Chapter 30
The answer that Bahamut reached after days of contemplation was:
“The suppression order has been issued.”
“Finally, the inevitable has arrived.”
It was a strategy of setting a temporary policy delay.
For now, the plan was to deal with the immediate problem of the raiders, and then leave the rest for his future self to figure out.
Of course, the fact that it was possible to artificially create Awakened individuals was known not only to the high-ranking members of the cult but also to the cult leader Yuna, so the cult leaders interpreted Bahamut’s decision as a strategy of focusing on specific priorities.
“…Is it war with Northern Gyeongju?”
“Yes.”
In fact, the threat posed by the raiders active in Northern Gyeongju was a frequent topic within the cult.
Most of them thought that this was bound to happen sooner or later, and no one questioned the suppression order issued by Bahamut.
“…No one seems surprised or thinks it’s sudden.”
“Well, sooner or later, we all expected a confrontation with Northern Gyeongju.”
In response to Yuna’s comment, the military strategist, Jung Dong-gun, replied firmly, saying that a battle with Northern Gyeongju was inevitable.
From his perspective, Do Josoon was a dangerous figure, known to be brutal and ruthless.
For the safety of the cult—or more accurately, the safety of the entire Gyeongju region—Do Josoon was seen as an enemy that had to be defeated eventually.
“We’ve heard enough of his notoriety.”
“Even now, there are ordinary people risking their lives to flee from Northern Gyeongju to Southern Gyeongju.”
Lee Hyuna and Administrative Official Lee Sua nodded in agreement with Jung Dong-gun’s statement.
From their viewpoint, the ruler of Northern Gyeongju was someone who could never be aligned with the cult.
Above all…
“But this is war, so everyone must remain focused. Lives are at stake.”
“However, we have God Bahamut with us. Is there even such a thing as defeat for us?”
“Ha, if you put it like that, what does that make me, giving you advice?”
The mere presence of Bahamut was immensely reassuring.
With Bahamut’s presence, everyone believed that they could win any war, and thus, Han Geun-chul firmly rebutted Yoo Soo-sung’s cautious stance by saying that defeat was not even a possibility with Bahamut on their side.
Yoo Soo-sung, exhaling a sigh as if it was too much, also shared the belief that if Bahamut participated in this war, they would surely win.
“No, God will not be participating in this war.”
However, Yuna declared that Bahamut would not be joining the war.
The cult leaders of Balhut looked at Yuna with surprised expressions at this statement, but there was no intense reaction.
They had all somewhat anticipated it.
“Is that a command from Bahamut?”
“Yes. If it were a conflict involving monsters or zombies, he would have personally intervened. But he has drawn a line, saying that disputes between humans should be resolved by humans themselves.”
Bahamut had always drawn a line somewhere.
He would gladly step in when the cult couldn’t handle a situation, but when it was a conflict that the cult could resolve, he often entrusted it to them.
Thus, the cult believed that Bahamut was adhering to some philosophy or belief he held, maintaining a certain boundary.
‘Well, as long as Yuna leads the army, defeating Do Josoon is a given, right? Fine, let the cult handle this!’
In reality, it was more about him not wanting to deal with it, preferring that Yuna handle it. But since the cult was unaware of this inconvenient truth, they let it slide.
“Perhaps God is testing your abilities.”
Thus, the only explanation Yuna could give to the cult was what she guessed to be Bahamut’s intention.
Of course, Bahamut had no intention of testing the cult; he simply saw no need to get involved in Do Josoon’s conflict.
“To see if you can stand strong in a harsh world.”
He had no such thoughts.
In the first place, he wasn’t a dragon with such deep considerations.
However, the problem was that he had acted almost flawlessly up to this point.
“I agree. We need to show that our group doesn’t rely solely on Bahamut.”
“There’s no way he could participate in every battlefield from now on. If a battle arises where he is absent, we need to develop the strength to avoid a devastating defeat.”
The cult leaders, instead of questioning Yuna’s assumptions, simply accepted them.
Even the politicians, Park Cheol-gon and Han Geun-chul, believed that Bahamut held some ideals, and that he withdrew from the war to uphold those ideals and beliefs.
Given the circumstances, the Balhut Cult was more focused on figuring out how to carry out Bahamut’s orders rather than questioning them.
“Does that mean you’re converting the expedition team into a suppression force?”
“Yes, now that the Southern Liberation Front has stabilized, we plan to recall the expedition team back to the main base and form them into a suppression force to advance into Northern Gyeongju.”
The timing was perfect.
The front lines for liberating the towns around Southern Gyeongju were steadily stabilizing.
With a secure rear and a safe base, Southern Gyeongju was already in a state of readiness for a confrontation with Northern Gyeongju.
If the expedition team returned to the main base, they could immediately be reformed into a suppression force and deployed to Northern Gyeongju, with the morale of the soldiers being exceptionally high.
“Of course, I plan to participate in this battle myself.”
“You, the cult leader, will personally join?”
Yuna’s declaration that she would personally lead the battle surprised not only Jung Dong-gun but also the other leaders.
This announcement was as good as declaring that the Balhut Cult would commit all its strength to take over everything in Northern Gyeongju.
“The battle without God Bahamut. Even if I want to be as careful as possible, a battle between Awakened individuals is inevitably structured so that both sides will have casualties. I want to avoid that tragedy as much as possible.”
