Sator

<SATOR> Synopsis

 

 

 

표지

Genre

Mystery Historical Fantasy

Keywords

#Alternative History #Reasoning #Dark Hero #Growth Patterns #Solid Worldview

Length

160 Chapters, Complete

Age

All Ages

Price

 

Author

Name : 공허 (Void)

 

Characters

0. The Seed: “……”

The central subject of the novel, the Seed of Creation was created by Homunclus, also referred to as Noah’s Seed. It is the seed that helped civilization sprout again after the disaster of creation, the Great Flood.

 

1. Lee Yeon: “Don’t ask for a reason for living when you’ve been given permission to live.”

The main character of the novel, a 15-year-old boy living in Joseon in the unstable 1930’s. He has no memories from before he was 5 years old. He has the ability to always choose the definite path of his future through natural instinct. He is one of the divided souls of the legendary Taeho Bokhui, but has no memory of the past yet.

 

2. Mari (Kim): “The day will come when human greed reaches its peak, and all mankind across the world will reveal their sins. Then, I’ll be back.”

23-year-old editor of the bookstore Vault of Heaven. She works at Vault of Heaven due to her relationship with Noh Leeman. They are trying to correct the historical awareness of Joseon. She has no memory of being a reincarnation of Princess Bari, the first essential shaman, but regains her memories after an incident.

 

3. Mu Woong: “I promise. I will stand with a blue blade until my pride is gone. I’ll stand until the end, cutting them all by the neck.”

20 years old, second-generation immigrant who left for Mexico. In the early 1900s, immigrants who left for Mexico were swindled and treated worse than slaves. Born to immigrant parents, he grew up as part of a Mexican cartel to make ends meet. Then, he meets an Aztec jaguar god, gains powers, and returns to Joseon to avenge his parents who were forced to live an unfair and disastrous life.

 

4. Park Hongseok: “I’m doing everything on my own terms!”

In his late 60’s, he is the head of the Foreign Ministry for the Governor-General of Korea. He helps bring immigrants back from Mexico to a shadow island in the East Sea where they are being used as experiments in order to create a superior human race. He keeps bumping into Lee Yeon and Mu Woong, which only leads to bad luck.

Basically, he can read the trends of the times and it quick-footed. He is the man who holds the secret about an incident that happened in Joseon.

 

5. Jeong Sahee: “If this kid dies, I’ll gain his power, right?”

Mari’s twin. After she was born, she was separated from Mari by Park Hongseok and raised by his hands. Her desire for power is greater than anyone else’s. Currently, she wants to gain more power by supporting the experiments using “The Seed”.

 

6. Baek Jongwoo: “Ah…… I hope the whole world…… will be ruined.”

Deputy Chief of the Manchurian Intelligence Agency and a member of the Cabinet Investigation Office with an unknown age. The main villain of part 1. He has the skill to assimilate into surrounding objects and disappear from reality. It is more than just an ability to make his body invisible. One peculiar thing about him is that he seems to be full of loss and emptiness.

 

6. Noh Leeman: “You say you think these Japanese bastards will continue their colonial rule for the rest of their lives. I’m certain that later, the end will come.”

48-year-old founder of the bookstore Vault of Heaven. Born in Pyeongyang, he returned to Joseon after studying abroad in Nebraska, USA, and is trying to correct the historical awareness of Joseon.

 

7. Hwang Sepyeong: “So, you think I’m the hermit Shin Sepyeong? Or is it the guru Jeon Woochi?”

24-year-old modern boy from Joseon. The son of Hwang Bal, a close friend of Noh Leeman, and helps out at the bookstore at his father’s request. After receiving the Seed of Creation on behalf of Mari from Shadow Island, he awakens as a reincarnation of Jeon Woochi. His ability is that of the 14-sided dice, which is rolled to decide a person’s punishment. He is the main villain of the second half. Although he was optimistic and sly before, his evil side is awakened on Shadow Island.

 

8. Yoshida Miyamoto: “Yohohoho.”

A detective at the Jongno Police Station. He is in charge of unpleasant tasks as Park Hongseok’s follower. He is a Japanese police officer full of ambition who follows an influential figure. During his work in Pyeongyang, he teams up with Ukaki Bhuta to chase Mu Woong.

 

9. The Woori: The five elemental spirits. They exist beyond the axis of time in order to maintain civilization. They have influence over the East, with the center being the Himalayas.

(1) Sato Kukai: “I am the god of law and truth itself! I am also the god of good deeds and virtues! I have been revealed to this world in the form of truth!”

A Buddhist monk whose original form is a starfish with the strength of iron. Became a Buddha after achieving enlightenment and is the guardian of the East. His weapon of choice is a Buddhist tool made of iron or copper used to break the anguish caused by uninterpretable scriptures.

 

(2) Yang Sanbak: “Hahaha! We are ‘higher beings’.”

Its original form from the time of creation is a wooden goblin, and it is the king of all goblins. As the name suggests, it has the energy of nature and trees. It values strength and loyalty. A manly man that holds no grudges. Recently acquired Bang Sang’s mask, which contains the powers of Chiwoo, and plans to go on a journey to find Chiwoo’s sword.

 

The other three will appear in the second part.

 

10. Noah’s Family: The first humans, a group of strange people who inherited Noah’s DNA. They exist beyond the axis of time in order to maintain civilization. They rule over the West, with the center being the Himalayas.

All will appear in the second part of the work.

 

11. Operators of the global underground market, Catacomb: Composed of seven people who carry special abilities and were recommended by Noah’s family. Responsible for the maintenance of human civilization through helping the administrators of Catacomb.

 

(1) Johann von Faust: German, Male

(2) Arachne Maria: Greece, Female

(3) Saladin al-Din Yusuf: Iran, Male

(4) Pietro Medici: Italy, Male

(5) Kasura Taro: Japan, Male

(6) Heichi Hwashen: China, Male      

(7) Hongra: Joseon, Female

Short Introduction

 

Synopsis

*Beginning (Chapter 1. Encounter)

After the Great Flood, Noah, Bokhee, Sinnong, and Yeowa, the fisrt humans named by Homunculus, reconstructed human civilization using [The Seed]. In the process, Taeho Bokhee is placed under eternal sleep through the powers of Sinnong and Yeowa after a disagreement over conflicting opinions.

