Chapter 71
Baek Seol Hwa’s blue eyes, the same as Choi Yuna’s, glared at Kim Tae-sik, Ha Jin-woo, and Seo Un-jae, causing the representatives of the Pohang Tri-Camp to feel a chilling sensation as their bodies gradually grew cold.
A powerful force and overwhelming aura emanated from Baek Seol-hwa.
That young girl, who hadn’t even lived half her life yet, was overwhelming the Pohang Tri-Camp with nothing but her presence.
‘Am I… am I frightened by a young child who hasn’t even lived a quarter of her life?’
‘D-don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t the situation I wanted!’
Unable to accept that they had been pushed back with mere presence alone, complaints erupted from Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Yeah. Can we believe that you are Baek Seol-hwa?”
They couldn’t believe that the Priestess of the Dragon standing before them was Baek Seol-hwa.
After all, the Baek Seol-hwa they knew looked significantly different.
Using this as an excuse, Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo began to attack, while Seo Un-jae alone quietly observed the situation.
If Seo Un-jae wanted to gain the trust of both camps, he too would have joined in on their criticism of Baek Seol-hwa.
‘The flow has shifted.’
Seo Un-jae chose to observe the situation rather than align himself with Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo.
Although there was a possibility that the mysterious girl before him wasn’t Baek Seol-hwa, Seo Un-jae, more than anyone, believed that the rational Balhut Cult, which valued stable rule over Pohang, wouldn’t make such a mistake.
Though he referred to them as a cult, the Balhut Cult, as Seo Un-jae knew it, was a rational government organization, not a fanatical religious group.
Thus, he was even more convinced that the woman before him was indeed Baek Seol-hwa, especially seeing Son Sang-hui quietly following her without complaint.
‘Then, there’s no need for me to uphold any loyalty to the Pohang Tri-Camp.’
If the secret pact with the Tri-Camp and their goal to control the Priestess of the Dragon proved impossible, there was no reason for Seo Un-jae to remain loyal to them.
The priestess before him was indeed the Priestess of the Dragon, Bahamut, and she could rightfully be seen as Bahamut’s representative to govern Pohang.
The Representative of the Dragon Bahamut!
Just this title alone led Seo Un-jae to believe that, regardless of their arrogance, neither Kim Tae-sik nor Ha Jin-woo would dare stand against the Priestess of the Dragon.
“Hmm. Are you doubtful of me, Mr. Kim Tae-sik and Mr. Ha Jin-woo?”
“Isn’t it natural? The Baek Seol-hwa we knew had black eyes and black hair, like a typical Korean.”
“Did the Balhut Cult deceive us, disregarding their pact with Pohang?”
At Baek Seol-hwa’s question of whether they doubted her, Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo immediately pointed out the traits of the Baek Seol-hwa they knew, stating that she was completely different and mentioning the agreement with the Balhut Cult.
They even suggested that the Balhut Cult might have ignored their pact with Pohang and deceived them, though neither of them felt at ease with this accusation.
If the young girl before them was truly Baek Seol-hwa…
Then, what would become of the secret agreement they had meticulously arranged before coming here?
As the calculations grew complex, the first to break the silence was Baek Seol-hwa, who had been quietly listening to Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo’s complaints.
“Then, let me provide some light proof. Boom.”
As if to demonstrate her skill to the two skeptics, Baek Seol-hwa created a light explosion with a boom.
It wasn’t intended to kill anyone but simply to create a visual effect.
Compared to the explosion she had shown to the zombie horde, it was rather modest, but the real impact came afterward.
“Freeze!”
“Ugh!”
“Cold!”
The explosion quickly raised the room’s temperature, only to instantly cool it down.
In an instant, the room plunged to sub-zero temperatures, and ice covered the surroundings.
Feeling the intense chill coursing through their bodies, Ha Jin-woo and Kim Tae-sik unconsciously muttered about the cold.
“How about it? Surely you haven’t forgotten my abilities?”
“A-ah, ah, aaah!”
The light explosion followed by an unimaginable cold.
There was no way that the Pohang Tri-Camp could forget this subtle display of Baek Seol-hwa’s powers.
This was the power Baek Seol-hwa had shown in Pohang.
“Next, I’ll instantly melt all the ice that’s filled the room.”
As if the explosion wasn’t enough, she rapidly raised the room’s temperature, melting all the ice that had formed, and as the ice melted, the entire room was engulfed in a blue flame.
“W-what is this!?”
“H-hot… huh? It’s not hot at all.”
