Side Story Chapter 78 - There is No Light Here (3)

[Hmm... are you going to Europe with Si-Hun then, Kang-Woo?]

Echidna's voice sounded from Oh Kang-Woo's smartphone.

Kang-Woo nodded and answered, "Yeah."

[It just so happens I'm in England!]

"Hm? You're in Europe?"

[Yeah! I have my live performance in a few hours!]

Kang-Woo had heard Echidna was preparing to make her comeback as an idol.

Echidna snorted and proudly remarked, [Hm! It's a super~ huge live performance! Not only is it gonna be broadcast throughout England but Europe as a whole!]

"Are comeback performances usually that large-scale? In a foreign country, no less?"

Kang-Woo knew Echidna was globally famous, but not enough for her performance to be broadcast throughout Europe.

[Urgh. The thing is... it was supposed to be someone else but I stepped up because they suddenly couldn't make it.]

"So you're just a fill-in."

[I-I'm not a fill-in! Tons of my fans will be there too!]

"Kehehe. Alright, alright."

Even if Echidna were a fill-in, the fact that she could perform on such a massive live stage was proof of her popularity.

[Kang-Woo... could you, umm... come watch my performance? I'll save you a VIP seat!!]

"Sorry, I don't think I can make it."

It was a shame he couldn't watch Echidna's performance live, but he couldn't put off the matter with the Church of Radiance.

"I'll watch it online when I have time. It'll be broadcast online too, right?"

[It will, but... Yeon-Joo and Seol-Ah said they couldn't come either. I can't believe you all!]

"Why can't they come?"

[Seol-Ah said she was going to enroll in some classes with Yeon-Joo. They said they couldn't come because the deadline is today.]

"Oh."

'Come to think of it, she said she was taking cooking classes. I guess Yeon-Joo's tagging along too. I highly doubt classes would help her wretched cooking skills.'

In any case, Han Seol-Ah was trying to take some hobbies like Kang-Woo suggested.

"Sorry. I'll come to your next live performance for sure."

[Hm! It's a promise!]

"Okay."

[Alright, I'm off to my rehearsal!]

The call ended. Kang-Woo put his smartphone in his pocket and looked around the empty living room.

'I guess Darling is busy today.'

It was a good thing since he had no intention of bringing Seol-Ah along.

Clack.

Just then, the front door opened, and Seol-Ah and Cha Yeon-Joo entered.

"Oh? Since when were you home, Kang-Woo? I thought you went to see Si-Hun."

"Th-The hell?! The son of a bitch Oh Kang-Woo is here?"

Yeon-Joo hid behind Seol-Ah in shock.

"Have you registered for your classes?" Kang-Woo asked.

"No, we're about to. A famous chef runs the classes, so there are tests involved."

"Sounds like a hardcore place."

"Fufu. I thought I might as well learn from the best."

"Hehe. That's fine and all, but... isn't Yeon-Joo a lost cause?"

Kang-Woo snickered as he stared at Yeon-Joo hiding behind Seol-Ah. She was in an awkward stance because she was taller than Seol-Ah.

"I-I'm gonna take the introductory classes!" Yeon-Joo shouted.

"Really? What about your guild? Haven't you been busy lately?"

She was probably acting busier than she was because she wanted to avoid Kang-Woo but there seemed to be real trouble the guild was dealing with as well.

"Ngh... That's a bit of a pain in the ass, but Seol-Ah said she wouldn't stand for it if I didn't come with her."

"Wh-When did I say that?"

"You said I needed to come with you no matter what!"

"I-I did, but only because I didn't want to go by myself."

"Heh, see what I mean?"

Kang-Woo smiled faintly as the two women bickered.

"That's good. Oh, I also have some business to attend to from today, so I won't be home."

"Business?"

"What work could a freeloader like you possibly have?"

Kang-Woo told them about investigating the cult known as the Church of Radiance.

"I-I'm coming with you!"

"If something that serious is happening, we don't have any time to waste, do we? Should I also come along?"

"No, it's fine. We're still in the investigation phase." Kang-Woo shook his head to stop the two women from trying to follow him.

It was true that they were only going to be investigating the Church of Radiance, but Kang-Woo didn't want to put his lovers in danger, especially when someone known as a pastor managed to injure Si-Hun.

'And...'

He did not want to show Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo the horrifying rituals that the members of the Church of Radiance were holding. It would not affect Kang-Woo much, but it would have a significant impact on them.

"I'll be on my way then. Have a safe trip, you two."

"Are you sure you'll be fine without us?"

"Don't worry, and stay with Yeon-Joo."

Kang-Woo lightly kissed Seol-Ah and turned around. Just then, Yeon-Joo grabbed his shoulder.

"Hm? What is it?"

Yeon-Joo twisted around with her cheeks reddened. She mumbled quietly, "Wh-What about me...?"

"Hehe."

Kang-Woo couldn't help but chuckle as he saw how cute Yeon-Joo was. He kissed Yeon-Joo as well.