In early 1900, four parts of Bokhee’s soul reappeared simultaneously in different holy places throughout the world. For unknown reasons, the fifth piece of Bokhee’s soul awakened belatedly on the streets of Jongno in the 1920’s. In the late 1930’s, amidst uncertain circumstances in Joseon, many people were living empty and hollow lives. Then one day, Japanese people were killed in succession in a back alley of Bonjeong (now Chungmuro), in front of the Georgia Department Store in Myeongchijung (now Myeongdong), and under the Jongno Bridge.

There is a boy who doesn’t have any memories of before he was 5 years old. His name is Lee Yeon. He is living under the care of Father Mattheo with the help of the Catholic Church. After the third murder at Jongno Bridge, the Jongno Police Station began investigating Koreans after concluding that it was a series of hate crimes against the Japanese. The owner of the general store located near Cheonggye Stream, where Yeon used to run errands to make a living, warned Yeon to be careful and left him with a suspicion that the suspect in the case might not be a person. 

Yeon has a different ability than others in that his senses are more developed. Yeon was lost in thought over the store owner’s words as he stared at the Cheonggye stream in the distance. He notices something off about the last murder and stops walking to think about the possibilities of what it could be. Then, Yeon realizes there is something more behind the serial murders in Gyeongseong……

Yeon saves a woman from a pickpocket on the streets of Bonjeong. Her name is (Kim) Mari, and she’s the editor at an old bookstore called Vault of Heaven. After that, Yeon begins to help Mari at the bookstore due to the relationship between Father Mattheo and the bookstore’s owner, Noh Leeman. Through his meeting with Mr. Noh, he learns that there are people trying to record the proper history of Joseon.

Meanwhile, another murder occurs in the alley near Taepyung Pharmacy in Jongno. The victim this time is Lee Kichul, a Korean working at the railways station. In addition, Lee Kichul was the father of Lee Jungjae, who had met Noh Leeman before in a meeting, and once predicted danger through examining some documents that Noh Leeman accidentally stumbled across. The murder led to a meeting held early in the morning at the Jongno Police Station, where they discussed the confusion over the new victim being Korean unlike before. At that time, a new detective named Nakajima, who reported having seen a suspicious person on the bridge, heads there with Miyamoto, a high-ranking detective full of passion and desire. There, Miyamoto Yoshida faces a suspiciously strong man named Mu Woong, who came to Joseon and hid his presence out of desire for revenge.

There is a man named Mu Woong. In early 1900, his parents fled to Mexico and were caught up in an immigration con, where they were treated worse than slaves and eventually died of an illness. Born in Mexico, Mu Woong secretly entered Joseon in search of the ancient Aztec jaguar god Ometeotl to gain strength and help each other get what they both wanted. Mu Woong wanted to kill those involved in the Mexican immigration scam, and while looking into the background found out that it was Park Hongseok, who was currently the head of the Foreign Ministry of the Japanese Governor-General of Korea. In addition, Ometeotl finds out that Park Hongseok has an item that he is looking for, and heads to Pyeongchang to find it.

Mu Woong discovers Park Hongseok’s secret hideout in Pyeongchang and realizes the object Ometeotl wants is in the basement. He is able to find a secret door into the secret private hideout and move underground. There he finds Park Hongseok’s private warehouse, where he held all the valuables that he secretly collected. Mu Woong believes there is something he wants there thanks to the energy of the scriptures, but as he looks around the basement he is knocked out by a sudden attack.

Actually, Park Hongseok had two secret locations. Park Hongseok had been expecting them and summoned Major Baek Jongwoo, who had been stationed in Manchuria, and appears through another door leading to the basement. Then, he says something shocking……

There is another world beyond human civilization in which transcendent beings exist to guide human civilization in the proper direction. And he is conducting human experiments in Joseon through [The Seed], a seed of power that was used to sprout the beginnings of human civilization, in order to create a group that transcends humanity.

Through the experiment, Asia’s first transcendent Baek Jongwoo is revealed. Major Baek Jongwoo was a soldier working for the Machurian Intelligence Service. After applying to be part of a laboratory run by Park Hongseok as part of Japan’s Greater East Asia Project, he became Asia’s first transcendent man as a sufficient vessel of desire and ability to accept [The Seed]’s power. He was able to assimilate with things around him using emptiness as a prototype, thereby having the ability to become transparent and penetrate objects around him.

His transcendent body and his abilities create an unfavorable situation for Mu Woong and Ometeotl. Mu Woong, forced to continually defend without the opportunity to attack, quickly becomes exhausted. Just when he is about to admit defeat, he is able to successfully land an attack after hearing the sound of a boy and survives dramatically.

The boy is Lee Yeon, who was nearby by chance and realized that the strange evil that he kept feeling was not Mu Woong but Baek Jongwoo, and came to Gyeongseong to help Mu Woong. The meeting between these three – Lee Yeon who held the last piece of Taeho Bokhee’s soul, Wu Moong who held the power of an Aztec god, and Baek Jongwoo who held transcendent power from the seed of beginning – caught the attention of those beyond the axis of time. Baek Jongwoo realizes that Lee Yeon’s appearance was not a coincidence but an inevitable fate, and suddenly leaves his seat in emptiness. With their meeting, the world beyond the axis of time begins to move. Mu Woong promises a second round against Park Hongseok, and leaves Pyeongchang with the feeling that he will meet Lee Yeon again.

 

*Development (Chapter 2. Shadow Island)

Morning comes at the old bookstore Vault of Heaven. The main task at Vault of Heaven is to collect objective data on historical events that are happening now for future descendants. Currently, Noh Leeman is focusing on the whereabouts of Mexican immigrants who returned to Joseon. After finding out that someone who knows their whereabouts is in Pyeongyang, Noh Leeman sends Lee Yeon and Mari to find them.

Close friends Noh Leeman and Hwang Bal both live in Pyeongyang. Hwang Bal was a businessman who started and ran his own textile company. He helps Leeman both physically and mentally and sent his son Hwang Sepyeong to the bookstore to help his cause. Sepyeong is an optimistic young man who waits for Lee Yeon and Mari to join him for this mission in Pyeongyang.

