Side Story Chapter 77 - There is No Light Here (2)

A heavy silence fell. Kim Si-Hun's eyes shook violently. He lowered his head and averted his gaze from Oh Kang-Woo.

"Kim Si-Hun," Kang-Woo called.

Si-Hun muttered after much silence, "There was... a small accident during my investigation."

"An accident?" Kang-Woo feigned laughter as he glared at Si-Hun. "It's not easy to get an injury this big from a small accident."

It was more so in the case of Si-Hun.

"It's nothing you need to bother yourself with, hyung-nim."

"Si-Hun."

"I'll take care of this matter on my own—"

"KIM SI-HUN!!!" Kang-Woo stomped his foot and pushed Si-Hun into a wall. "I'll decide if it's worth bothering myself with it."

His precious little brother came back hurt; not only that but anyone weaker than him would have died from a wound like that. Any older brother would be worried sick.

"Kang-Woo hyung..."

Si-Hun flusteredly looked down at Kang-Woo.

"You'd better tell me what happened if you want to keep calling me your hyung."

Si-Hun remained silent with a darkened expression. He thought for a moment and slowly said, "As I was investigating the Church of Radiance... I discovered their base of operations. They were in the middle of a ritual they called

Ascension

."

"Ascension?"

"Yes. An insane ritual about guiding young souls to paradise to help them escape the apocalypse..."

"Guiding young souls to paradise?" Kang-Woo grimaced. "Wait. Does that mean..."

"Yes. They were killing infants as part of their ritual."

Si-Hun clenched his fists, and his shoulders trembled. He grimaced as blue energy emitted from him. Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes.

"They're beyond crazy."

Not even the former Demon Cult killed infants.

"So you lost your mind and charged at them?" Kang-Woo surmised.

Si-Hun would have called Guardians for reinforcements once he found their base since his role was purely to investigate.

"Yes... I couldn't stand and watch such atrocities happening before my eyes."

"I mean, yeah. I don't blame you."

Anyone would have lost their cool after seeing such a sight. Even Kang-Woo would have frowned intensely at it.

'That's all I would've done, though.'

Kang-Woo would've felt slightly disgusted and uncomfortable if he saw an inhumane ritual involving the murder of infants, but that would have been all. He was far removed from human ethics and morals; as long as the people he cared for were not harmed, he would not be distraught, no matter how gruesome the death.

'And in that sense...'

Kang-Woo stared at the gruesome wound across Si-Hun's chest and gritted his teeth. The fact that they managed to leave such a wound on Si-Hun was far more important than a ritual involving the murder of infants. Si-Hun was Kang-Woo's precious little brother.

"So, who the hell wounded you?"

"It was someone the devotees called a

pastor

."

"Pastor? Isn't that a super low rank?"

Kang-Woo wasn't well-versed in religious hierarchies but he at least knew a pastor was relatively low in rank.

'And they managed to injure Si-Hun?'

It was impossible considering how powerful SI-Hun was— no, just the fact that a mere cult injured Si-Hun was impossible.

"No, the Church of Radiance doesn't seem to have ranks like Cardinal or Pope. There were only devotees and a few pastors."

"How many of them were you up against for them to manage to hurt you?" Kang-Woo asked.

Hundreds would have to attack Si-Hun at once to even have a chance of injuring him.

"It was... one."

"What?"

"I only fought against... one pastor."

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes.

'Si-Hun got an injury like that in a one-on-one fight?'

Wounding Si-Hun was almost impossible unless the opponent was on Balrog or Kang-Woo's level.

"And is the pastor dead?" Kang-Woo asked.

"No. He ran away mid-battle."

"You couldn't even fucking kill him?"

Kang-Woo frowned strongly. He couldn't believe Si-Hun let his opponent escape on top of getting wounded.

'Perhaps...'

A thought passed through his head.

"How long have you been injured?"

"It's been about three days."

Those as powerful as Si-Hun possessed extraordinary regenerative capabilities. They were of course not on the same level as the immortal Kang-Woo but their injuries usually healed overnight.

'But it hasn't healed after three days, meaning...'

Kang-Woo clicked his tongue and remarked, "Those sons of bitches... must be Akart's subordinates."

Nothing but the power of Akart could allow one to face Earth's strongest swordsman one-on-one and drastically reduce one's regenerative capabilities. Not only that but the name

Church of Radiance

was a dead giveaway.

"Yes..." Si-Hun nodded with a darkened expression.

