Chapter 109
Due to the sudden explosion, the evacuation convoy was thrown into chaos, and the spies who had been captured without casualties ended up dead without even being interrogated.
The soldiers in charge of supervising the spies were caught in the blast, suffering severe injuries, including losing limbs in extreme cases, which resulted in a significant loss of combat power.
To prepare for such situations, Son Sang-hui had already requested support from the Balhut Cult’s headquarters.
“What… what happened here?”
“You’re alive! You arrived at just the right time!”
Thanks to this, Choi Yuna, the leader of the Balhut Cult, arrived at the location of the allied forces with reinforcements.
To the allied soldiers who had lost limbs, Yuna’s appearance was nothing short of a beacon of hope.
The allied forces gathered the severed arms and legs from the ground and asked Yuna to perform healing and reattachment.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Yuna began treating the injured without asking any questions.
Using divine magic, she rapidly healed all the injured in the area, and simultaneously…
“Turn Undead!”
She cast Turn Undead in the area where the allied forces were stationed, ensuring that no more undead would rise.
No one could predict how effective this would be, and for the Balhut Cult, this was their first encounter with necromancers, leaving them with no information and much to fear.
Jina Ahn, who had fought against the Immortal Cult while leading the resistance at Ulsan Airport, commented:
“They didn’t use self-detonation attacks like that when they fought us.”
“I thought so too.”
She shook her head, unfamiliar with this tactic.
In truth, the Immortal Cult had no reason to resort to self-detonation against Ulsan Airport, where they already held an advantage.
Simply overwhelming them with numbers would have been enough to put Ulsan Airport in a disadvantageous position. There was no need to expend valuable mages in self-detonation.
“By the way, that was amazing.”
“Right?”
“Yeah. Honestly, when I saw those severed limbs, I thought all hope was lost. Even healers struggle with reattachment.”
Lying on the ground with severe injuries, Jina Ahn watched alongside Son Sang-hui as Choi Yuna healed the allied forces.
Using holy magic to heal the injured and purify the undead and the land was like witnessing a saint from a story.
Watching this, even Jina Ahn couldn’t help but exclaim:
“Wow, it’s more effective than I thought. Thank you so much, Sister!”
“Fufu. Please be more careful next time. Life isn’t something you throw away.”
Having been healed by Yuna, Jina Ahn stood up, fully restored.
Even minor scratches were gone without leaving scars, and Jina Ahn looked at Yuna with amazement.
Although Yuna scolded her, telling her to take better care of herself,
“Well, that’s not possible. If I don’t do it, someone else will have to. A strong person like me can’t let others take on my responsibilities, right?”
Jina Ahn replied with a proud expression, dismissing the scolding.
Though it might have seemed like boasting, it was true that many people survived because of her efforts, and her actions allowed her followers to fight without bearing too much burden.
Had she not stepped in, Ulsan Airport might have suffered far greater casualties.
“Thank you for the treatment, Lady Yuna.”
Son Sang-hui, who had also been treated, thanked Yuna, marveling at her now-scarless injuries.
Hearing her name, Jina Ahn finally remembered something and, looking at the smiling Yuna, she was shocked.
“Yuna… as in the leader of the Balhut Cult?”
“Yes. She’s the leader of the Balhut Cult and the Priestess of the Dragon, Choi Yuna.”
“What? Seriously? No way. Is it okay for the head of a faction to be in such a dangerous place?”
In response to Jina Ahn’s question, Son Sang-hui affirmed that the girl before them was indeed Choi Yuna, leader of the Balhut Cult.
Seeing the leader of the Balhut Cult, who was also the ruler of Gyeongju, at such a perilous site left Jina Ahn stunned.
Shouldn’t someone like her be in the safest location, under strict protection?
“Fufu. I’m the strongest awakened individual in the Cult.”
“R-really? Hmm. This is so different from the rumors. It’s the complete opposite of what’s commonly known.”
Yuna found Jina Ahn’s flustered reaction amusing and confidently declared herself the strongest in Gyeongju.
Despite her proud declaration, her small stature and pose made her appear more like a cute little girl mimicking a hero.
As the much smaller Yuna struck her pose and made her claim, Jina Ahn, still half-believing, nodded and continued to scrutinize her appearance.