Above all, Choi Yuna was mindful of the casualties that would result from the war.
Even though the Balhut Cult’s suppression force was the strongest in Gyeongju, the opponent was still Awakened.
Due to unforeseen variables, the cult’s Awakened could be severely injured, or in the worst case, even die.
Choi Yuna simply wanted to avoid such a tragedy.
“Of course, without the power of Bahamut, I’m just a healer who is good at treatment.”
“No, even that alone will be a tremendous help. Above all, the fact that the cult leader is with us can be interpreted as being with Bahamut as well.”
Of course, the fact that Choi Yuna was participating in the battle was indeed a great help.
She downplayed herself as a powerless healer, but the other leaders didn’t believe that.
With just a single healing touch from Choi Yuna, most minor injuries could be instantly treated on the spot, and even serious injuries could be rapidly healed if she used enough magical power.
With this ability, she had treated injured workers from the Gyeongju Reconstruction Project without any aftereffects, and any minor injuries that occurred during expeditions could be healed with a single use of Choi Yuna’s healing.
As a result, there was even a side effect where expedition members and reconstruction workers trusted only in Yuna’s healing ability and pushed their bodies to the limit without worry.
“It will also greatly boost the soldiers’ morale.”
However, in a war where injuries are occurring in real-time, the value of Choi Yuna, who could provide real-time rapid healing, would rise sharply.
Moreover, if Yuna, the leader of the Balhut Cult, personally joined the war, it would significantly boost the morale of the soldiers participating in the battle.
The fact that a courageous leader’s decision could inspire countless people was a truth proven in many wars throughout history.
“Then, I’ll handle the logistics for the war….”
“No, I don’t plan on fighting for long.”
With the cult leader Yuna directly participating, the subordinate leaders couldn’t sit back and relax.
Lee Hyuna offered to prepare supplies for the war, but Yuna shook her head, saying she did not plan to engage in a prolonged battle.
“I intend to swiftly capture the King of Northern Gyeongju, Do Josoon, and apprehend all his subordinates. That’s all.”
“But Do Josoon and his gang are cunning. If they determine that the battle is unwinnable, there’s a chance they might flee to another region.”
If they clashed head-on, the Balhut Cult’s victory was certain.
However, the cunning and treacherous Do Josoon wouldn’t engage in a direct confrontation, and the moment he judged the battle to be a defeat, he could abandon his base and flee to another region.
Of course, if he fled, the wealth and territory of Northern Gyeongju that he left behind would become the property of the Balhut Cult, but it could be evaluated as a failure in terms of the actual suppression.
“That’s why I’m stepping in.”
“Pardon?”
“From Do Josoon’s perspective, capturing the cult leader like me would seem like a chance for a miraculous comeback.”
So Yuna intended to give Do Josoon a reason to fight, she said with a bold smile.
From Do Josoon’s perspective, fleeing meant leaving behind everything he had worked for.
If he ran away here, he could no longer call himself the King of Northern Gyeongju, and he would have to consider the possibility of being betrayed by his followers, complicating his calculations.
However, what if he was given a chance to win?
“If he’s lucky, he might indulge in the delusion that he can use me to threaten God Bahamut.”
“That’s quite… bold.”
If Do Josoon managed to capture Choi Yuna, he might think he could threaten not only the Balhut Cult but also God Bahamut.
Though it was unclear whether it would work on the Balhut Cult, Bahamut might act unpredictably if his contractor was endangered.
Yuna’s plan was undoubtedly bold yet dangerous.
Her life could be at risk if she confronted Do Josoon, and if captured, there was a high probability she would face severe treatment.
Thus, the leaders, who were not accustomed to battle, looked at Yuna with expressions that seemed to ask, “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Above all, I have the highest level in the cult, don’t I?”
“Ah.”
But ironically, the cult leader Yuna was the most powerful Awakened in the Balhut Cult.
When she reminded the concerned leaders of that fact, they looked at her with understanding.
Even Jung Dong-gun, who would directly command the battle in her stead, could not deny the truth.
‘This era is different. You can’t think with the old mindset. Awakened individuals are a new variable.’
A new variable had emerged: the Awakened.
With just one well-trained Awakened, it was possible to easily annihilate a squad of regular soldiers.
‘In the past, if a commander of the highest rank was captured by the enemy, the battle was lost. That’s why a commander must remain hidden and give orders from a safe place, as a single bullet could determine their fate, regardless of rank.’
But now, things had changed.
An Awakened commander’s sheer courage could change the tide of battle.
By wielding magic, they could create unexpected outcomes, and with a powerful physique, they could break through a barrage of bullets and turn the tide of battle single-handedly.
‘Wars in the era of the Awakened will be very different. It might be an era where a single powerful Awakened can decide the outcome of a war.’
Even newly Awakened individuals could often withstand a bullet or two, only ending up with minor bruises, making it difficult to hold them back with conventional firearms.
Of course, with high-caliber bullets, the outcome might be different, but Awakened individuals wouldn’t fight unarmed, and they would undoubtedly wear protective gear against bullets.
Jung Dong-gun thought that the time might come when a single Awakened could truly end a war.
‘Like the legendary generals depicted in history.’
Jung Dong-gun understood well how many renowned generals in history had turned the tide of unfavorable battles through their courage and determination alone.
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