NOVEL WEB Chapter 900
Park Jinseong had figured out about six methods of eavesdropping.
It was a level that would be impossible without the resources of an intelligence agency.
Both the number and the methods were just absurd.
‘What a dreadful situation.’
The three methods Park Jinseong noticed were remote viewing, real-time psychometry, and using a warrior. As for eavesdropping via mechanical means, he probably wouldn’t have even realized it unless he caught a glimpse of Viktor’s eye movements.
But that’s not where the problem ends.
The fact that Park Jinseong noticed six methods means there are definitely more than that.
There are eavesdropping methods using summon creatures with unpredictable abilities, or golems created and manipulated by an alchemist, or even surveillance satellites— all kinds of tricky ways are at play that Park Jinseong might not be aware of.
‘Moreover, the worst part is that eavesdropping through humans tends to be subtly easy to detect.’
The advanced senses of a warrior are beyond imagination.
As they reach a certain level, their sensitivity transcends what one could ever expect. After undergoing transformation, they can even perceive certain senses that humans cannot.
Things like seeing infrared light with the naked eye or hearing frequencies beyond human capability are remarkable evolutions of their senses.
And Viktor is a warrior at that level.
Even though he hasn’t undergone transformation, his honed senses are likely in a realm that’s almost different from those of ordinary people.
There’s no way Viktor wouldn’t realize remote monitoring through psychic powers.
Even an average person can feel when someone is watching them, let alone a trained warrior.
Thus, if Viktor had someone monitoring him, it means two things:
Either the intelligence agency is so incompetent that they thought Viktor wouldn’t notice, or they are deliberately applying pressure by making him feel “someone is watching him.”
And it’s overwhelmingly likely to be the latter.
‘The Russian intelligence agency may do strange things, but they aren’t incompetent.’
Weird and incompetent are entirely different things.
They surely have a rough understanding of Viktor’s detection range and likely hold data on his senses. In that situation, assigning surveillance that even Park Jinseong, whose senses are not vastly different from an ordinary person’s, could detect doesn’t make sense unless it’s meant as intimidation.
’Hmm. Was it like this before the time twist?’
If it was like this even before the timeline got skewed, it wouldn’t be surprising if Viktor became twisted in the end.
Park Jinseong pondered such thoughts.
Would an ordinary person go insane under constant surveillance for just a few days?
Even a loyal soldier might start thinking, ‘I should take out the President and take that seat for myself.’
Moreover, how much more would that apply to Viktor, who always had ambition?
If he continues to be under such surveillance, he might even feel an urge to stage a coup out of sheer stubbornness.
‘Or he might want compensation for the hardships he’s endured. In that sense, the nuclear shower could be a decision born out of a desire for reward and ambition.’
While Park Jinseong thought so, he quietly gathered herbs.
He wanted to appear as undisturbed as possible on the surface.
Viktor also followed Park Jinseong in collecting herbs, and the two returned to the bunker with their bunches of herbs.
Once back in the bunker, Park Jinseong selected a few of the better-quality herbs and wove them into the shape of a cross. He then tightly held it in his hand and began reciting a spell, mixing in his unique dialect of Russian.
“O great deity of the herbs and all wild plants, and you, who watch over us from the heavens, may you grant your blessings and light unto this place, ensuring luck to the one who possesses it and protecting them from cruel fate….”
After praying for Viktor, Park Jinseong handed him the talisman he had created.
He stated that with this, great misfortune wouldn’t come.
“I’m giving this to you as thanks for your hospitality. Treasure it. But when it wilts, its power will have run out, so at that time, let go of it, burn it, and bury it deep in the ground, so the curse it harbors can scatter.”
With that, he gathered the ritual materials Viktor had prepared and headed outside.
As if to imply he had no further business with Viktor.
Viktor also silently let Park Jinseong go.
It seemed like he wanted to suggest that he had prepared the ritual materials in exchange for the talisman.
Thus, the two parted ways.
The bunker, now empty of people, filled once again with a chilling coldness. Viktor drove back to his dwelling in the vehicle he arrived in.
Meanwhile, Park Jinseong, with the gathered ritual materials, continued walking and walking, deeper still into the forest he had visited with Viktor earlier, despite feeling an unsettling sense of wilderness as dusk settled and darkness descended, stirring wild creatures to roam.
After walking for a while, Park Jinseong finally halted at the sight of a small cave.
It was a tiny cave, devoid of cobwebs and seemingly damp.
Without hesitation, he slipped his body into that hole, which seemed like a beast’s abode.
Thud.
Plop.
Plop.
As he entered the cave, Park Jinseong began dropping the herbs he gathered step by step.
Like Hansel and Gretel leaving breadcrumbs to avoid getting lost, except here, he was entering a place resembling the underworld’s cave Orpheus once used to rescue his wife.
So, with herbs falling from his hands, Park Jinseong ventured deeper into the cave.
After pausing in the depths, he closed his eyes.
Like someone meditating while standing.
Or perhaps he was trying to heighten his other senses.
His hands silently joined in prayer, his legs coming together, his head held high as he faced forward, and his mouth firmly shut.
Perhaps Park Jinseong’s figure resembled a Buddha statue.
A statue sculpted by a craftsman wishing to pray deep within that dark cave…
After some time, his eyes opened.
His hands that had been firmly clasped fell, and the line of his tightly closed lips slowly began to curve into a smile. Along with that, Park Jinseong’s face started to twitch, almost like an actor flexing their facial muscles… or like something human trying to peel off the mask of skin it wore to reveal its bizarre identity.
“How could I not give a warm welcome to those chasing after the wind?”
His face glowed with delight, and the twitching muscles twisted it into an expression of sheer ecstasy.
A radiant smile twisted in agony illuminated his face, with arms wide open as if seeking a hug.
In the dim cave, Park Jinseong addressed the entrance he came through.
Although it was merely a fleeting place, it had undoubtedly become his dwelling and domain, welcoming those who entered.
Just as he received hospitality from Viktor in the bunker, he now wished to extend his hospitality to these visitors.
“O guests, guests! You have stepped into this place without a destination while chasing the wind, how could I not welcome you? Though I have neither a wife nor a daughter to embrace you with my arms, and no food to present, I cannot neglect my duty as a host. I will do my utmost to entertain you, thus, guests, guests, please reveal yourselves and come to me.”
The joy of receiving guests.
That dreadful joy, that brilliant kindness!
One who has been hosted must, in turn, host others.
This is the custom of hospitality!
Park Jinseong shouted so loudly that the cave reverberated.
Hearing that call, a figure began to emerge slowly.
It was the silhouette of a man in military uniform, surfacing from the landscape as if he were merging with it.
‘Optical camouflage gear.’
Developed for infiltration and assassination, this special operations gear was wielded by a warrior skilled in stealth and infiltration techniques.
A special forces soldier.
Elite among elites.
“Transparency carries exceptional significance! There’s omnipotence and divine meaning in being unseen, so how could the one bringing this not be precious? Ah, a truly valuable guest has arrived.”
Park Jinseong smiled at the one who had come after him.
It was pure hospitality, devoid of any hint of fear.
Regardless of the reasons for coming, the act of revealing oneself and seeking hospitality implied a welcoming intent.
“….”
The soldier stared intently at Park Jinseong, who was welcoming him.
Was he startled at being recognized?
Or startled at how Park Jinseong welcomed him?
Or perhaps he couldn’t hear anything through the military earpiece in his ear?
Hahaha—!
Park Jinseong laughed at the soldier standing across from him.
Deep within that dark, damp cave.