Meanwhile, Park Hongseok also headed to Pyeongyang. He had two purposes, the first being a promise with an ‘important person’ and the second being a meeting with Advocate Jeong Sahee, from the Sages of the Holy Trinity. The Sages of the Holy Trinity was a pseudo-group hidden behind the Jeonsu church on Daehwajeong Street in Pyeongyang. It seemed like an ordinary church to the outside, but it bewitched believers with false words and turned them into fanatics. This had been going on for a long time as a result of Park Hongseok’s order. 

While waiting for Lee Yeon and Mari at Pyeongyang Station, Hwang Sepyeong receives a mysterious church mission card from a woman. After seeing it, Mari reveals that she received a similar card in Gyeongseong, and that various pseudo-religious groups have been popping up with the introduction of Christianity. She questions Lee Yeon and Sepyeong to find out if the card Sepyeong received is similar. The name of the church on the card is the Sages of the Holy Spirit. Mari told Sepyeong she heard a familiar name at Pyeongyang Station, and Sepyeong is surprised to find out it was Park Hongseok, the name of his uncle. Sepyeong, who hated him for selling out his family for a high position, wonders why he came to Pyeongyang.

When Park Hongseok first arrives in Pyeongyang, his first stop is the church downtown. When meeting with the Sages of the Holy Spirit’s benefactor, he points out her foolishness. His reason for coming had originally been different. He came because an article about a battle for power within the church had been published in a newspaper. She had left one of her followers, Park Myungmoon, half-dead, and in response he retaliated by leaking the story to a newspaper. The reason she had been hard on Myungmoon is that he insulted her by being involved with a lot of women. Park Hongseok grits his teeth and tells her that he understands how she feels, but not to move hastily until he gives her orders. Also, along with Park Myungmoon, he orders another 50 believers to be sent to ‘that place’ soon.

Meanwhile, Sepyeong brings Lee Yeon and Mari to his house to meet his father Hwang Bal and is able to solve a regret he was holding onto. After eating, they go out to see Pyeongyang in Sepyeong’s car, and as they pass through Daedongmun Gate, Lee Yeon feels an unexpectedly welcome energy. Mu Woong’s energy. Convinced that Mu Woong is there, Lee Yeon suggests to Sepyeong that they head to Daedongmun Market after visiting the Pyeongyang History Institute the next day. Ahn Sepyeong agrees to go inside the large marketplace. The next day, the three head to the Pyeongyang Institute. There, there was a study of the ancient history of Joseon. The three carry out their schedule after arriving. While looking around the research center, Lee Yeon finds himself drawn to the statues there. The statues were named after Bokhee, Yeowa, and Sinnong respectively. The researcher explained that they were the creators who led human civilization after the Great Flood, and Lee Yeon feels a strange itching in his ears as the words sound all too familiar. 

At the same time, Park Hongseok leaves Daehwajeong Street and goes to the Board of Directors, a local government agency, to conduct public affairs. After that, Park Hongseok heads to Jinnampo. There, he has an important appointment. The appointment is at a 2-story bar made by remodeling an old merchant inn. After ensuring no one is around, Hongseok enters the designated room. Inside was a man waiting for Hongseok while chewing on raw chicken. The man, who was twice the size of a regular man, was Sato Kukai, one of the [Woori] spirits that lived beyond the axis of time. Sato Kukai asks about the progress of the plan and receives the item he had requested from Hongseok. The plan he iss referring to is a suspicious experiment on a secret island, and the item he receives from Hongseok is called the Tantra, one of the esoteric scriptures. When memorizing esoteric teachings, the Sutra of Tantra was used as an item that strengthened the power of the trainee. Sato Kukai uses it to memorize esoteric doctrines, and after hearing that something is wrong with the world that he has been away from a long time, uses his parasitic abilities to search for someone’s whereabouts. The person Sato Kukai was looking for was none other than Mari. After seeing her, he feels tremendous energy and says she is a Buddhist Saint and tells Hongseok that he wants to meet her. He immediately calls the church in Jeonsu-dong and orders them to hold Mari there until he comes.

After finishing their morning schedule at the institute, Lee Yeon, Mari, and Sepyeong head to Daedong River Market. Upon arrival, Sepyeong receives news that something is wrong at the textile factory and leaves the other two at the market. Lee Yeon and Mari move to a café to rest for a while. While there, Mari tells Lee Yeon that she was born in Pyeongyang and adopted by her current parents at the age of 3, and that her twin sister is probably alive somewhere. Lee Yeon, who has no memories from before the age of 5, feels a sense of connection with her. They leave the café to check out antique shops around the Daedong River Market, and there they meet Kim Sion, who is from abroad. Sion tells Yeon he had been appointed to wait there by a man and hands Yeon a key, saying the item he had brought was in a nearby bathhouse locker. The man who hired him turns out to be Mu Woong. Mu Woong had also felt Yeon’s presence and wrote him a short letter. Yeon asks Mari to wait and runs to check what Mu Woong left for him. Through Mu Woong’s letter, Lee Yeon learns that he came to Pyeongyang in order to chase Park Hongseok. Then, suddenly, Yeon feels Mari’s energy disappear. He quickly returns to the place where they separated but can’t find a trace of her whereabouts. Realizing Mari must have been kidnapped, Yeon quickly contacts Sepyeong and waits for him to return. Upon learning that she was taken to the church in Jeonsu-dong, the two head to Daehwajeong Street. 

While Lee Yeon and Sepyeong were in turmoil of Mari’s abduction, Mari had already been taken down to the basement of the church. There, Mari faces Jeong Sahee, the Advocate of the church. At first, Sahee felt pity for Mari, but at the same time she was confused about why she felt a strange sense of closeness with her, as she reminded her of herself when she was supposed to take over as the next Advocate. Jeong Sahee was Mari’s twin sister. Actually, the Advocate of the church was originally the daughter of a Shaman, but when Jeong Sahee was forcibly taken by Park Hongseok and found to have no powers, she was instead forced to become the Advocate.

In early 1900, before the establishment of the Sages of the Holy Spirit, there was another church called the New Church of the Bishops. Lee Gildae, the chief priest of the New Church of the Bishops, was a shaman who overcame the recruits with the power of the Holy Spirit and established a new church. She became pregnant with twins and decided she wanted to walk a different path, so she left her two children to Park Myungmoon, a friend of her husband’s.

