Chapter 37
A fierce argument broke out between the defendant and the spectators, and Bahamut tried to proceed with the trial amidst the chaos.
“I will declare a one-hour recess. Please calm your angered hearts and minds.”
Unable to bear the escalating tension, Bahamut announced a temporary recess.
As the Silence spell was lifted and a break was declared to cool down the atmosphere, Do Josoon seized the moment to shout his claims at the spectators and jury.
“Look! Even that dragon can’t judge me! I am an Awakened! And I’ve reached Level 19! Is there anyone here who’s reached Level 19? Is there?!”
“Order. The defendant is not to provoke others. Guards, escort them out.”
Boasting about his status as the King of Gyeongju and claiming that even Bahamut couldn’t judge him, Do Josoon flaunted his level and mocked the audience, especially the ordinary people who had not Awakened, with a sense of superiority.
The sight of Do Josoon causing trouble as soon as the Silence spell was lifted made Bahamut, with a headache, demand order and warn him not to provoke others.
He then instructed the guards to escort Do Josoon to the waiting room, and Do Josoon and his followers, grinning widely, were led out by the cult’s guards.
“This is turning out more difficult than expected.”
Watching the chaos, Yuna, usually confident, spoke in an unusually weak voice, acknowledging the difficulties.
Even Yuna, who was normally known for her resolute demeanor and was loved by the public, seemed lost for words at Do Josoon’s shamelessness, staring at him with disbelief as he was led away by the cult members.
“What is giving him such confidence?”
Bahamut, too, seemed puzzled by the situation and sighed, wondering what gave Do Josoon such bravado.
In response to Bahamut’s question, Yuna recalled the way Awakened individuals were often discussed in South Korean communities and began to explain.
“Well, he seems to believe that since he’s an Awakened, the Balhut Cult would either find him innocent or at most give him community service.”
“And why is that?”
The reason was straightforward.
Do Josoon was an Awakened individual and, therefore, a powerful one.
“Because his level is high.”
It was true that within the Balhut Cult, there was no Awakened individual with a level higher than Do Josoon’s.
Excluding Yuna, even Jung Dong-gun was about seven levels lower than the level Do Josoon mentioned.
“There aren’t many Awakened individuals in South Korea as strong as Do Josoon. He probably thinks his value is high enough to warrant special treatment.”
“In the end, it’s because the value of an Awakened is considered too high, isn’t it?”
Indeed, there were only a few Awakened individuals as strong as Do Josoon across all of South Korea, which added to his belief.
From Do Josoon’s perspective, punishing him would be a major loss for the Balhut Cult, as it would greatly decrease the number and quality of Awakened individuals in Gyeongju.
‘Is this some kind of bluff against the government?’
In a sense, it was a high-stakes gamble.
He was essentially holding his and his followers’ value hostage, threatening that if they were judged, the cult would face significant losses, implying that they should be spared.
“If we allow such a precedent, another Do Josoon might appear in the future, making it difficult for us to impose severe punishment.”
“Indeed.”
Naturally, accepting such a situation thoughtlessly would set a precedent, paving the way for future troublemakers like Do Josoon.
‘This is risky if we make a careless decision.’
For the Balhut Cult, giving in to Do Josoon’s value would be like handling a double-edged sword that could backfire.
‘It’s infuriating.’
Moreover, Do Josoon showed no remorse for his actions. Instead, he openly sought to negotiate with the cult, declaring his innocence.
For Bahamut, the question of why they should forgive such a person kept surfacing.
“Well then. Let us resume the trial.”
After an hour-long break, the trial resumed, and Do Josoon and his followers re-entered the courtroom with confident expressions.
As Do Josoon entered with a look of ease, the expressions of the spectators took on a darker tone.
Could it be that the Balhut Cult had decided to forgive Do Josoon? Fear and uncertainty crept in among the crowd.
“Now we’re finally nearing the end of this tedious trial. How about you all give me a standing ovation in advance? The King of Gyeongju is here himself!”
Seeing the uneasy faces of the spectators, Do Josoon mocked them with a playful expression, teasing the audience and jury.