He seemed aware that the power of a Titan was involved. Kang-Woo realized why Si-Hun was trying to hide the fact that he was injured.

"Is that why you were hiding it?"

"..."

"Because I collapsed before?"

"I heard Akart's power is fatal to you."

The Light of Akart contained the power to disintegrate the Demonic Sea. Even if Si-Hun were attacked by the Light of Akart, it would only end with his regenerative capabilities weakening. However, the light was deadly to Kang-Woo. Since Kang-Woo's body was made of the Demonic Sea, the Light of Akart was his only fatal weakness.

"So what?" Kang-Woo mentioned.

Just because he wouldn't be immortal against attacks infused with the Light of Akart did not mean he couldn't face Akart.

"It's too dangerous."

"When has it ever not been dangerous?"

"At the very least, I have more of an advantage against Akart than you."

"For fuck's sake, we're not Pokemon. We don't have the leeway to worry about type advantages."

It was not like the enemy was immortal because Kang-Woo wasn't; just because the opponent's attacks were fatal to him didn't mean his attacks were ineffective against the enemy. It was a death match, nonetheless.

"I have to... take care of this myself," Si-Hun stated.

"No."

Kang-Woo shook his head. His eyes shone as he stared at the large wound across Si-Hun's chest. As an older brother, he couldn't stand idly by after his little brother came home beaten up.

He bared his teeth ferociously and continued, "It's my matter to take care of now."

'How dare they hurt my little brother?'

***

"So, where is their region of operations?" Kang-Woo asked.

"Haaa..." Si-Hun sighed and lowered his head. He knew he couldn't convince Kang-Woo otherwise. He continued worryingly, "They are expanding from France rapidly throughout Europe."

"Really?"

"Yes. The speed of their expansion is insane. They likely have over a hundred thousand devotees."

"What?"

Kang-Woo tilted his head incomprehensibly.

'How the hell did they manage that?'

It was not like they were in wartime; it was nearly impossible for a cult to gain influence so rapidly throughout the continent.

'I would've understood if they were like the Demon Cult.'

The Demon Cult rewarded their members for their faith with power and longevity. They used bait that all humans coveted to gain more followers. Even with that, the Demon Cult couldn't spread as quickly as the rate the Church of Radiance was spreading. All the Church of Radiance was doing was spreading propaganda about going to paradise to escape the apocalypse but somehow managed to gain over hundreds of thousands of devotees.

'This can't be possible.'

Not even a god who manifested into the physical realm could spread their influence this quickly.

"What the hell are these guys? How are they getting this big so quickly?"

It was pandemic-level speed, no joke.

"I'm not sure about their method of propagation either."

"Hmm... If they're that big, they must have many bases of operations."

"That's correct."

"Do they do that atrocious shit in all their locations?" Kang-Woo asked as he recalled what Si-Hun said about the rituals.

Si-Hun shook his head. "No, they just say things people want to hear?"

"Like what?"

"Do not worry about the end; everyone here can be saved... things like that."

"Seriously though, it has to be a joke. Do people actually believe that crap?"

Not only that but there were hundreds of thousands of people.

"If you ask me, I believe they're using some sort of mass hypnosis," Si-Hun posed.

"Mass hypnosis?"

"Yes, since as you said, nothing else can explain their growth speed."

"Hmm. I guess we can find out for ourselves." Kang-Woo nodded and turned around as he continued, "You know a few other base locations, right?"

"I do."

"Tell me."

"..."

Si-Hun sighed as he stared at Kang-Woo, eyes gleaming as if he would immediately rush to where Si-Hun indicated. He took off the shirt Kang-Woo ripped and put on a different one.

"What are you doing?" Kang-Woo asked.

"I'm coming with you."

"Hell no. You're wounded. I'm going alone so just tell me where the hell it is."

"I won't tell you if you insist on going alone."

Kang-Woo remained silent as he stared at Si-Hun's determined eyes. He clicked his tongue. "Jeez, you stubborn son of a bitch. Just don't hold me back with that injury, got it?"

"Haha. I'm confident I can win if I face him again. I've already learned his attack pattern."

"Big words for someone who lost."

Si-Hun's face reddened as he shouted, "I-I didn't lose! He just got away!"

Kang-Woo smirked and said as he walked, "I'm gonna stop by my house, so stay here."

The disaster from before might occur if he disappeared without a word again.

'The Church of Radiance, huh? It's time to teach them who's more radiant.'