Chapter 34
With the fall of the King of Gyeongju to Yuna, Northern Gyeongju was liberated.
“Form 50 teams of four and apprehend the remnants of Do Josoon’s forces that have fled into the city center of Northern Gyeongju. Proceed according to the training!”
“”””Yes!””””
Having captured the fallen Do Josoon and his followers, all that remained for the Balhut Cult was to pursue and eliminate the remnants that had fled, ensuring a complete victory.
Jung Dong-gun organized the pursuit teams into groups of four, forming fifty teams to chase the remnants scattered across Northern Gyeongju, while the remaining 300 soldiers were assigned to guard Yuna…
“One hundred will remain here to assist Yuna and secure the stronghold, while the rest will apprehend the fallen Do Josoon’s followers and handle the aftermath.”
“Understood.”
“And bring the comrades who have fallen on the battlefield to the presence of the leader.”
“Yes!”
They stayed behind to manage both the stronghold of Do Josoon and clean up the battlefield.
In addition to reclaiming the weapons and capturing the followers of Do Josoon scattered across the battlefield, they were also rescuing their comrades who had fallen due to the attacks from Do Josoon’s forces.
Despite the overwhelming battle that shook the field, the Balhut Cult also sustained injuries.
“Forget about Do Josoon’s men for now! Rescue our comrades first!”
The soldiers who went out to rescue their comrades focused on recovering their fallen allies instead of prioritizing Do Josoon’s followers who had been struck down by the Bahamut Rounds.
Thanks to the uniformity of their uniforms, it was easier to identify their fallen comrades, allowing them to find and rush those close to death to Yuna for emergency treatment.
As long as they weren’t dead, Yuna’s healing could restore them to their former state.
“Th-thank you, Yuna.”
“Please be more careful next time.”
“Haha, I will.”
Having narrowly escaped death, the soldier expressed heartfelt gratitude to Yuna, who then offered words of encouragement, telling him to take care of himself.
Perhaps because of his near-death experience, the soldier, whose face had turned pale, tried to put on a brave face, taking solace in Yuna’s concern.
But that false bravado didn’t last long.
“We’re free!”
“The tyrant has fallen!”
“We’re saved! We’re free from oppression! Long live the Balhut Cult!”
The soldier’s feigned bravery was drowned out by the jubilant cries that echoed throughout Northern Gyeongju.
With Do Josoon’s fall, the slaves who had been exploited at his stronghold finally seemed to realize the situation, letting out a huge cheer as they declared themselves liberated from oppression. Some of the slaves even broke down in tears, praying that this wasn’t a dream.
But Yuna, upon seeing the state of those who had suffered under slavery, could only let out a hollow chuckle.
“Haha… It’s a mess over there, too.”
“Yes, they are pitiable.”
It was a pitiful sight.
The female slaves, though maintained for sexual exploitation, had been kept in relatively better condition, but the male slaves, exploited for labor, were so emaciated that their bones and tendons showed through their skin.
Their hair had thinned as if they were suffering from baldness, their eyes bulged out like those of a demon, and their cheekbones protruded, making them look like zombies.
Moreover, they seemed not to have been washed properly, their faces blackened by grime. Even Jung Dong-gun, who had witnessed many things during his external missions, couldn’t help but frown at the sight.
Jung Dong-gun imagined the horrific experiences these people must have endured under Do Josoon, feeling a deep sense of sympathy.
“First, we will arrest Do Josoon and his followers and transfer them to the main hall. The remaining soldiers will clear out any potential remnants inside the stronghold.”
“I leave it to you.”
Jung Dong-gun had his hands full.
He quickly disarmed and apprehended the unconscious Do Josoon and his demoralized followers, transferring them to the Cult’s main hall. A portion of the suppression forces re-entered Do Josoon’s stronghold to hunt down any remaining followers.
Meanwhile, Yuna, accompanied by her guards, turned her attention to the citizens.
“Gather all the injured inside the stronghold. I will heal them.”
“Understood, Yuna.”
“Oh, thank you so much. We’re truly grateful. Sister, we’re saved!”
Yuna began treating the citizens who had suffered under Do Josoon’s tyranny.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m barely holding on.”
Upon closer inspection, the male slaves looked even worse.
Due to the harsh labor, their fingers were covered in wounds, and their skin was completely scraped off.
“Now that suffering will end. The tyrant has fallen.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Their bodies bore bruises and bloodstains, evidence of exposure to whips and violence.
Seeing them barely alive, Yuna felt a deep sense of sympathy. She used a significant amount of her magical power to heal the former slaves—now returning to being citizens of Gyeongju—one by one.
“It’s not much different over there.”
“S-sister, help her first. She still can’t get up after being beaten by Do Josoon last time!”
“Don’t worry. I will heal her.”
Unlike the male slaves, the female slaves had been spared malnutrition and harsh labor to maintain their appearance, but they had suffered similar abuse and exploitation for sexual purposes from Do Josoon and his men.
In particular, some women, frequently exposed to Do Josoon’s violence, appeared physically unscathed but were internally just as broken as the male slaves.
“About 200 people, maybe? If the main stronghold is like this, how bad must Do Josoon’s other bases be?”
“Reports indicate there are others suffering exploitation elsewhere.”
Yuna treated over 200 slaves in this place.
In other words, more than 200 people had been used as tools for the lifestyle of Do Josoon and his followers.
It was easy to imagine that, beyond just the main stronghold, many more had been exploited at Do Josoon’s other bases.
“Are you saying that these 200 people here were all enslaved for the sake of one person, Do Josoon?”
“This is just the beginning. Things like this happened frequently in the villages and towns around Gyeongju.”