However, Park Myungmoon was ordered by Park Hongseok to end the New Church of the Bishops and win over the remaining followers to the new church. Park Hongseok adopts the twins but decides to have only one of them be raised by the religious sect leader. This is because only one of the twins has abilities. As Hongseok planned, the New Church of the Bishops is destroyed overnight, and Lee Gildae is caught by the police before she disappears. In the midst of the confusion, her husband Jung Darumi heads to Park Myungmoon’s house, where she left the twins in an attempt to save them……

There he encounters Park Hongseok, who came to take the children. Eventually, he falls to Park Hongseok’s scheme andi only able to save one of his children, Mari. While Jung Darumi is running away with Mari, the power of the first shaman Princess Bari wakes inside her and the two barely escape. Jung Darumi saves Mari and asks Koreans in nearby cities to adopt her and raise her. Mari needed to be kept away from her parents in order to keep her powers dormant inside her.

The child Hongseok had kept was ordinary, but her desires deepened due to Hongseok’s influence. Knowing that she had no power, Hongseok was forced to find a girl to replace her and brought in the daughter of a shaman. Originally, Jeong Sahee loathed Mari and her strength, and voluntarily joined the experiment to become transcendent and gain her own power. She was currently waiting for an experiment on ‘that island’.

During an argument with Jeong Sahee, Mari finds out that her sister is still alive, and her powers begin to awaken inside her. Sahee believes Mari has come to take her place and tries to kill her out of jealousy and rage. That’s when Park Hongseok appears. Hongseok blocks Sahee’s attack and scolds her for her stupidity. Hongseok uses his body as a vessel for Kukai’s power in this world and connects Mari to Kukai through it. Kukai realizes that Mari is a special being and tells Hongseok to bring her to ‘that island’.

Then, ‘that island’…? It’s a secret place in the East Sea known as Shadow Island. Hongseok had realized that the place existed early on and found it himself. Shadow Island was then transformed into a place where they performed experiments to turn people into transcendents. A special astronomical tool is needed to navigate to the island. Through this instrument, an island appears like a shadow near Dokdo, and it is there they meet Sato Kukai for the first time.

When Hongseok tries to take Mari outside, Sahee becomes frightened that he is abandoning her and hits him with her whip, causing the beads he received from Kukai to fall from his clothes and scatter across the floor. Remembering seeing Hongseok swallow the beads earlier, Sahee swallows them. Feeling the influence of a strange power, Sahee confronts Kukai in his own space. After she demands strength from him, Kukai grants her wish because he still wants to see his own desire to the end.

Jeong Sahee loses consciousness and wakes up again with strange and fierce ghost-like powers. After turning into a fierce monster she is now controlled by Hongseok, and as they are in a hurry to leave suddenly Lee Yeon appears.

Lee Yeon can’t read anything from a reasonless monster. While worrying that he can’t save Mari like this, Mu Woong, who had been following Park Hongseok, appears. Mu Woong vows not to miss his chance this time, but suddenly he is confronted with two three-eyed dogs, fueled by the power of Sahee and Kukai, who were turned into ghost spirits to catch demons made through other hosts.

In his previous showdown against Baek Jongwoo, Mu Woong became aware of his lack of strength and went through special training. He learned how to control the powers of the jaguar without unnecessarily consuming his strength. Whether it’s thanks to his experience in the fight against Baek Jongwoo or not, Mu Woong is able to easily overpower them.

When he thought he finally caught Park Hongseok after the showdown, he was suddenly caught in a hallucination from Sato Kukai, allowing Park Hongseok to run away again. Additionally, Hongseok was able to capture Mari again and take her to Shadow Island under Kukai’s orders.

Meanwhile, Miyamoto, who came to Pyeongyang with Hongseok, moves to remove Joo Hangseon under Hongseok’s orders. The reason is that Joo Hangseon knew about what happened to the immigrants who left for Mexico in the early 1900’s when Hongseok had recently returned to the country.

Miyamoto teams up with Detective Ukaki Buta, who was introduced by the Pyeongyang Police Station, and their full-fledged journey begins. Miyamoto luckily runs into Joo Hangseon at Daedong Market and chases him but loses him, and he is saved by Detective Kazushige when he is caught in a trap and almost dies. Joo Hangseon becomes worried that someone is chasing him and decides to leave Pyeongyang after running into them since there is an important meeting the next day.

The next day, Sepyeong and Lee Yeon are worried about Mari, but decide to proceed with the meeting with their information on schedule. Lee Yeon had a feeling about Mari, and today’s informant was waiting for them at risk of his life. They could only hope that the informant’s story would be useful. They meet with Joo Hangseon in a conference room provided by the Pyeongyang Historical Research Institute. 

The informant is originally from Gangwon-do and has lived around different areas for a long time. In the past, he worked at the national level helping to gather people with leprosy and move them to Sorok Island. And whether the work was on record or not, this time he came to help the state move those infected with smallpox to an island in the East Sea. He decided to do it to give himself something to do, and this time he met a man in Wonsan named Jeong Geonhyung, a member of the Independence Movement. He said he was participating in the movement undercover and that the group of smallpox patients being taken was actually a group of Mexican immigrants who had returned to the homeland in the 1900s, and that they were being moved to the East Sea to be used as test subjects for Japanese biological and chemical weapons.

On the other hand, after the battle at the church, Hongseok tries to remove Jeong Sahee as the Advocate. He thought that he finally had Mari in his hands anyways, so he didn’t need her anymore. Jeong Sahee expected this to some extent, and in response leaves a replica astronomical tool for Yeon and Sepyeong to follow them to Shadow Island. 

Now, Mu Woong and Lee Yeon have a common destination. Using the knowledge of how to get to Shadow Island as bait, Yeon asks Mu Woong to join them. Mu Woong knows Lee Yeon is not a normal boy, and after consulting with Oteomotl, he agrees to join. And… through Mari’s kidnapping, something new begins to awaken inside Sepyeong. This is how the schedule in Pyeongyang comes to an end.

 

*Conflict (Chapter 3. Beginning of Sin, Chapter 4. Villain Exhibition)

Chapter 3. Beginning of Sin

Depicts the past between Park Hongseok and Baek Jongwoo in the early 1900s.

