The weather was pleasant. There seemed to be nothing to interfere. When using the power of the Tools, distance is irrelevant anyway.

  The only things that mattered were the location of the target and the presence of absolute killing intent.

  Mu-yeong believed that today, he would be able to kill his target definitively without any interruption. The man named Jihyeon possessed power equivalent to the entire Cult. Playing games with such a person was no different from a suicide mission. Even Mu-yeong had no desire to face an opponent again who could block a shot fired with his full strength.

  But today was different.

  The target he had to handle today was not difficult at all. It was merely a common human. Sniping a human without any armor was child's play. The target didn't even imagine they would be attacked. In this country, the very idea of an assassination is considered bizarre—let alone a long-range assassination.

  Thus, one shot would be enough. Mu-yeong regulated his breathing and focused his mind. Then, he pulled the trigger.

  A light recoil.

  Despite using a Tool, the recoil tapped Mu-yeong's shoulder lightly. He could have fired with zero recoil, but then it wouldn't have felt like a real shot. Mu-yeong wanted to feel that sensation he had experienced in the past, and the Tool perfectly replicated exactly what he desired.

  It was no different from when he used to snipe people on the battlefield. The sniper rifle created through the Tool perfectly reproduced the "hand-feel" of those days.

  Mu-yeong was satisfied with that fact. His current synchronization was far more precise than when he had used the Tool previously. It was also a blossoming of ability he had learned during his battle with Jihyeon.

  A Tool was always, literally, a tool. It had fixed functions, but its potential could grow infinitely depending on the user's imagination. This was another excellent example of that. Mu-yeong felt inwardly proud that his use of the Tool had become much more proficient.

  At the very least, he had earned the right to feel that way.

  Through the power of the Tool, Mu-yeong had long ago discarded the limits of sniping that an ordinary human could conceive. The distance to the target was 20km. At this range, the term "sniping" hardly seemed appropriate.

  However, even more important than the linear distance was the fact that this shot followed a curved trajectory. Tools occasionally shattered common sense. That fact was proven once again.

  The simple will to snipe and the killing intent to end the opponent were merely materialized through the Tool. There would be a difference in raw power, but Jihyeon was simply an outlier. In reality, such overwhelming force wasn't even necessary to kill a human. All that was needed was enough power to finish the job.

  Fortunately, the hit was precise. Mu-yeong smiled, having successfully sniped a target from 20km away through the power of his Tool. Although buildings obstructed his physical line of sight, there was no difficulty in confirming the target.

  The target likely never expected an attack aimed at the crown of their head to fly in on an arc. The probability of such a thing would be lower than being struck by lightning. Yet, the reality was that Mu-yeong’s will had pierced the target's head, and now, he was dead.

  Now, people would chatter noisily. But no one would understand how the deed was done. It was quite exhilarating.

  Like the assassins who changed the flow of history, Mu-yeong had turned the wheel of fate—even if it was a shame he couldn't leave his name behind. He moved according to the will of the Cult. He received that will and pulled the trigger. Now that the result was out, that was enough. What came next was for later.

  The fallen man was a reporter. One who had been trying to dig into the Cult's secrets. This would serve as a good warning to those trying to pry into their affairs. Most reporters only chased money anyway; as long as they handled the ones digging too deep, the media would remain quiet.

  Mu-yeong descended slowly as if nothing had happened. The sniper rifle manifested by the Tool no longer existed anywhere. The man who had briefly ascended to the building's rooftop finished his work and vanished into the crowd, looking perfectly ordinary.

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  Ha-eun knew well that no matter how good an ability was, it meant nothing if one didn't know how to use it properly. Today’s task would be a testing ground for the new power he had acquired.

  The Cult had conducted an experiment on him, adding to his punishment. It was the implantation of multiple Tools.

  It had come with a pain that wouldn't even appear in nightmares. But it was a necessary process for his repentance regarding his mistake. To follow the Leader's teachings and live a more faithful life, one had to be accompanied by pain, as was always the case. It was the duty of one who had become an Apostle.

  Instead of dreading it, Ha-eun looked forward to how much this trial would strengthen him. He knew well that if Mu-yeong hadn't helped him, he would have become a cripple with his Tools extracted. The executive who had his Tool taken by Jihyeon still hadn't woken up, and the other Apostles who lost theirs were all unconscious without exception.

  The thought that he could have ended up like that made his skin crawl.

  But he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. If he moved quickly, even Jihyeon wouldn't be able to react. The new Tool implanted in him possessed enough power to create miracles. Ha-eun believed that by mastering it, he could prove his faith in the deceased Leader.

  However, Ha-eun was actually a bit disappointed. For him, the rampaging subjects he had to deal with today were the usual kind. He could handle them without even using his new power. Using high-speed movement against those who could think of nothing but mindless destruction seemed like an unnecessary luxury.

  But Ha-eun decided to look on the bright side. Since they were easy opponents, they were ideal for adapting to his new abilities. With that thought, he moved his feet slowly. He then looked at today's targets.

  Just how many were there?

  They were already completely out of their minds. He couldn't hide his surprise at the fact that they had somehow managed to gather here in such a state. But it wasn't that strange. Ha-eun believed that even if those who had gone berserk gathered under someone's direction, it was the will of the former Leader and the will of God.

  Considering the Cult's ability to find the location of the rampaging ones and send him there, nothing was too strange to believe. He just had to do what he was told. Ha-eun believed that it was a sin for an Apostle to even entertain useless thoughts.

  It was a thought he never would have had back when he was locked in prison. The Ha-eun of those days was constantly doubting and trying to deny everything. But that was his past self. Now, Ha-eun was proud to be an Apostle of the Cult.

  Come to think of it, what should he do when he met his brother again?

  His brother, whom he met after a long time, had put up endless resistance against him. Ha-eun found his brother's "cute" struggle pleasing, but he always regretted the fact that he hadn't been able to subdue him.

  But now, it was different.

  Regarding Jihyeon, he still couldn't guarantee a perfect victory. But with his current self, he would be able to subdue his brother.

  With that conviction, Ha-eun approached slowly. It was to let the rampaging subjects see him and react. Those who have lost their minds react sensitively to even the smallest stimulus. It was like pulling the trigger on a loaded gun.

  As expected, they reacted. It seemed the slight sound of his footsteps had disturbed those who were barely maintaining a state of rest. This was a place where people didn't come anyway.

  Ha-eun was glad there was nothing to worry about, so he used two of his abilities simultaneously.

  One was his original Tool—providing powerful defense and evolving superhuman strength. And the other was the Tool that provided him with high-speed movement, accompanied by pain.

  Of course, he hadn't yet harmonized and fully mastered the two powers. Successful implantation and the actual handling of the power were two different stories. But like exercise, mastering a Tool was a matter of getting used to it. Thus, Ha-eun did his best to draw out the power of the Tools as if to force himself to become accustomed.

  Gradually, the speed of his consciousness perceiving the outside world accelerated. The movements of those approaching him in their frenzy felt slow. At the same time, Ha-eun felt the beginning of a severance between himself and the world. Through the power of his Tools, his body would be protected even during movements far more violent than those of others.

  In a sense, the laws of physics were being ignored, but there was no reason to fret over every complex detail. Ha-eun simply had to strike down the enemies before him. It was enough to perfectly subdue them and finish the Cult's work.

  With that thought, Ha-eun began to walk. Toward those moving slower than himself, he walked neither slowly nor quickly.

  Like a slow-motion scene, the rampaging subjects continued their movements. However, their pupils had not yet properly perceived Ha-eun. Seeing this, Ha-eun smiled and swung his fists. He struck several of them, one by one, and then stepped back.

  He then briefly deactivated the power of the Tool that allowed high-speed movement. The severance from the world vanished in an instant, and time flowed normally again.

  The scene that unfolded at that moment was a spectacle.

  As if watching a scene from a comedy, the rampaging subjects were sent flying. The impact of the blows they received would have taken effect the moment the flow of time returned to normal. Since he had precisely aimed for concussions, his attacks would have been nothing short of fatal. Exactly as he had intended, Ha-eun's strikes were enough to neutralize them.

  "At this rate, I could even catch Ha-hyeon, couldn't I?"

  Ha-eun thought about his brother's strength, which had been almost equal to his own. Making a mess of the city thanks to him was a pleasant memory, but it was also an obstacle he had to overcome. But now, he had the confidence to win—if he used this power.

  "Let's finish cleaning up first..."

  Ha-eun thought as he activated his ability once more. Though only a few seconds had passed in reality, the only thing on his face was a smile as he subdued everyone in the vicinity.