However, the blue flame didn’t burn the Pohang Tri-Camp.
Without any intense heat, only a warm energy enveloped the Pohang Tri-Camp.
Yet, they were fully aware that if it heated up, they would be reduced to ashes in moments, and Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo looked at Baek Seol-hwa with pale faces.
They no longer harbored doubts that she wasn’t Baek Seol-hwa.
With a flawless display of Baek Seol-hwa’s specialty of explosions, fire, and ice, who could possibly doubt her?
‘Hahaha. A monster indeed. I recall her abilities weren’t this strong. To think she grew stronger in such a short time… Indeed, as expected, a Contract with a Dragon is beyond human understanding!’
Knowing Baek Seol-hwa’s original abilities, Seo Un-jae realized that she had grown even stronger, reaffirming that a Contract with a Dragon should not be judged by human standards.
It was overwhelming.
Simply by displaying that power, she could dominate and control the crowd.
The people gathered here were all Awakened, as well as the representatives and leaders of their respective factions.
Their strength was undoubtedly formidable, yet the Pohang Tri-Camp leaders didn’t even entertain the thought of resisting Baek Seol-hwa.
‘If I make a wrong move here…’
‘It means we could burn or freeze to death just like that!’
Realizing that their very lives were in Baek Seol-hwa’s hands, they finally understood what it meant for her to be the Priestess of the Dragon.
Even during her peak as Pohang’s most powerful Awakened, Baek Seol-hwa had captivated the public with her overwhelming strength, establishing herself as a candidate for leadership.
Though she had fallen due to unfortunate circumstances, many Pohang citizens still remembered her name, and with her safe return displaying such overwhelming power, there were more than enough people to support her.
Moreover, just the title of Bahamut’s Representative would increase her support, as it meant Pohang could receive the blessing of the Dragon.
‘Can I win against her? Me?’
‘I can’t.’
At first, they entertained the thought of challenging Baek Seol-hwa with their own strength.
However, Kim Tae-sik and Ha Jin-woo did not want to step into a losing battle first.
Instead, they waited, hoping that someone else would go first, becoming their shield, but they lacked the courage to challenge Baek Seol-hwa with any semblance of dignity.
‘Look at this pathetic situation. But I can’t say I don’t understand. Actually, this reaction might be the most reasonable.’
Watching the two leaders act cowardly, Seo Un-jae felt contempt, yet he also empathized with their feelings.
If someone displays such overwhelming power, the first thought is to devise a way to survive rather than resist.
“Then, let us forget all past grievances and unite as one to serve God Bahamut.”
“W-what?”
“Here and now, let us leave all past matters behind.”
It seemed Baek Seol-hwa’s side had no intention of spilling blood.
Instead of using a card like purging, she extended a hand, suggesting they forget the past and start anew.
It was the gesture of someone with an overwhelming advantage, a privilege only those in complete control could afford, and indeed, Baek Seol-hwa was pressuring the Pohang Tri-Camp with her superior strength.
If they didn’t take her hand, would they ever get another chance? The psychological pressure was mounting.
“I-I…”
“I, Seo Un-jae, pledge my loyalty to God Bahamut and Lady Baek Seol-hwa.”
Observing quietly, Seo Un-jae knelt without hesitation, bowing his head and pledging his loyalty to Baek Seol-hwa.
Though it was unsightly for a grown man to submit to a young girl, showing the top of his head in submission, Seo Un-jae felt no shame in his actions.
He was sure that the bloody future of the Pohang Civil War had been erased, and his decision was based on calculations.
No one in the Pohang Tri-Camp could oppose the Awakened before them, and even if they revealed their dark intentions, Baek Seol-hwa’s power could easily crush them.
For Seo Un-jae, who had already abandoned loyalty, throwing his weight behind the clear victor was a perfectly natural decision.
“S-Seo Un-jae?!”
“What about you?”
Seeing Seo Un-jae pledge his loyalty without hesitation, Ha Jin-woo was deeply shaken.
Should he follow Seo Un-jae, or should he stick to the original Pohang Tri-Camp plan to make Baek Seol-hwa their puppet?
Ha Jin-woo glanced at Kim Tae-sik, but Kim Tae-sik’s face offered no answer.
Kim Tae-sik was also sweating profusely, uncertain, and looking to Ha Jin-woo for guidance.
Seeing this, Ha Jin-woo realized it was over and lowered his head with a resigned sigh.
“…I pledge my loyalty to God Bahamut.”
Thus, Ha Jin-woo, the leader of Pohang University Campus, also submitted.
No matter how he thought about it, he saw no chance of victory.
Rather than face an absurd downfall, he decided it was best to submit while mercy was still being shown, and so he knelt and pledged his loyalty to Baek Seol-hwa.
With the two leaders of Pohang pledging loyalty to Baek Seol-hwa, Kim Tae-sik, unable to contain himself, stood up and shouted.
“Are you out of your minds? Pledging loyalty to fanatics and their cult? Seo Un-jae, have you no political convictions?”
“With the apocalypse happening, do you think we need partisan divisions or ideological conflicts?”
“W-what?”
In response to Kim Tae-sik’s outburst, Seo Un-jae stated that such things were irrelevant to the current situation.
Convictions? As a politician, Seo Un-jae had ideals he wanted to uphold.
But would those ideals yield anything in this apocalypse?
Ideological strength was indeed powerful, but survival was the priority now, and that ideological power wouldn’t function properly.
Everyone was struggling with survival, and survival took precedence over ideology.
There was no need or reason to mention or need partisan division or ideological conflicts, which had always been noisy in South Korea.
“Furthermore, you call them fanatics, but the Balhut Cult is truly a government ruled by the Dragon God. The Dragon God directly conveys intentions and even negotiates with us, so can we really call those who serve such a god fanatics? They’re a legitimate government.”
He refuted Kim Tae-sik’s argument that they were fanatics.
Unlike typical cults, the Balhut Cult was truly a government ruled by the Dragon God, and this god directly expressed intentions and made proposals and agreements with the Pohang Tri-Camp.
Can you call such a group a cult and accuse them of fanaticism?
“Fanaticism is when one distorts the god’s words, interprets them as they wish, and acts out of control. Has the Priestess of the Dragon distorted God Bahamut’s words to harm Pohang? Has she ever forced the teachings of the Balhut Cult upon anyone here?”
“No.”
“…Ugh.”
The Balhut Cult and the Priestess following it had never distorted the Dragon God’s words.
There had been instances of extended interpretation, but ultimately, they reached Bahamut’s desired direction, choosing reasonable actions that everyone could agree with. The cult’s actions in Pohang had been rational and logical.
Seo Un-jae’s words were thus convincing, and Ha Jin-woo could only nod heavily, unable to argue.
Kim Tae-sik, who had suffered significant losses due to the rational actions, didn’t respond, but he didn’t refute Seo Un-jae’s words either, as if he couldn’t deny them.
“Then, let it be. God Bahamut has kept his promise with us. From now on, Pohang is under the protection of the Great Dragon. If we can live safely through this apocalypse without the threat of death, isn’t it worth discarding any ideology or political convictions?”
With that, there was no reason for disagreement.
Bahamut kept his promise, and as such, Pohang was under the Dragon’s protection.
In this apocalypse, being guaranteed safety was a huge merit, and everyone agreed on the desire to live safely.
Is there any need to break guaranteed safety for the sake of ideology or convictions? The question itself was enough to make one tilt their head.
“Besides, in the end, all those ideologies or convictions only matter when there’s enough to eat and live on. In a city that needs to be rebuilt like Pohang, we don’t need that.”
Above all, Pohang was poor right now.
The former reputation of sustaining South Korea’s industry meant nothing now, and it was time to rebuild the city destroyed by zombies.
So what Pohang needed now was only one thing.
“A unified will and strong determination to push through the Reconstruction Project, to make it so that people can live like people.”
“…….”
There was no one there who could disagree with Seo Un-jae’s words.
Thus, the Pohang Tri-Camp unanimously submitted to Baek Seol-hwa, which also meant that the governing power of Pohang was now entirely in Baek Seol-hwa’s hands.
With the internal politics of Pohang stabilized and support from the Balhut Cult, Pohang embarked on its Reconstruction Project, and soon, a welcome guest arrived.
“This is under the control of the Balhut Cult, correct?”
A mysterious transport plane appeared in Pohang’s sky, escorted by fighter jets, and landed at Pohang Airport.
As the unidentified aircraft suddenly appeared over Pohang, the Balhut Cult’s security forces stationed in Pohang moved to the airport, keeping a close eye on the mysterious force. The unknown visitors, speaking fluent Korean, asked the soldiers guarding them if this place was under the Balhut Cult’s jurisdiction.
“Who are you?”
“We’ve come from America.”
“America?!”
The identity of the mysterious visitors was none other than a delegation from the United States.
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