“Well, in Japan, she’s known as a young girl like this, but here, she’s rumored to be an old, decrepit man or a perverted freak. There’s no way to know the truth.”
“Oh, I know about that. Greedy pig, old hag—there are all kinds of rumors, right? I check online communities and sometimes search my own name.”
“That… doesn’t sound like a good thing. I doubt there’s anything positive said about you.”
Yuna, seemingly aware of the rumors, cheerfully listed the negative stories she had read online, leaving Jina Ahn bewildered.
After all, the Balhut Cult had overtaken Gyeongju and even Pohang.
From the perspective of other regions, which feared their growth, the Cult’s expansion was something to be suppressed.
Thus, negative reviews and baseless criticism proliferated, creating countless rumors.
“What good will false rumors on the internet do? They’re probably just sitting at home spreading lies.”
“Well, I’m an ally now, so I shouldn’t say this, but you’re still called a doomsday cult.”
Just as fake news, exaggerated stories, and biased reports had been popular before the apocalypse, the current world also weaponized rumors to tarnish reputations.
Communities outside the Balhut Cult’s control selectively disseminated information to suit their agenda, turning the Cult into a public enemy.
The very term “cult” naturally evoked fear and hostility, even if the Cult didn’t actively spread rumors about themselves.
“I hear that a lot too!”
“Then… don’t you think you should try to fix it?”
As expected, Choi Yuna’s reputation as the Cult leader was abysmal.
She was either labeled the worst villain or misrepresented as something completely different, with no positive stories to her name.
Even so, Yuna dismissed it lightly, leaving Jina Ahn unable to think of a retort.
“Humans only believe what they want to believe. Even if we worked hard to prove the legitimacy of the Balhut Cult online, those who don’t want to believe will never believe us.”
For Yuna and the Balhut Cult, even declaring their innocence would be pointless.
People only believed what they wanted to believe, proving the futility of trying to change their minds.
Despite Yuna and the Balhut Cult asserting their innocence, camps seeking to strengthen internal solidarity by framing Yuna and her cult as external enemies would continue to claim malicious distortions, painting her as an enemy of the Korean Peninsula.
Is there even a need to persuade such people?
“Moreover, all of this infamy… wouldn’t it eventually be resolved if we prove ourselves with strength and achievements? It’s a logic that only works in an apocalypse, though.”
After all, in a world of apocalypse, most problems could indeed be solved with strength.
“Ugh, I can’t deny that.”
Faced with Yuna’s fierce statement that she would resolve all slander through power, even Jina Ahn could not disagree.
Jina Ahn herself had reclaimed Fukuoka City and gained recognition in Ulsan by proving her strength and achievements, even being entrusted with leadership by Han Seong-geun.
In this era, as long as one had strength and accomplishments, even a notorious reputation could transform them into a celebrated hero.
That was why Yuna remained confident despite the poor reputation of both her cult and herself.
“Oh. Thanks for the healing. I’m Jina Ahn, leader of Ulsan Airport.”
“Jina Ahn? Ah! I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re the hero of Fukuoka City, right?”
Though a bit late, Jina Ahn ended the conversation and immediately thanked Yuna for her healing, introducing herself.
Upon hearing her name, Yuna quickly realized that the girl before her was the hero of Fukuoka City.
The name Jina Ahn seemed to be well-known across the Korean Peninsula, enough for Yuna to recognize her immediately.
“Hahaha, you don’t have to praise me so much. Well, I did do some heroic deeds, sure. Should I just claim to be a representative awakened of the Korean Peninsula like Kim Suho in Seoul?”
“That’s not a bad idea!”
As Yuna acknowledged her fame, Jina Ahn, though a bit embarrassed, puffed out her chest proudly, smiling as if to say, “This is who I am.”
Finding her interesting, Yuna wanted to converse more with her but—
“I’d love to talk more with you, Miss Ahn. But first…”
“Work comes first, right?”
Realizing that assessing the current situation took priority over idle chatter, Yuna turned to Son Sang-hui, who was waiting nearby, and asked about the situation.
“Yes, Miss Son Sang-hui. What happened here? If reinforcements were needed…”
“The Immortal Cult attacked the refugees.”
At Son Sang-hui’s report, Yuna’s expression immediately turned cold.
With an icy demeanor, she examined the traces left by the Immortal Cult and spoke.
“So they’ve launched an attack. That means they’ve officially declared war on our Balhut Cult.”