A family dies in a robbery-turned-fire in Huam, Yongsan-gu. However, the son, Jongwoo, survives. The boy remains silent, perhaps because of the trauma from the accident, as he waits at the police station with his head bowed, waiting for someone to come for him.

Meanwhile, after finding cheap-paid worker in Mexico, the Japanese government tries to send Korean workers in exchange for mineral imports. Park Hongseok is leading the way, and he asks Watanabe, the Chief of Yongsan Police Station, to recruit Koreans who want to emigrate. Hongseok establishes the Eastern Trading Company in Joseon to hide the fact that Japan is importing minerals at a low price through labor exports. He promises to give Watanabe a stake in the company in exchange for recruiting Mexican immigrants. When Hongseok returns to the first floor of the police station he comes face to face with Baek Jongwoo for the first time.

Hongseok feels a sense of connection to Baek Jongwoo right away, and at the same time feels suffocated and stuffy. Hongseok becomes deeply curious about Jongwoo and decides to adopt him. At the same time, he hires an informant to find out about Baek Jongwoo’s past and the fire in Huam. The reason is because there appears to be a secret behind the accident. In addition, Baek Jongwoo says something that sparks his curiosity. He says, “I’ve been waiting” and that his last name is not Park like his father, but Baek.

Even after coming to Hongseok’s house, Baek Jongwoo’s attitude remains the same. He stays in his room without doing anything and won’t say anything about the incident.

The private investigator learns that Jongwoo was adopted at the beginning of his investigation. The first day Jongwoo saw Seokwang at the orphanage, he told him again, “I’ve been waiting.” Feeling that there is something more to this incident, the private investigator looks into Seokwang’s past……

Meanwhile, Park Hongseok is waiting for ‘that day’ to arrive. ‘That day’ is the day there will be a meeting between the executives of the world’s underground market, Catacomb. The underground market Catacomb was created for the maintenance of human civilization, and the executives were those who worked for it. They all had life, wealth, and power beyond that of normal humans, thanks to borrowing power from [The Woori] and [Noah’s Family].

Park Hongseok, who was under the hands of one of the Woori, Sato Kukai, aimed to become an executive of the Catacomb and thus become equivalent to a god. His plan to use the seed of beginning to create transcendent beings also needed to be approved by either the Woori or Noah’s Family at the executive meeting. Thus, he was invited by Sato Kukai to attend the meeting.

All the executives attended the meeting. Heichi Hwashen presided over the meeting that day. He was a businessman who served the king of the wood goblins, one of the five elemental spirits, Yang Sanbak. Yang Sanbak had a free spirit, but he had come to the Catacomb for the first time in a while after Heichi Hwashen demanded that he attend the meeting.

The subject of the meeting was about the upcoming election. Elections were an important task for selecting the next executive. The executives of the Catacomb were essentially gods similar to the Woori and Noah’s Family, so everyone was feeling nervous and tensions were high when the topic was brought up by Hwashen. Taking advantage of the chaos, Kukai proposes Hongseok for the position. When Hongseok appears, the other executives seem to believe the suggestion is absurd. In addition, when Hongseok tries to talk to Yang Sangbak about his plan, Heichi Hwashen raises his voice above him. Then Katsura, dissatisfied with Hwashen’s behavious towards Sato Kukai, also tries to show his power, only to be countered by Pietro, who is close to Hwashen.

Seeing this, Kukai thinks that the executives can’t be controlled and uses magic to trap them all in his subspace…… where he orders them each to do their own assignments for the project and come back. The project is called ‘Shadow Capture’. It was a struggle, but in the end, everyone is able to escape Kukai’s subspace by showing their abilities. Then, Park Hongseok stands in front of Yang Sangbak and proposes his idea. His idea was to create a race of transcendent beings using the ‘Seed of Beginning’.

The Seeds of Beginning are property of Noah’s Family, and the Woori are in charge of keeping an eye on them. However, for some reason, Noah’s family hid more seeds throughout the continent than were originally discussed with the Woori for the development of civilization in the Americas, and the Woori found out and informed Noah’s Family that they would dispose of the extra seeds. Knowing this, Hongseok made his proposal to Yang Sangbak. Yang Sangbak is originally angered that such information is known by a normal human but becomes interested in Hongseok’s proposal. And he accepts Hongseok’s proposal due to being doubtful of the attitude of one of the members of Noah’s Family during the meeting. This is because he showed no reaction to the fact that a mere human was able to come to the executive meeting of the Catacomb and suggest such an agenda using the Seed of Beginning.

After his proposal is accepted, Hongseok joyfully returns to the real world, and although Hwashen, who was barely able to escape Kukai’s subspace, had resisted, Yang Sangbak had already accepted his proposal. The executives who served Noah’s Family all feel that they should visit their masters soon. Heichi Hwashen also realizes that something unusual is going on between the Woori and Noah’s Family, and vows to keep a close eye on Park Hongseok as the meeting ends.

When Hongseok returned to his mansion, the private investigator was waiting for him. The investigator informs him of the painful truth behind the incident with Jongwoo’s family. It began with the 1884 Gapsin Coup. Radicals secured the safety of King Gojong and his wife against the Japanese in an attempt to set the country on the right track but were eventually suppressed by the Blue Army. At that time, the leaders of the coup ran away, and those that followed them were captured by the military. Eo Youngcheong was the one who led their trial. At this time, Park Seokwang worked as an administrator under Eo Youngcheong. He was acquainted with Baek Sangho, who received the death penalty as a stand-in for Baek Heungjong, a servant of Kim Bonggyun, one of the leaders of the coup.

So, who is Baek Jongwoo? Park Hongseok thinks he is the grandson of Baek Heungjong, and while trying to figure out if Park Seokwang and his wife were killed due to their hard times and resentment for their ancestors, the investigator speaks again. Baek Jongwoo is Baek Heungjong’s grandson. The investigator found this out when looking at a photo taken of Baek Jongwoo six years ago when he was still in nursery school.

