Chapter 75
Bang!
After the deafening sound passed, the man slowly turned his head to look at the wall where the bullet was firmly lodged. A misfire? No, though this was his first meeting with Min Ahyeon, from all he had heard about her, she wouldn’t be one to misaim at a mere wooden wall. This was an intentional shot. The man turned his head back towards Min Ahyeon behind the wall.
“Sister.”
The man, Im Do-hyeon, narrowed his eyes in a smile, speaking in an impossibly gentle voice.
“Please calm down. You didn’t come here to fight us, did you?”
“I did come to fight. Don’t you see the gun? Didn’t you almost get your head blown off just now?”
From the clinking sound, it seemed Ahyeon was preparing to fire again. Im Do-hyeon sighed quietly and pressed his waxed hair back with his palm.
“Min Ahyeon-nim.”
He asked in a suddenly chilled voice.
“Are you capable of that?”
“…..”
Ahyeon raised her chin slightly and slowly closed her eyes. In fact, until being guided here by Yunho and Seungmin, Ahyeon had planned to just kill all the visible cult lunatics and leave. But she couldn’t do that anymore, not after seeing the dozens of CCTVs the moment she entered, the armed people in white guarding the sealed doors—and the two distinct sounds coming from further inside. Ah. Another sigh escaped her lips. Ahyeon stood up.
“You people.”
Then, wham! Ahyeon’s hand struck the wall separating her and Do-hyeon hard.
“What are you?”
Though this improvised confession room was made of thin wooden boards, the walls shook from the impact, but Ahyeon paid no heed. She simply glared at Do-hyeon on the other side of the wall.
“We go by many names.”
Do-hyeon replied calmly.
“But if I were to mention the name that resonates with us the most, it would be ‘Savior.'”
“Savior?”
“Yes. We have come to this place to save all humanity, to save the entire world.”
Listening to such nonsense was enough to make one dizzy. Ahyeon narrowed one eye.
“But if I were to mention the name that resonates with us the most, it would be ‘Savior.'”
“Savior?”
“Yes. We have come to this place to save all humanity, to save the entire world.”
Listening to such nonsense was enough to make one dizzy. Ahyeon narrowed one eye.
“Okay, let’s go with ‘salvation,’ then.”
“It is Savior.”
“Then why are these bastards who claim to be saving people collecting mutant infected?”
The two sounds Ah-yeon heard: one was the sound of human sobs mixed with prayers, and the other was the shrieks of the infected horde. It was an inexplicably eerie sound, like scratching needles in one’s ears. Such sounds should never come from inside the building, let alone go out. Unless one intended to kill all the humans here.
“Min Ahyeon-nim.”
Do-hyeon’s murmuring voice was heard. He seemed to be getting up.
“Let’s talk about something else first.”
“I don’t want to. Why are you gathering the infected?”
“We are aware that you are looking for your brother.”
“Hey. Have you gone mad?”
For Ahyeon, Min Woo-joo, her brother, was a sore spot, as even Shin Hae-jun had barely mentioned him properly. Yet this jerk, who didn’t even know her face, dared to talk about her brother?
“You must be agonizing every day, wondering where your brother is, how he’s doing. Whether he’s eating properly or not.”
Ignoring Ahyeon’s trembling body, Do-hyeon continued speaking.
“Maybe he’s being exploited at the research facility again.”
“You bastard!”
Ahyeon finally stood up, grabbed the gun, and pointed it into the hole.
In that desperate moment when the trigger could have been pulled at any moment.
“Do you not want to know about the research facility?”
Do-hyeon’s voice struck Ahyeon’s ears, causing her to hold her breath and look up momentarily.
“The research facility, a group filled only with unbelievers. They cannot receive salvation; they are evil that should not be embraced. Only death will welcome them.”
As he continued speaking, Ahyeon slowly regained her senses. The research facility…he seems to know far more about it than the information she has.
Ahyeon swallowed dryly.
“Ahyeon-nim.”
Through the hole, Im Do-hyeon smiled slyly as Ahyeon’s gun disappeared from view.