Her tone implied that daring to provoke the Balhut Cult was crossing a line, and Son Sang-hui nodded, explaining the situation further.
“Yes. I don’t know if this was an act of lower-ranked individuals or a directive from higher-ups…”
“That’s okay.”
“Pardon?”
Before Son Sang-hui could finish her explanation, Yuna interrupted, dismissing her concerns.
Because the moment they attacked—
“I have no intention of sharing the skies with those like the Immortal Cult.”
For the Balhut Cult and the Immortal Cult, coexisting under the same heavens was simply not an option.
What might have been a minor provocation to the Immortal Cult was a line crossed for the Balhut Cult, solidifying them as an enemy that must be eliminated.
“Oh.”
“This is an opportunity to purge all heretics who have settled in Ulsan. We shall purify them with fire.”
“Huh?”
Yes, Yuna was already contemplating a religious war—a holy crusade.
To her, attacking the lost sheep under the protection of the Dragon God was an unforgivable act, and harming precious soldiers of the Balhut Cult made the Immortal Cult an enemy she could never forgive.
In Yuna’s mind, there was no thought of negotiating with the Immortal Cult; they were destined adversaries who could not coexist under the same sky.
Kill the heretics. No mercy!
“To think there are those who believe in a false god despite the presence of the Dragon God. And they’re on the verge of taking over all of Ulsan? Absolutely unforgivable. What… jealous… I mean, that’s dangerous.”
What made it even more intolerable was the fact that the Immortal Cult had taken over Ulsan, a region the Balhut Cult coveted.
With a serious expression, Yuna spoke of the danger posed by the Immortal Cult, declaring that their actions were unforgivable.
Though she seemed to let slip a bit of her inner thoughts, Jina Ahn noticed.
“…Hmm. Should I reconsider my stance? Somehow, it feels like the Immortal Cult and the Balhut Cult are just two sides of the same coin.”
Watching Yuna’s demeanor, Jina Ahn sighed, questioning whether to re-evaluate her stance.
Judging by this scene alone, the two cults didn’t seem much different. Was it just her imagination?
Seeing the seemingly innocent saint speaking with such a chilling expression, one couldn’t help but feel unnerved.
“Well… matters of religion and gods don’t allow for compromise. Usually, she’s easy-going and accommodating.”
“Oh, really?”
Son Sang-hui’s additional explanation helped Jina Ahn push aside her suspicions, albeit just barely.
But really now.
“And now?”
“For now… it seems only the Dragon God Bahamut could stop her.”
“God is dead! Well, technically, already dead!”
Hearing that only the Dragon God could calm Yuna down, Jina Ahn could only sigh.
“Ahem. I’ve shown an unseemly side of myself. In any case, let’s focus on escorting the refugees. Miss Ahn, what will you do now?”
“Hmm. Well…”
Quickly regaining her composure, Yuna smiled brightly, asking Jina Ahn about her plans.
Jina Ahn had two options.
She could continue accompanying the evacuation operation to Gyeongju.
Or she could leave the rest to the reinforcements and return to the battlefield at Ulsan Airport.
“I’ll go to Gyeongju as well. I have to see the refugees safely settled before I leave.”
Han Seong-geun had tasked her with ensuring the refugees reached Gyeongju safely, and that mission was not yet complete.
Moreover, hadn’t Han Seong-geun himself told her to witness and judge the Balhut Cult personally?
Jina Ahn decided to accompany the evacuation and directly observe the state of the Balhut Cult.
“Understood. Then I will treat you as our guest. Miss Son Sang-hui, once everything is ready, let’s depart immediately. I’ll handle the injured.”
“Yes, Lady Yuna.”
With a confident expression, Yuna nodded and declared that Jina Ahn would be treated as a guest. She instructed Son Sang-hui to restart the evacuation operation.
Even if injuries occurred, Yuna’s abilities would allow for quick recovery, ensuring the operation would proceed smoothly.
Now that all the spies had been captured, no force could hinder the evacuation operation, and it was set to continue without issue.
“And… let’s declare a holy war to Jung Dong-gun—”
“Let’s consult Bahamut first before proceeding.”
Yuna’s eagerness to declare a holy war was concerning.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I should seek our god’s opinion first.”
‘Is this really okay?’
…I’m not sure either.
—
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