Chapter 1
“Damn it.”
Dark, ominous clouds covered the sky over Seoul.
Kim Suho, the leader of Team Liquid, who was observing the situation in Seoul through binoculars from the top of Namhansanseong, let out a sigh filled with despair.
T/n: Namhansanseong Fortress is a historical mountain fortress located southeast of Seoul, South Korea, built as a defensive structure during the Joseon Dynasty.
The Seoul he knew would have been a city that didn’t allow even a shadow of darkness, a city of eternal lights without night.
A city that certainly lived up to the name of the capital, filled with revival and vibrancy… A city that symbolized South Korea.
“Is that the Seoul we once knew?”
“Yes, sir.”
However, through Kim Suho’s binoculars, only the moonlight breaking through the dark clouds shone down on the ruins of Seoul’s buildings and the repulsive monsters.
It was impossible to call that ruin the prosperity of Seoul, the capital city known to be the heart of South Korea.
“They’re swarming.”
The sight of Seoul through the binoculars filled Kim Suho’s heart with despair.
And no wonder, as Seoul was… practically overrun by zombies and monsters that had brought about the downfall of South Korea itself.
The fact that the Namhansanseong Fortress, where he was stationed, had now become a crucial military stronghold against them made him let out a hollow laugh.
“With faith in God, there’s no problem.”
“Damn it.”
What should they do now?
As his worries about the future deepened, an irritating word reached Kim Suho’s ears.
What was the only drug left for humans in this world, where the country had fallen and the apocalypse had struck?
“Our Balhut Cult will never retreat for the sake of our fellow countrymen.”
It was none other than religion.
The traditional religions had already collapsed, and numerous cults were spreading, preaching belief in their respective gods.
The common sense that had existed in times of peace had all crumbled and become meaningless, and in order to force themselves to accept the new reality of the apocalypse, perhaps they had been born anew.
Or perhaps it was a way for the powerless people living now to forcibly come to terms with the reality they faced.
Or maybe they threw themselves into the madness of religion to soothe their troubled and exhausted minds.
‘Damn it. Why did the higher-ups assign this cultist to this place?’
Although Kim Suho, who commanded Namhansanseong, understood these circumstances and facts, as someone who had believed in the One God before the end, he thought the very spread of cults was a sign of the end times.
However, if it could provide the refugees here with mental comfort, he was willing to allow the presence of a cult, for now, at least.
“Why exactly are you telling me this?”
“It’s simple. As long as we walk alongside Him, we have no enemies.”
“That’s easy to say…”
“Commander, this person is from Seorabeol.”
It was unfortunate that a religion, which was supposed to provide spiritual rest, had now interfered in military operations and even directed strategies.
Kim Suho, whose head ached from the priestess who blindly trusted religious fanaticism and claimed there were no problems, wanted to snap at the fanatic in front of him.
Just as a harsh curse was about to escape his mouth, a subordinate interrupted him with a mention of Seorabeol.
‘Seorabeol?’
There was only one place Kim Suho could think of when he heard the word Seorabeol.
“Are you perhaps from Gyeongju?”
“Yes, I am a priestess of the Balhut Cult.”
She was a woman belonging to the troublesome Balhut Cult.
The very name of the cult, which had recently been expanding rapidly throughout South Korea, made Kim Suho swallow down the curses that had risen to his throat. He sighed and looked at the priestess of the Balhut Cult.
It seemed as though she lived in a world entirely separate from the apocalyptic disaster that had essentially destroyed the country; her face was clean, and her attire was immaculate.
‘It seems I can’t handle this as usual.’
Kim Suho had heard rumours about their abilities, so he couldn’t recklessly drive the priestess away.
The abilities of the Balhut Cult’s members, conveyed through online communities and various information networks.
It was said that their powerful abilities had shown miracles to people in numerous battles and fights.
“…If we can win by believing in your God, show us proof.”
“Oh, I see. Are you asking us to give you faith? Haha, if only you’d said so earlier. We wouldn’t have had to make this so difficult.”
However, distrustful of the Balhut Cult, Kim Suho voiced all the doubts he had kept inside, and the priestess confidently promised to demonstrate their faith as if understanding Kim Suho’s sentiments.
It seemed like she accepted the difficult request because she had something to rely on.
“Yeah, right.”
How could they turn things around in such a hopeless situation?
In all honesty, once the evacuation of the refugees from Seoul was complete, he was prepared to abandon this strategic position of Namhansanseong.
Relying on the old fortress walls to fight the enemy was not feasible, as the force that had seized the capital, Seoul, was too fierce.
“Watch closely.”
Despite witnessing the massive force outside the fortress walls, the priestess showed no fear.
Was she relying on religious fanaticism, or did she actually have some kind of ace up her sleeve?
Considering what he had seen of Namhansanseong’s defenses so far, Kim Suho thought it was all just religious fanaticism. But the priestess, as if familiar with his sceptical gaze, raised her hand toward the sky.
“Come forth! Our Balhut Cult’s deity! The brave and merciful God Bahamut!”
“What… there’s nothing….”
At first, all he did was look on with suspicion.
However, with the priestess’s declaration, a gigantic magic circle appeared in the sky.
A circular magic circle, pale and glowing red, unfolded, covering the sky over Seoul.
“What the…? Is that a magic circle?”
The intricately drawn, three-dimensional magic circle was so detailed that it captivated the attention of those watching the sky from Namhansanseong.