There is a disease called hypopituitarism, which causes development problems due to delayed hormone secretion. As a result, Baek Jongwoo, who was only five years old the year Baek Heungjong was executed and wasn’t aging on the outside, took advantage of his appearance to get revenge for his parents against Baek Sangho and Park Seokwang. By the end of the story, Baek Jongwoo had appeared near the two, looking at Park Hongseok quietly. The investigator warns Baek Jongwoo of the danger and tells him to report it to the police, but at that moment Park Hongseok aims his gun and pulls the trigger. The bullet pierces the investigator…… and Hongseok hugs Jongwoo quietly. And he says. “You did well. I’ll set you free.”

 

Chapter 4. Villain Exhibition

Back to the present, the late 1930’s.

Gyeongseong, which had been quiet for a while after the series of murders, was once again shaken by a disturbance in Jemulpo (now Incheon). The disturbance began with the discovery of a ship belonging to the Continental Joint Venture Company, based in Jemulpo, that had a mysteriously damaged hull.

Figures surrounding Jerry Smith, the Director of the Continental Joint Venture Company, disappeared, before reappearing in a half-dead, fearful state with no recollection of the criminal. One day, a suspicious shadow appears in front of Smith. At that time, Smith has a hunch that the owner of the shadow is the one who is hurting the people around him. But the shadow was not human. It was the shadow of a four-legged beast, and he quickly realized that this was the reality behind the murder rumors in Gyeongseong. Smith, convinced he is the next target, opens the trading window in the Catacomb for his personal protection in order to safely escape from Joseon. Upon completion of the transaction, he will give half of his stake in the Continental Joint Venture Company, which is essential for the East Asian logistics business. Three people expressed intent to buy into the deal, including Kim Changshin, King of the Rock Cave in Joseon, Black Friday, the American Irish mafia, and Anodomini, the Italian-Sicilian mafia. All three were aiming at becoming the Catacomb’s next executive. The only reason they applied was because they heard Smith’s reason or applying for protection. They were led to Joseon out of curiosity and desire to deal with Mu Woong, a transcendent being who had been given the power of the jaguar god.

Meanwhile, Mari was on her way to Shadow Island after being kidnapped by Park Hongseok. Something beyond one’s wildest imaginations was going on on the island. It was being used as an opposition group that made people forcibly brought from Joseon and Manchuria participate in biological experiments to create people who transcended humanity.

There was a laboratory meeting that morning, and in the absence of the director, Miho Arakawa, the vice president, began the meeting. When a mysterious box was delivered to her, Miho threw it away in surprise after checking the contents. It contained a dissected frog along with a mysterious message that seemed to have been written by a Korean who was brought to the island. The angry message read, “We are not lab frogs. Stop the experiment immediately.”

Soon after, three murders occurred in a row. The victims were two researchers and Ishizu Shiro, the director of the institute. All that remained at the scene of the researchers were their legs and arms, and when Shiro was found in the office that rainy morning all that remained was a dismembered head and torso. The first witness said that Vice President Miho opened the door to the office to receive the daily report as usual and let out a scream at the scene. What happened after that was even more suspicious. While they left to find help to dispose of the body, Ishizu Shiro’s body disappeared. Miho, who had been guarding the body, claimed she was hit by a blunt weapon and knocked out, and when she came to she was also surprised by the body’s disappearance.

Mari’s twin Jeong Sahee was already staying on Shadow Island, also known as Black Island. She was jealous of Mari’s original name, Jeong Bari, and had applied to join the experiment to become a transcendent being. She was known as Crazy X around the island, but fortunately she was able to freely act as she wanted since she was Park Hongseok’s stepdaughter. She was criticized for her crazy behavior, and after becoming intrigued by the murders, she struggles to identify the criminal while trying to play detective by herself.

Shortly after Jerry Smith sent in a request for personal protection, mafia groups from the United States and Italy entered Jemulpo. And then Kim Changshin, also known as King of the Rock Cave, appeared in front of Jerry. He was the only slave immigrant who had made it back to Joseon after fleeing. He was the first one who had undergone experiments with the Seed of Beginning. He was thought to be dead, but suddenly appeared in Jemulpo.

The Jongno Police Station then reports that the suspect in the Gyeongseong Serial Murder case was in Jemulpo…… and Miyamoto Yoshida heads there with Ukaki Buta, whom he had worked with before in Pyeongyang.

Additionally, Heichi Hwashen, who had come to the human world, heard about Mu Woong and headed to Jemulpo to find him after becoming interested in his story.

Clumsy police officers, foreign mafias, the King of the Black Rock, and even Heichi Hwashen…… in the end, Mu Woong’s battle could only end in victory.

On Shadow Island, Jeong Sahee’s investigation continued. Before Ishizu Shiro’s murder, a group of Koreans that had been brought to the island attempted to escape. However, the investigation into the incident that was thought to be caused by the resentment of the Korean captives held unexpected results. The culprit was Vice President Arakawa Miho.

The story of the incident was as follows. In the 1920’s, a major earthquake occurred in the Kanto region, centered on Tokyo. That was where Arakawa Miho lived as a child. She lived in Asakusa, Tokyo. She was born to a Japanese father and a Korean mother. Her mother died in the Great Kanto Earthquake. After the incident, her Japanese father’s entire demeanor changed. The reason was that the disaster was rumored to be caused by Koreans. As a result, when there was a massacre of Koreans and his life was in danger due to having been married to a Korean wife, he was on their side with the stance that he eventually would die well with a long career and great image as a scholar. And he threw his daughter away.

He was Ishizu Shiro. The current Director of Shadow Island. The child he had abandoned that day had cried for days on end before making a promise. That child grew up to be Arakawa Miho, who would take revenge on her father. After graduating from medical school with excellent grades and finding out where Ishizu Shiro was, Miho reached out to him as if she had forgiven him and asked him to bring her to Shadow Island.

As soon as her story is revealed, Miho commits suicide with a pistol. At the same time, an emergency telegram arrives at the laboratory. Revealing the news that Hongseok’s ship had arrived at Shadow Island.

 

*End (Chapter 5. Black Hometown)

The space was entirely black. A small island in the East Sea appeared next to Dokdo like a shadow, only visible on a clear day. Park Hongseok was secretly experimenting with The Seed to create transcendent beings after establishing a biological laboratory on the island with the excuse that he was preparing for future wars by creating an unstoppable army under the agreement with Japan. His main reason was to become a candidate for the upcoming Catacomb executive election.