As soon as the war was confirmed to be over, Kim Taehyun and Kang Jaewan, who joined the suppression force, could not help but frown at the grim reality of Northern Gyeongju.
It was the kind of gross human rights violations that one might seriously talk about on a YouTube channel, now right in front of their eyes.
“To think he called himself a king!”
“It’s unfortunate, but this is the current reality of South Korea.”
“Damn it!”
Kang Jaewan, unable to hold back his anger after witnessing the blatant violations, cursed Do Josoon for creating this situation. Meanwhile, Kim Taehyun, who had followed the expedition for his business, knew that worse conditions existed outside and could only express his bitter resignation at the state of modern Korea.
Due to Taehyun’s comment that such things continue to happen outside of South Korea, Jaewan could not refute it.
Jaewan, too, knew well through his activities as a war correspondent that such events were common outside Gyeongju.
“Mr. Taehyun! Reporter! Please come over here!”
“Understood.”
“Of course!”
Seeing the two of them, Yuna called out to them.
At Yuna’s voice, the two snapped out of their thoughts and rushed toward her faster than anyone else.
“Mr. Taehyun! Please distribute rice porridge to the patients with the prepared rice.”
Even though Yuna’s healing was remarkable, it couldn’t fully treat patients suffering from malnutrition.
While it was possible to use magical power to replenish their energy, treating over 200 slaves required some compromises.
Above all, this place was not the main hall or a hospital of the Balhut Cult; it was in the middle of enemy territory.
Yuna knew that using all her magical power recklessly could leave her vulnerable in enemy territory.
“I’ve been waiting for that instruction!”
Without hesitation, Taehyun entered the food truck, pulling out two large pots capable of making meals for 100 people each, and lit the stove.
He poured well-prepared rice into the pots and added water ten times the amount of rice.
Kim Taehyun cooked rice porridge with practiced ease, as if he had done this many times before.
And…
“You called, Yuna?”
War correspondent Kang Jaewan also quickly approached her upon receiving Yuna’s command.
The fact that the leader of the Cult herself had called meant it must be something important.
“Yes. Did you finish your interview in Northern Gyeongju without issue?”
“Yes. I think it was a meaningful endeavor.”
“Then, could you interview those who have been liberated and collect testimonies about Do Josoon’s crimes?”
She managed to draw more attention than she expected.
Kang Jaewan, who had witnessed the horrific human rights abuses and was already considering interviewing the victims about Do Josoon’s atrocities, felt it would be even better to do so with Yuna’s permission, as it meant he could receive support from the Balhut Cult.
The young war correspondent, angered by the deeds of the self-proclaimed King of Gyeongju, bowed with a bright expression.
“Leave it to me!”
“As you know, those who were subjected to harsh labor and sexual exploitation in Do Josoon’s stronghold claim to be victims. Even though they have been treated for their injuries and had their energy restored with healing, they were still malnourished, so please do not give them food for now.”
“Understood. Northern Gyeongju is in worse shape than I thought.”
“Haha…”
Kang Jaewan spoke of the disastrous state of Northern Gyeongju, and Yuna could only laugh in response.
Although Northern Gyeongju suffered under Do Josoon’s exploitation, in reality, his level of exploitation was surprisingly average at this point in time.
As the leader of the Cult, Yuna was aware of the many terrible things happening in other regions outside of Gyeongju. Thus, rather than agreeing with Kang Jaewan’s lament, she could only let out a hollow laugh.
“Well, it’s a zombie apocalypse. I’ve heard that all of South Korea, not to mention East Asia, is in a mess due to the zombie apocalypse, excluding Southern Gyeongju.”
“I’ve come to realize that again.”
The only thing she could say to the righteous journalist was that the regions outside of Gyeongju were suffering from an apocalyptic disaster.
Kang Jaewan nodded heavily, deeply feeling the truth of Yuna’s words.
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure to record everything.”
Will Kang Jaewan’s records be of help to the Balhut Cult?
Yuna wasn’t sure, but she believed that collecting the testimonies of the victims who suffered under Do Josoon would definitely serve a meaningful purpose.
And just as the treatment of the civilians captured by Do Josoon was nearing completion…
“Yuna.”
“What’s the matter?”
“We’ve found Do Josoon’s storage. I think you should take a look.”
Jung Dong-gun, who had gone to subdue Do Josoon’s followers hiding in the stronghold, returned.
With a troubled expression, he told Yuna that they had discovered Do Josoon’s storage.
“Understood.”
Having just finished treating the civilians, Yuna followed Jung Dong-gun to Do Josoon’s storage without hesitation.
“Wow. Do Josoon might be more upset about us raiding his storage than losing to us.”
Seeing the mountain of supplies, even Yuna was left speechless.
There were piles of ramen and canned tuna, used as bartering goods before the Cult’s currency was introduced, and sacks of rice, likely looted from nearby farms in Northern Gyeongju, haphazardly stacked.
Had it just been those, she wouldn’t have been as surprised, but it seemed they had confiscated every medical supply from Gyeongju, as there was a mountain of medical drugs, followed by countless electronic devices with little practical use.
And as they explored deeper into the storage, they found numerous luxury goods that had lost their value, lined up in rows.
From watches to bags, clothes, and even jewelry.
There were even hundreds of gold bars, neatly stored in cases, suggesting that they had looted all the gold from Northern Gyeongju.
“This is truly the end times.”
Jung Dong-gun, witnessing the endless greed of humanity, left a brief comment about the end times.
“Indeed.”
Faced with the overwhelming sight, Yuna was unsure whether to laugh or cry.
—
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