Despite their desire to curse and insult Do Josoon, the spectators were gripped by anxiety.
What if the Balhut Cult declared Do Josoon innocent as he boasted?
What if they deemed Do Josoon blameless?
What if their suffering meant nothing to the Balhut Cult?
With such thoughts of fear and trepidation, the audience watched the unfolding trial in silence, their faces filled with unease.
“Hah. Pathetic.”
Seeing the anxious faces of the spectators, Do Josoon sneered, dismissing them as pathetic, while his lawyer, sensing the growing tension, spoke up before Do Josoon could say more.
“Sigh. The defendant, Do Josoon, still claims he is innocent…”
“Innocent? What crime have I committed? Counselor, I am blameless.”
But unfortunately, before the lawyer could finish, Do Josoon interrupted, declaring his innocence and proclaiming to the audience that he had nothing to hide.
His lawyer, astonished by his insolence, stared at him in disbelief.
“Just be quiet. Your behavior in the court is…”
“You’re not doing your job well. I’ll speak for myself.”
Enraged, the lawyer shouted at Do Josoon to remain silent.
Yet, Do Josoon cut him off and boldly stepped forward, raising his voice to address the jury and spectators.
“In this apocalypse, isn’t that behavior considered moderate? Don’t you all use social media or online communities? According to what’s shared there, I am a conscientious person.”
Do Josoon argued that his actions in the zombie apocalypse in South Korea were comparatively moral.
He claimed that many online communities and social media supported this view.
The jury and spectators were infuriated by his mocking demeanor but couldn’t entirely refute his claims.
“Looting? We did what we had to do to survive. Exploitation? At least I spared their lives, didn’t I? Sexual violence? I just made those useless women a bit more useful.”
In reality, aside from Gyeongju, many other regions still hadn’t reclaimed their cities.
The crimes Do Josoon mentioned were common in other cities and regions, and in many places, it wasn’t even considered condemnable.
Of course, the powerless voices of those who couldn’t even access online platforms would protest, but what difference did that make?
In this world, those without power had no voice.
“In other regions, they use the elderly and children as bait or even resort to cannibalism… By those standards, I’m pretty conscientious.”
So, the words of powerful people like Do Josoon carried weight.
As he made his claims, the spectators sighed in despair, while the jury looked at Do Josoon with disdain.
“So, the defendant claims he is innocent?”
“Yes, I do. And I think my followers could be quite useful as well.”
As Bahamut listened quietly to Do Josoon’s argument, he asked if Do Josoon claimed innocence.
Do Josoon, as if it were obvious, asserted that both he and those who followed him were innocent, calling them valuable individuals.
It was a statement made out of confidence in his own worth.
“Kim Suho from Seoul says that when an Awakened reaches Level 20, they can obtain a profession, allowing them to rise to the next stage beyond a regular Awakened. I am at Level 19, and if the cult invests in me, I will become even stronger. Isn’t it a mutually beneficial arrangement?”
“The defendant, Do Josoon, is requesting a judicial bargain….”
To support his claim, he cited information shared by a well-known man named Kim Suho in the Seoul community. Kim Suho had said that upon reaching Level 20, an Awakened could rise to the next stage.
Do Josoon claimed to be at Level 19, just one step away, and argued that if the cult forgave him and invested in him, their power would increase.
He believed this because having a strong Awakened was the only way to survive this apocalypse.
“Think about it. Isn’t it more practical to have a strong Awakened than to save those worthless ones? If you forgive me, I will become the sword of the cult and destroy its enemies for you.”
Do Josoon argued that it was more beneficial and realistic for the cult to save him and his followers rather than trying to redeem those who were beyond redemption.
And he promised that if he were forgiven, he would remain loyal and fight as the cult’s sword, destroying its enemies.
Of course, since these words came from a treacherous person like Do Josoon, it was unlikely that he would keep such promises.
Even his current statements were clearly designed to favor himself, lacking any evidence or logic to truly convince the cult that sparing him would be beneficial.
‘Wow, he’s truly shameless.’
In reality, there was no reason to believe that Do Josoon would keep his promises.