However, after the success of the first transcendent being there had been little success at the lab. They were having difficulties finding people with the physical condition and depth of desire that would allow them to accept power from the Seed of Beginning. Now, there was someone waiting for the next experiment: Mari’s long-lost twin sister, Jeong Sahee. Since Mari had been born as Princess Bari’s reincarnation and inherited all the power, Jeong Sahee was an ordinary human with an unquenchable desire. Park Hongseok doesn’t believe she is in the proper physical condition to accept the Seed, but since he now has Mari he decides to let Sahee participate in the experiment.

Park Hongseok arrives at the island a few days before the next experiment. The day Park Hongseok left to sail the East Sea, independence fighters from the Korean Patriotic Corps attempted to assassinate him, but thanks to Baek Jongwoo’s power they were able to easily set sail for Shadow Island.

After arriving on Shadow Island, Hongseok locks up Mari in a secret location. She was prevented from having contact with anyone other than Sato Kukai, who had been waiting to meet her. This decision was made to prevent her twin from changing her mind about the experiment. It was only a matter of time before Sahee found out that Mari had been brought to the island. And due to her crazy personality, if Mari’s safety was compromised due to Sahee’s long-accumulated resentment, Hongseok would be unable to face Sato Kukai.

Meanwhile, after hearing of the annihilation of the Korean Patriotic Corps in Gangwon-do, Kim Wonbong, the leader, decides that Park Hongseok must be punished and burn in the last flame of Joseon before heading to Manchuria. He had already heard from intelligence that Park Hongseok created a secret place in the East Sea to conduct biological experiments on Koreans. Deciding this would be his last battle in Joseon, Kim Wonbong brings executives scattered around Joseon to Gangwon-do. Seong Hokyung, a man from the bookstore Vault of Heaven, came to meet Kim Wonbong at Noh Leeman’s suggestion. There, he decided to follow Kim Wonbong. The problem was that they had no idea where the place was…… and it was at this time that a man named Ju Hangseon, who was close to Jeong Geonhyung of the Resistance, appeared. He tells them the name of the place and how to get there. All of this was done at the request of Noh Leeman.

A few days before he met Kim Wonbong, Joo Hangseon left Pyeongyang and went to Gyeongseong. There, he met Hwang Sepyeong…… who then brought him to the Vault of Heaven to meet Noh Leeman. After finding out that the Korean Patriotic Corps failed to assassinate Park Hongseok, Noh Leeman heard from Hokyung that the Righteous Army was trying to punish Hongseok to burn in the last flame of Joseon. Just in time, Leeman learned about the existence of a special device from Lee Yeon and was able to figure out how to use it, so he duplicated it and delivered it to Kim Wonbong.

Lee Yeon and Mu Woong are there. Lee Yeon, who learned out to use the device through Noh Leeman, heads to Gangwon-do with Mu Woong. Their destination is Hwajinpo. Although the sea was close, they decided to leave through the lake because it provided a direct route to Shadow Island. The reason no one had been able to find Shadow Island wasn’t just because it only appeared on clear days next to Dokdo. It was because it was literally a shadow island. Early in the mornings, Hwajinpo was foggier than anywhere else. It wasn’t just thick; the color was vivid as if there were thick white walls. Due to the fog rolling in from the ocean, the land between the lake and the ocean became invisible. Then, the device could be assembled and illuminated from Hwajinpo Lake. After being activated, the light wouldn’t disappear. If one cast off at this time, something mysterious would happen. It felt as if the fog was corroding the ship, and suddenly they found themselves in the East Sea. Still, the guiding light didn’t disappear. Following this, the light would shine on an island at the end and create a shadow. This island was Shadow Island.

Lee Yeon learns a few things about how to control it from Ometeotl and finds out that he has Sovereign Sight. More commonly known as the Emperor’s Eye. He had the ability to see everything. His skill became very helpful in the battle at Jemulpo as his ability allowed him to see each and every bullet. Mu Woong thinks Lee Yeon will be enough to defend him and allows him to accompany him. Lee Yeon goes to Shadow Island to save Mari, and Mu Woong goes to take revenge against Park Hongseok and rescue the Mexican immigrants who were taken there against their will.

As everyone moved toward Shadow Island, they were secretly chased by Hwang Sepyeong. Sepyeong waits for the Righteous Army and the Korean Patriotic Corps to come, then steals a boat and follows them to Shadow Island.

Upon his arrival at Shadow Island, Park Hongseok is trying to understand the chaotic atmosphere caused by the murders. Arakawa Miho, the Vice President, had committed suicide when she was found to be the culprit. In the absence of both the director and vice president, they were unable to proceed with the next experiment. They both had been the executives from medical school who were in charge of directly managing the data from each experiment. Then, a man visits Hongseok. Rengoku Shinjuro, a man who had come to the island after graduating military school and stayed as a member of unit 648. He was a man who was about to be commissioned into a high-rank official. Holding a subordinate government post, he persuaded Park Hongseok that he would be able to successfully conduct the experiment as he had been Arakawa Miho’s direct assistant. Park Hongseok calls other executives to ask for their consent, and after Shinjuro is recommended by a majority promotes him to vice president.

Hongseok finally receives a call from Sato Kukai. To take Mari to meet Kukai, he heads to her secret prison only to find that she has mysteriously disappeared. How did this happen? Hongseok asks the guard about the situation, but the guard doesn’t know anything. However, Hongseok is suspicious because the guard looks as though he has been possessed and sends Baek Jongwoo to find Mari.

Around the same time, Lee Yeon and Mu Woong arrived to the island and were moving quietly. Lee Yeon, who was headed to the research center while using his ability to avoid being caught, feels something suspicious. He couldn’t feel Mari’s presence at all. Although his ability was still in the basic stage, he had always been able to feel her presence, so he was frustrated when he didn’t feel anything.

Mari ran away from prison on her own. She had realized who she was while imprisoned. Shadow Island was one of the few places where those who existed beyond the axis of time were around enough spiritual power to exist on their own. While spending time alone in such a place, Mari had a lot of time to think for herself and eventually realized she was the reincarnation of Princess Bari. Although Mari was trapped in a human body and unable to unleash her full power, she was able to perform basic skills. Mari’s ability was called furnace. The essence of being was in charge of the beginning and the end of the phenomenon. Everything she thought should be done in the present situation was a result of her moral responsibility and ‘having a positive effect on human society’ in the end. Mari’s ability had limitations and constraints. Mari could only alter people. Therefore, she was able to escape by altering those who guarded the prison.