The magic circle, so finely drawn that even the blackened clouds covering Seoul’s sky were barely visible, soon reached its peak and began to illuminate Seoul with a deafening bang.
“A meteor?”
A massive object pierced through the magic circle that covered the sky and plummeted toward the ground.
People called it a meteor, but Kim Suho could clearly see the true nature of the falling meteor through his binoculars.
What many thought was a meteor was actually a creature wrapped in wings, and it spread its wings wide as it landed near Namhansanseong.
With a thunderous roar, the creature’s massive weight and shockwave struck their ears and bodies, but Kim Suho had no time to worry about that.
“What is that…”
Even though Kim Suho had witnessed many monsters firsthand during the apocalypse that led to the downfall of South Korea, it was the first time he saw a creature this huge.
A body easily over 50 meters tall with enormous wings in a mix of gold and red.
A solid-looking physique covered with deep blue and golden scales.
It was a being commonly known as a dragon.
“Look! That is our God! The brave and merciful Dragon God, Bahamut! Witness His power!”
A voice praising it rang out, but no one could pay attention to that voice.
It wasn’t that they ignored her words.
Rather, they were too overwhelmed by the sight of the dragon in front of them.
Kim Suho felt the intense urge to look away, overwhelmed by the dragon’s immense presence and the waves of power emanating from it.
“Uoooooooh!”
The shattered magic circle fell slowly like glass shards, adding to the mysterious aura of the dragon.
The dragon roared with majesty at the sky, then slowly turned its gaze toward the menacing masses approaching Namhansanseong.
The sight of the dragon, appearing reliable and reassuring, began to instill hope in the hearts of the survivors who had sought refuge in Namhansanseong.
“That is…!?”
“Look closely, and feel awe! The divine radiance! The power of our God!”
The dragon leaped into the sky and slowly observed the ground below.
Then, it opened its enormous mouth toward the ground, and as the immense flow of magical energy surged, Kim Suho stared at the dragon in shock, while the fanatic next to him encouraged him to watch closely, as if the scene was familiar to her.
Seeing the dragon opening its mouth toward the ground, everyone at Namhansanseong knelt and began to pray.
“Are you crazy?!”
“This is the light that will bring us victory!”
Kim Suho hoped that the dragon’s mouth wouldn’t point toward Namhansanseong as he kept watching the dragon’s movements until the end.
Blue particles began to gather in the dragon’s mouth as it soared through the sky, and that light started to illuminate the entire sky over Seoul, like a second sun.
The immense power felt from the gathering mass of light left Kim Suho astonished, while the fanatic beside him only seemed more pleased, eagerly awaiting what would happen next.
The gathering light soon disappeared, and a brilliant sphere formed in the dragon’s mouth, like the birth of a sun.
Then, the sphere glowing like a sun shot down from the dragon’s mouth toward the ground.
With a deafening boom, as if a nuclear bomb had gone off, a massive explosion and clouds of dust struck Namhansanseong.
As if a sun had exploded on the ground, a blinding flash spread throughout the darkened city of Seoul, and Kim Suho couldn’t help but close his eyes against the intense light.
And a few seconds later.
As the booming sound gradually faded and the blinding light that had spread over Seoul subsided, only silence remained at Namhansanseong.
There wasn’t even a whisper or murmur, just pure silence.
Kim Suho opened his eyes again, and after witnessing the overwhelming scene before him, he was left speechless.
“They’re gone.”
All the monsters that had been advancing toward Namhansanseong had disappeared.
There was nothing left of the horde of monsters; only the blue flames burning on the barren ground, the melted rock, and the charred remains of what were once trees remained in sight.
The seemingly endless black wave of monsters had been wiped out in a single blow without leaving a trace.
The flames burning on the ground rose with the wind, confirming that no life remained on the desolate land.
The only one who could speak after witnessing this scene was the priestess who had summoned the great dragon to this place.
“Ahahaha!”
“How do you see it? This is the power of our God!”
How did they see it?
What was she talking about?
“Oh? Are you feeling unwell? Shall I cast a healing spell on you? Are you alright?”
Was he alright?
He wasn’t.
Kim Suho couldn’t find the words, overwhelmed by the intense emotions and awe coursing through his entire body.
And it wasn’t just Kim Suho; his subordinates who followed him as their commander felt the same.
“Oooooooooh…”
“Ah. It seems our God is greatly satisfied with this battle. Please, pray for the God who has brought us this decisive victory.”
The dragon began to roar, as if content with the situation, and the fanatic—or rather, the priestess—urged them to pray to the dragon.
The dragon gazed at Namhansanseong with a serene look, and those who met the dragon’s eyes began to pray and bow in awe.
It was unclear if dragons could express emotions, but it seemed as though the dragon’s mouth moved as if to say something, and soon, the dragon began to dissolve into the air, enveloped in a blue light.
“Now, you can join the Balhut Cult and serve the God Bahamut.”
They claimed that this miracle was all the work of the Balhut Cult’s God.
“I will convert immediately.”
On that day, a new God was worshiped at Namhansanseong.
The great dragon that had protected them from the advancing horde of monsters.
All those at Namhansanseong had witnessed the descent of the mighty dragon and directly experienced its power, leading them to believe in the God of the Balhut Cult without a doubt.
The brave and merciful God Bahamut.
The name of the deity who would continue to be praised as the God of the newly established nation in the future.
“I don’t know about that. What’s with all the scariness?”
The God being praised seemed to feel bewildered.
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