He was the type of person who would gladly take the cult’s support and then run off to another city or betray them for immediate gain.
“A tempting offer, isn’t it? Not only me, but my subordinates are also powerful Awakened! We are nothing like those useless leeches!”
Do Josoon conveniently left out the possibility that he might betray or flee, focusing only on arguments that worked in his favor.
“What’s the point of letting those people live? Can they catch zombies? Can they fight monsters? Were they able to defy me, the King of Gyeongju?”
“…Damn it. This is why I didn’t want to take this job.”
When Do Josoon finished his argument, the courtroom fell silent, and his lawyer felt so ashamed of his actions that he couldn’t even lift his head.
The lawyer, feeling guilty and wiping away tears, witnessed the sorrowful or pained expressions of the audience as they listened to Do Josoon’s arrogant remarks.
Seeing the demoralized crowd, Do Josoon smiled, thinking he had won. He arrogantly stared directly at Bahamut, the judge.
He believed that even this dragon would not dare to judge him.
“…Then I will render the verdict.”
Do Josoon, filled with unwarranted confidence, listened to Bahamut’s verdict.
“The defendant, Do Josoon, is sentenced to death.”
“…What?”
The verdict was something Do Josoon had not expected at all.
“Hey, what are you saying? What nonsense are you spouting!! Damn dragon!”
What was he saying?
What was happening? What did this mean?
So, this dragon dared to challenge the King of Gyeongju? How dare he?
“I merely sentenced you to death.”
He had been sentenced to death?
He couldn’t understand it. He didn’t want to understand it. Why should he be judged?
Why should he die?
“You think you can judge me? That’s absurd! My loss would surely be a disaster for the cult! Is there anyone in the Balhut Cult stronger than me? I asked if there is!”
“Oh, did you forget about me, Mr. Do Josoon? Want to experience my Unades Beam again?”
“…We are Awakened! Awakened beings are granted special destinies, and we should be treated according to that special status!”
As he claimed there was no Awakened stronger than him, Yuna, indicating she was ready to carry out an immediate execution, pointed her index finger at Do Josoon, her expression deadly serious.
Seeing her determination, Do Josoon’s bravado faltered, and he tried to claim that the special status of being an Awakened should mean his innocence.
“I see. Awakened beings indeed are precious. I understand that well enough.”
Bahamut nodded in acknowledgment.
“Thus, I declare in this court: the special status of the Awakened will come to an end. I, Bahamut, have the means to artificially create Awakened beings. If being Awakened is no longer a privilege, then the special rights you claim will become meaningless. In fact, they will no longer even be called Awakened. From now on, being Awakened will become a part of everyday life.”
Simultaneously, he announced the end of the special status of Awakened beings.
Using Do Josoon’s defiance as a justification, Bahamut declared the removal of the Awakened’s special privileges.
“Are you crazy? How dare you challenge the privileges of the Awakened?”
Do Josoon, understanding the implications better than anyone, shouted that Bahamut was mad, protesting against the challenge to the privileges of the Awakened.
“What is crazy about this?”
But Bahamut, on the contrary, looked at him with curiosity.
“Let me ask you this in return. Why should the Balhut Cult, or rather I, save you? I will give the defendant, Do Josoon, a chance to argue.”
“Well, that’s…!”
From the beginning, Bahamut had no reason to spare Do Josoon.
Even if there were a reason, there was no chance he would spare someone who could become a source of conflict.
Do Josoon himself had already demonstrated that he was highly likely to cause trouble, betray the cult, or act selfishly for short-term gains.
Only then did Do Josoon realize he had been too arrogant, that he had overstepped his bounds against Bahamut. But if he had understood this earlier, he would never have behaved as he did before.
“I… I am the King of Gyeongju!”
“Yes. A king without followers. A naked king. Can a king without subjects truly be called a king, Do Josoon?”
All he could cling to now was his empty title as the King of Gyeongju.
But such a meaningless claim could not overturn the current judgment.
“………”
To the Balhut Cult, the judgment of the Dragon God was absolute.
Do Josoon, realizing the fate that awaited him, bowed his head in silence.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment