didn’t believe it.

To be precise, he couldn’t believe it.

‘Because no mana was detected.’

Kim Siwoo underwent no less than three examinations with a highly reliable mana detector, and not once was mana detected.

The hypothesis that 〈all awakened individuals possess mana〉 had been considered an established theory for a very long time and was practically universal in its application.

Even Lee Dongha, the first disaster-level returnee to South Korea seven months ago, was successfully scanned with a mana detector.

So how could one believe the words of a returnee from whom no mana could be felt?

Thus, Kim Dongsik dismissed Kim Siwoo’s stories from yesterday as mere boasting typical of returnees.

In fact, there were a significant number of returnees who made such unbelievable boasts.

Even one of the trainees this time, Oh Hyuntaek, despite being of third-rate level, claimed he was the right-hand man of the Murim Alliance leader, which was equally ludicrous.

Crrrrreeeeeek!

“Team, Team Leader. Did you see that just now? That wyvern…… It looks like it’s feeling fear. That thing over there was flying, and then…… it just fell down frozen, didn’t it?”

“Huuuuu.”

Kim Dongsik sighed deeply at his subordinate’s fuss and bit his lip.

Yes, he had to think anew from the beginning.

The returnee adaptation program he had been planning to run?

That was already forgotten in his mind.

The situation unfolding before his eyes was unprecedented in South Korea.

Was the returnee who tore apart wyverns like catching bugs really only of Regular level?

That was the kind of performance only seen from disaster-level individuals.

Nonetheless, one fortunate point was that the Special Investigation Department had a manual prepared for such situations.

Though the manual had not been used since the establishment of the Special Investigation Department, he had been trained on and was familiar with it.

A returnee with no detectable mana but possessing disaster-level strength or above. An outlier, or irregular.

Even in the United States, which had secured the most returnees, this was an extremely rare occurrence, experienced only four times, and the Special Investigation Department had prudently added it to their manual.

However, Kim Dongsik could instinctively sense that the current situation fell under that ‘extremely rare case.’

Making a quick assessment of the situation, he immediately took out his phone and connected a call to his superior.

Buzzzzz.

After a brief ringing, his superior’s voice came over the speaker.

– Did you claim a gate is out of control…….

“I request an emergency assembly order for the entire Special Investigation Department in accordance with Article 7-9 of the emergency response manual.”

– Is the gate situation that severe?

“This isn’t merely about a gate going out of control.”

Holding the phone tightly, Kim Dongsik stared ahead.

Just a few minutes ago, the wyverns’ screeching had threatened to burst his eardrums, but now there was a deathly silence.

The silence seemed obvious.

There were no wyverns left to make noise—they’d all been exterminated in the interim.

And within that silence, a man approached him, dusting off his hands, and Kim Dongsik blankly stared at him.

– Team Leader Kim! You need to explain clearly! Huh? What exactly is happening!

“There is a returnee with no detectable mana but possessing overwhelming abilities. It certainly appears to be an irregular. Chief, there isn’t much time. I’ll converse with him for now, so please handle the follow-up.”

– Hey! Dongsik! What are you trying to……

Buzzzzz.

Kim Dongsik abruptly cut off the call after relaying the information and swallowed hard as he slipped the phone back into his pocket.

In this situation, he had only one option available.

“Good, good work, Mr. Kim Siwoo! Are you hurt anywhere? Hey! What are you all standing around for! This distinguished gentleman must be tired after all that effort, hurry and bring some water or snacks! Understand?”

It was all thanks to his years of social experience.

***

After catching the leader of the wyverns, a message window appeared before me as follows,

『The 〈Dimensional: Earth〉 acknowledged some of your divine presence and potential.』
『Successfully completed the sudden quest 〈Evaluation〉!』
『The system expresses gratitude for your compliance. As a reward for this event, an item is being granted.』

●Item Type: System – Special Event

●Description: The player holding this permit can add a mode to the system once. Adding a new mode allows the player to foster growth through that mode.

●DLC available for you to add:
1. Returnee
2. Pope(★Recommended)

*Warning! This permit will disappear upon use.

It was much more elaborate than the system I used for ten years in Eden.

Seeing the message window once more, something involuntarily burst out of me.

“Honestly, it’s going too far, really going too far.”

At least something understandable would be nice.

One thing was clear from experience: once chosen, it couldn’t be undone. There were quite a few times when making such rash choices had backfired, so I’d have to think carefully.

Understanding even the system from Eden had taken some time, and Earth’s system seemed to require even more.

Just as I unconsciously muttered profanities, a reaction came from an unexpected source.

“Uh, is there something displeasing? I sincerely apologize if I have…….”

“Oh, I didn’t mean you, Team Leader. Please don’t worry.”

I waved a hand dismissively at Team Leader Kim, then smiled while sipping the drip coffee he personally brewed.

This place was the Ability Management Bureau, where I stayed yesterday morning.

I had come here directly from Yeouido Hangang Park, just like yesterday.

Of course, the situation was 180 degrees different from yesterday.

First, the vehicle that brought me here earlier.

Yesterday, it was a black van, but today, I arrived in a top-of-the-line luxury sedan fit for a major corporation’s chairman.

Not only that.

The location had changed as well.

Yesterday, I was in an underground examination room, but today’s meeting was in a reception room on the top floor of the building, offering a magnificent view of Mt. Bukhansan.

Gazing at the stunning scenery of Mt. Bukhansan while drinking Kim’s hand-drip coffee after so long.

“Mmm. This is a bit bitter?”

It was quite bitter.

The instant coffee I had yesterday was sweet and pleasant, likely due to it being my first espresso in ten years.

I used to like it in the past.

“I sincerely apologize. Shall I make it again……?”

Team Leader Kim replied in a rather stiff voice, to which I subtly raised the corners of my lips and spoke.

“I’m just a bit unaccustomed to it after ten years. Well, I think I’ve rested enough. I was planning to have tteok-bokki with my siblings today.”

“For now, regarding your reclassification, a National Security Meeting is being urgently convened to discuss it confidentially. If you cooperate with a few more inquiries, we will ensure you return home as quickly as possible.”

Things seemed to be progressing well.

If cooperating would expedite my reclassification, then cooperation was a small price to pay.

I nodded slowly and said.

“Let’s do it.”

With that, Team Leader Kim politely bowed and started typing on his laptop, then asked.

“During the first investigation yesterday, you didn’t mention possessing any abilities. Could you share the reason for that?”

“I was bothered by it, and I wanted to see my family quickly. That’s all there was to it.”

Tap-tap-tap.

After the keyboard was typed for a moment, Kim nodded and continued.

“Alright. Moving on to the next question. Why did you choose to use your powers at the Yeouido Hangang Park gate today? You could have hidden them if you wished, couldn’t you?”

“I’ve formed a goal I want to achieve here. And my little brother suggested that I might need national certification to reach that goal.”

The moment I mentioned the word ‘goal’, Kim’s face hardened once more.

He appeared visibly tense.

“Could you share what this goal is?”

“Ah, it’s not something grandiose.”

I took a sip of coffee, then answered with a sly smile.

“I’ve mentioned that I was a Pope in the other world, Eden, right?”

“Y-yes.”

“So, I plan to do a bit of missionary work.”

“Y-yes… What?”

Kim’s facial expression was quite noteworthy.

Just moments ago, his face had been as stiff as a statue, and now his eyes twitched visibly.

It seemed my goal was unexpected for him.

“Missionary work?”

“The Goddess, Riemen—whom I served in Eden—is a really decent Goddess, you see. It’s really a pity and frustrating that I’m the only one who worships such a god on Earth.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

“Team Leader Kim, if you don’t have a religion, how about believing in Riemen? She’s really a nice god.”

Finally, Team Leader Kim’s stoic expression gave way.

He wore a wry smile.

Yes, to anyone else, it must sound like a cult.

Still, in this situation, is there any need to frankly tell him, ‘If I don’t gather 10,000 worshippers, I’ll lose all my power’?

No way, never.

Better to be labeled as a cult leader; it’s less of a hassle.

Tap-tap-tap

Once again, the sound of typing echoed through the room, followed by a weary voice that spoke.

“So, you’re saying that you need the reclassification for missionary work through… for national certification? If it’s regarding establishing a religious organization, I can connect you with another department, but what does that have to do with reclassification?”

“I’m planning to approach the public in a more relatable way and thinking of starting missionary work through a different method.”

Regardless of age or gender, it’s something every modern person experiences daily.

The beginning of the blueprint I laid out yesterday is precisely that.

“MeTube. I’m planning to start my missionary work through MeTube. When discussing with my little brother yesterday, he mentioned that required national certification is necessary for awakened beings to properly function online, and that’s why.”

As soon as I proudly stated my plan, Kim, who had been diligently typing, paused.

He ran his hands over his face and gave an unexpected smile.

When facing an incomprehensible situation, they say people laugh, and it seems true.

But Kim didn’t abandon professionalism.

Despite appearing dizzy, Kim maintained composure and spoke to me.

“So… summarizing your statement, you need reclassification to begin missionary work through MeTube. Is that correct?”

“Correct. You can think of it as online worship. That’s how I plan to start.”

“Ah.”

Was his final “Ah” one of admiration, or perhaps a sigh?

In any case.

It was when I finally finished discussing my plan with Mr. Dongsik.

An entirely unexpected event occurred before my eyes.

『DLC selection complete!』
『The DLC you chose: Pope』
『System will be updated to match the characteristics of the DLC. Estimated time: 4 hours』

“…… When did I?”