At this time, the Righteous Army and Korean Patriotic Corps arrive on the island. The move quickly to save the trapped Koreans and punish Park Hongseok. Baek Jongwoo notices they are headed towards the lab and moves to stop them. Hongseok had instructed that they do not be disturbed as they were about to perform the next transcendent experiment. Baek Jongwoo and dozens of guards at the lab soon face off against the Righteous Army and Patriotic Corps. The battle begins, and Sepyeong takes advantage of the distraction to sneak into the lab to save Mari. Inside, Sepyeong sees the beginnings of the experiment they are performing on Sahee but mistakes her for Mari and enters the laboratory. Just as the liquid from the Seed of Beginning is about to be injected into Sahee, Sepyeong jumps forward and it is injected into him instead……

When Sahee wakes up and is puzzled by the failure of the experiment, Sepyeong feels relieved to find that she is not Mari before he collapses. At that moment, something flies into the roof of the lab and the wall collapses. It was Baek Jongwoo. Baek Jongwoo stands up and shakes off the dust as if it was nothing, but at that moment the laboratory turns into pandemonium. With the sound of flying bullets, the researchers flee the lab, and Park Hongseok takes the liquidated Seed of Beginning with him.

After being thrown, Baek Jongwoo goes outside again and stands in front of a man. The man is Mu Woong, who had already freed the trapped Mexican immigrants on the island and came after hearing the confrontation. He ran in to deal with Baek Jongwoo, who was at the center of the battle, and threw him away. That’s how the final battle between the two began.

After rescuing the immigrants, Lee Yeon separated from Mu Woong to search for Mari. A man walking around while scratching his head runs in to Lee Yeon and stops. The man was Rengoku Shinjuro, who had just tried to conduct a transcendental experiment. The man smiled creepily at Yeon before greeting him as if they were old friends meeting again after a long time. However, Lee Yeon can’t remember anything about meeting this man before. By this time, Shinjuro had scratched the top of his head so much that his skin was beginning to tear away like paper. The boy was horrified by the sight and overwhelmed by the tremendous energy the man was exuding.

The eldest daughter of [Noah’s Family], Lilith, appeared on the island. No one could recognize her energy or presence as no one had ever seen her true self. She appeared in the form of someone else and maintained the appearance of Rengoku Shinjuro to participate in the experiment.

Everyone there was deluded. Rengoku Shinjuku had never really existed there. Her ability was that when she transformed into ‘something’, she would be recognized by others as that thing.

And… at the same time, she saw something familiar reflected in Lee Yeon’s eyes. It was the face of a man who had been killed and dragged down by Lilith. Park Hongseok. Lilith was after Park Hongseok to get the Seed of Beginning that he had taken with him. The figure of Rengoku Shijuro was slowly tearing, and Lilith’s red hair could be seen little by little. Then, a boy appeared between Lilith and Lee Yeon. He had the exact same appearance as Lee Yeon. He was one of the others who carried a piece of the spirit shared by Taeho Bokhee, who had appeared on Baekdu Mountain in the early 1900’s. Although Yeon felt frightened by his appearance, he couldn’t help but feel comforted at the same time. Lilith also looked at him with a strange expression. Yeon’s other self said that Yeon would naturally understand when they combined, urging him to become one. Lilith enjoyed seeing this before she suddenly disappeared.

The battle between Baek Jongwoo and Mu Woong had just come to an end. With Mu Woong in charge of Baek Jongwoo, the members of the Righteous Army were easily able to deal with the rest of the guards. However, the sound of Sato Kukai’s voice suddenly ringing across the island was enough to stop everyone in their tracks. He stated that the island would explode in 30 minutes. After becoming aware of Park Hongseok’s death, Baek Jongwoo feels empty inside and aims to kill everyone left on the island before letting himself die in the explosion. 

Mu Woong tells Kim Wonbong that he will take care of Baek Jongwoo and to run away with the members of the Righteous Army and the prisoners. Kim Wonbong tells Mu Woong that he wishes for his safety and will save everyone he can before he hurries back to the ship.

Feeling the signs of an explosion in various places around the island, Yeon finishes his conversation and heads to help Mu Woong with a new, more grown-up appearance, when suddenly Mari appears in front of him. The two, who find that their pasts were complicatedly intertwined, feel different emotions than before when facing each other. Mari runs to Yeon and hugs him, telling him they need to talk once they get off the island, and when Yeon is confused and tries to push Mari away, Mari suddenly apologizes and uses her ability to disable Yeon’s Sight. Mari said a few more words as Yeon fell, but his consciousness was already slipping away.

At the same time, Sepyeong witnessed Mari running to Yeon and hugging him. He had fallen unconscious after being injected with the Seed of Beginning, and upon waking up began searching for Mari again, feeling overjoyed when he saw the two of them. However, at the two’s appearance he suddenly feels hot blood running through his body. As his body began to collapse under the power of the Seed of Beginning, just as he was about to succumb he was faced with the image of a beetle, the same image that had appeared in his birth dream, and his body began to cool down.

It began to rain on Shadow Island. Before anyone knew it, Hwang Sepyeong disappeared. Right after Mari and Yeon, who he had been watching, also disappeared. Soon, there were only two people left on the island. Mu Woong and Baek Jongwoo could feel that they were approaching the end of their confrontation. In the end, they let out their best lethal moves and Mu Woong is able to barely knock Baek Jongwoo down. Baek Jongwoo disappears into dust on the spot, and Mu Woong looks up at the sky above the collapsed research institute, accepting his death.

Shadow Island begins to explode. The explosions begin with one and soon spread through the whole island, until there is nothing left, and all traces of the island disappear from the East Sea.

Epilogue

Shadow Island, which had begun to collapse under the explosions, the collapsed wall of the research institute with a man leaning against it, and the mysterious man who had been there with him could no longer be found. Soon, the outer wall of the laboratory collapsed, and the ground of the research center cracked. The island collapsed with the sound of an explosion.