“It must be so difficult for you. Painful, tormenting, wanting to end it all whenever the hope you had crumbles. Yet you still try to live on, but the future seems so bleak.”
“You bastard……”
Ahyeon aimed her gun at the wall. If she just pulled the trigger now, she could blow that rambling creep’s head off.
“Ahyeon-nim.”
Do-hyeon spoke in a soft yet confident, trustworthy tone.
“The suffering and hardship you face now is merely an ordeal.”
Ahyeon’s hand holding the gun trembled slightly. She couldn’t understand why she was feeling this tremor.
“Our meeting here is a reward, a cost for that ordeal. Yes, I have come to comfort you in your fear.”
No… does he know? The reason for the trembling? The sinking feeling in her chest?
“You don’t need to struggle alone, you have no reason to. Take my hand.”
This was the first time someone had consoled her so lucidly, so resolutely. Was that why her body trembled with sorrow, her heart wavered, her mind became hazy? If not, then…..
“Take my hand. Have faith and be guided by God. Then God will surely show us a new beginning.”
Ahyeon looked up at the ceiling again. Then, suddenly, she noticed the crucifix hanging on the opposite corner of the ceiling. Ha, damn it. What a bizarre mix. She gripped her rosary tightly and lowered her gaze.
“So then.”
Ahyeon asked in a softer voice than before.
“Who is this god you’re talking about?”
A chuckle followed by Do-hyeon’s response. Even without looking, she could tell he was smiling broadly. Ahyeon continued to regulate her breath, her hand still trembling.
“Yes, Ahyeon-nim. Now, please follow me.”
Im Do-hyeon opened the door as he spoke.
“You shall meet God.”
🕂
God, my ass.
I inwardly cursed briefly as I saw the horde of infected creatures filling the space below the stairs.
Now I understood why the entrance to the library hall was blocked. They had destroyed the decorative spiral staircase connecting the hall and floors, erecting barbed wire fences on the upper and side areas as a boundary. Electricity ran through the fences, charring most of the infected that got too close, leaving them dangling with scorched, dripping flesh. The stench of burning flesh was absolutely nauseating.
In any case, the infected were trapped there, while these people stood on the third floor, looking down at the horde. I gripped the railing and turned my head.
“That infected horde is your ‘God’?”
In response to my question, the man who introduced himself as Im Do-hyeon smiled brightly.
“We call them beings close to God. Existences that have evolved one step further from insignificant humans like us.”
“Oh, you revere these ‘evolved beings’ by burning them with an electric fly swatter? Such profound respect.”
I chuckled sarcastically, then turned halfway, leaning my back against the railing to face Do-hyeon. He was still smiling at me.
“They are all great beings who have received salvation. Saved and able to move one step ahead of ignorant humanity.”
“……”
People who relentlessly tear others apart without even batting an eye, how could they possibly receive salvation? The absurdity of it made my head spin.
“So, what about you? Why are you still human?”
Do-hyeon clasped his fluttering sleeves with both hands and spoke.
“We are still waiting because we are not yet pure enough to receive salvation. We wait until we qualify for salvation.”
Wow.
Turning the nonsense into something so noble.
I rubbed the back of my neck and narrowed my eyes.
“What’s your purpose?”
“Pardon?”
“The purpose, I mean.”
I turned halfway again to look down below the railing. Observing the frenzied infected creatures, I opened my mouth.
“Typically, founders of religions have predefined goals. Control using people’s anxieties and fears, power acquisition through that control, and ultimately, profiting from the byproducts. That’s usually how it goes.”
I ticked off each point with my fingers before shaking my head slightly.
“Power, sure. If you want that in this small world, I guess you can have it. But benefits, yeah. I’m curious about the benefits.”
I looked at Do-hyeon, whose face had turned somewhat pale.
“Is there anything to gain in this shitty world?”
Do-hyeon took a half-step towards me.
“Are you curious?”
He briefly glanced down below.
🕂
Thank you for reading! ♡
cultists are really the worst 💀