Chapter 85.1

Chapter 85.1

–“Wooshin, the Mongolian Economic Development Director was found dead an hour ago.”

Hearing the grave voice in his ear, he paused just as he was about to step out of the room. Lee Wooshin had just endured a gruelling gathering with Blast Agency executives and was finally breaking free, feeling relieved.

Under the guise of helping intoxicated executives get home, he had repeatedly plugged and unplugged a Poison Tap, a hacking device, into their phones.

Now, with both hands buried in his coat pockets, he walked down a dimly lit corridor.

“The Mongolian Economic Development Director?”

If it was him, he’d come to Korea for the rare earth MOU. Weren’t new hires like Han Seoryeong assigned to that case? From what he knew, the director had even requested Blast Agency for personal security.

And yet, he was dead.

–“The cause of death was a heart attack, but we suspect assassination.”

Checking his watch, it was already past midnight. Han Seoryeong, who should have returned home by now, hadn’t contacted her superior or filed a report.

He could appreciate her lack of unnecessary warmth toward people, but she had no flexibility either. His brows furrowed with discontent.

–“Mongolia signing the rare earth deal with us was part of their attempt to break free from Russia’s influence in the first place. But since the director started working independently, it was no secret that Russia saw him as a thorn in their side.”

“If it was a heart attack, they must have used potassium chloride.”

Wooshin closed his eyes, massaging the tense muscles in his neck from fatigue.

“Even if they conduct a post-mortem, they won’t find anything.”

–“Yeah, Blast Agency only needs to pay damages and be done with it. But the National Intelligence Service has to clean up the mess now, and it’s a real headache.”

Through the receiver, he heard the click of a zippo lighter, followed by the faint crackle of a cigarette burning.

“Do you have any suspects?”

-“… Yeah, there’s a group that shared the same travel route from the plane to the Seoul Hotel.”

“Go on.”

-“His name is Kia. He’s twenty-eight years old, a third-generation Korean-Russian, and currently a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church.”

Any trace of emotion left on Wooshin’s face disappeared completely.

The Russian Orthodox Church was a state-run religion, intricately tied to power. As someone who had once lived there, the back of his neck chilled.

–“It’s tricky, though. He’s not an officially ordained priest. The academic community doesn’t recognize him, labeling him a heretic.”

The Orthodox Church, one of the oldest religious denominations, was steeped in tradition and conservatism.

With its long history, it established beautiful and monumental branches around the world—in Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Moscow in Russia.

However, the one branch that the global patriarchate refused to acknowledge was…

“Kia is affiliated with the Sakhalin branch.”

Wooshin’s face hardened.

Of all places, a priest from Sakhalin…

They were ostracized for having no roots and for their violent, fanatical behavior.

Especially the first leader of the Sakhalin branch, who had openly sided with the then-chaotic Soviet Union, once infamously claiming that dying in war would wash away sins.

With the full support of the Soviet Union, the Sakhalin branch grew significantly.

How they managed to gain access to the military and secure a foothold remained a mystery, but one thing was certain: the first leader of the Sakhalin branch was Korean.

Black hair, black eyes…

Even the children he had seen at Winter Castle had all been Korean.

The vibrant masks, the creaking metal of the old carousel, the weed-covered swings, and the abandoned unicycle… As these thoughts flooded in, a cold sweat formed on Wooshin’s face.

–“That’s Kia’s official status. The problem is…”

The director’s voice, strained with suppressed breath, suddenly carried a powerful intensity.

-“This guy might be the Class-1 Boogeyman.”

He halted abruptly as he walked briskly.

–“Do you remember our agents who got ambushed overseas a few months ago?”

“I do.”

You poked at my molars so much about it, he thought dryly. Not to mention, he had infiltrated Blast Agency in place of the agent who died back then, so there was no way he could forget.

–“It’s just speculation, but we believe this guy was responsible. For years, intelligence agencies have been sharing data, and here’s the kicker: three out of ten dispatched agents died from heart attacks.”

“…”

Boogeyman was a slang term for a hitman specializing in assassinating intelligence agents.

–“We’re not in a position to poke around in Russia alone. For now, the media will report it as a sudden heart attack tomorrow. Be careful, Wooshin. The most reasonable suspicion is that the agents’ identities were leaked to Russia.”

That’s when Wooshin realized the director’s real intention was to issue this warning.

“When was I ever safe?” He chuckled softly as he replied.

Stepping out of the bar, he handed his car keys to the waiting valet driver. At the same time, the director’s sharp, tense voice suddenly softened.

–“Oh, by the way, owl had contact with that guy too.”

“…!”