Yeon-Joo turned around and muttered, "Don't you dare... think of this as me forgiving you."

"I'll sincerely apologize once I come back. I'm sorry."

"Haaa. Anyway, don't you dare get hurt, got it?"

"Gotcha."

Kang-Woo nodded and headed to the Hall of Protection, where Si-Hun was waiting for him.

***

"Is this the meeting place?"

"Yes."

Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes and looked around. Si-Hun had taken him to a giant slum in France. The buildings were so run down that they looked like they were about to fall apart. Not only did the streets reek of excrement but rats and insects filled them as well.

"A perfect place for a cult to spread..."

People with nothing to lose tended to gravitate toward cults.

"That's the place, hyung-nim."

"Okay."

Kang-Woo and Si-Hun changed into dirty and worn-out clothes to fit in with the surroundings and headed to the meeting place. Thousands of people were crowded in an old factory. Kang-Woo grimaced due to the putrid stench around him.

"It will start soon," Si-Hun remarked.

"Will that pastor who ran away from you make his appearance?"

"I am not sure about that."

"Hmm."

'I guess we'll have to wait and see.'

As Kang-Woo and Si-Hun waited among the crowd, a young man in a suit climbed up the stage. He was wearing a golden necklace with a balance scale pattern on it.

"It's very nice to meet you, everyone. I give you my sincerest thanks for gathering here today."

His voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. No one would think such a man could hold a ritual as psychotic as killing infants. The thousands of people mumbled even more once they noticed the man on the stage.

The man closed his eyes and said, "First, let us pray before I bestow upon you the words of radiance."

Whoooom!!

Radiant golden light poured out from behind the young man and filled the desolate streets. The lifeless and dark streets were suddenly illuminated as if the sun had risen.

"Ahhh."

"The blessing of radiance!"

"Let us be guided toward paradise!"

The golden wave spread among the thousands of people gathered in the old factory. The eyes of the people enveloped by the golden light also turned gold momentarily; the light naturally entered Kang-Woo as well since he was also in the crowd.

'Is this the mass hypnosis?'

Kang-Woo couldn't tell; he couldn't feel any change inside him despite the light entering him. He couldn't feel any hypnotic or other psychological effects other than feeling slightly comforted.

"Ahhh!"

"Salvation... Please grant us salvation!!"

The others enveloped by the light did not seem to have been hypnotized either. Rather, their complexion brightened, and the fatigue in their eyes cleared. Those clenching their stomachs from starvation suddenly stood up, and those coughing uncontrollably, likely due to illness, stopped coughing and smiled brightly.

"..."

The sight befitted the word

paradise

.

"Thank you. Thank you very much!!!"

"I will follow the radiance!!"

"O Almighty Radiance!!"

The thousands of people cheered fanatically and then lowered their heads to pray. Their prayer stance was a little odd; they crossed their arms into an X-shape over their chest.

'Yibambe?'

Kang-Woo followed suit and crossed his arms into an X-shape.

He shouted, "GRANT US SALVATION FROM THE APOCALYPSE—!! GUIDE US TO PARADISE—!!!"

His screams echoed throughout the old factory.

"WHOOOOOAAAAA!!"

The people's gazes naturally shifted to Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo shouted again, "I WILL BELIEVE IN THE LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT—!!!"

The people staring at him gave him a thumbs-up. They also cheered fanatically and shouted for paradise, like Kang-Woo.

"YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!"

"GRANT US SALVATION—!!!'

"O RADIAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!!"

Madness filled the factory.

"H-Hyung-nim?"

Si-Hun stared at Kang-Woo in confusion. Kang-Woo ignored him and screeched with all his might.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

"Ahhh! This desperate cry!!"

"I see you have realized the meaning of radiance as well!!"

Those who looked like homeless people placed their hands on Kang-Woo's shoulders as he was screaming more passionately than anyone.

"My brother!!!"

"Ahh. yes!! We're brothers!!"

"Let us all shout for the radiance!!!"

"WHOOOOOAAAAA!!!'

"O RADIAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!!!"

The roars filling the factory amplified further. The devotees of the Church of Radiance grabbed each other's shoulders and swayed left and right as they screamed. Tears flowed from Kang-Woo's eyes. At this moment, the devotees had become one.

"EVERYONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT—?!!"

"OF COURSE WE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"THE LIGHT WILL BRING US SALVATIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

"IT WILL GUIDE US TO PARADIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!!!"

The other devotees screamed their lungs out alongside Kang-Woo.

"AT THIS VERY MOMENT!!! WE HAVE BECOME ONE UNDER THE LIGHT!!! DO YOU FEEL IT, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS—?! DO YOU FEEL THE RADIANT LIGHT—?!"

"I FEEL IT!! AHHH!! I FEEL IT!!!"

"TELL ME HOW IT FEELS—!!"

"IT COULDN'T BE WARMER AND MORE COMFORTING!!!"

"I DON'T FEEL HUNGRY ANYMORE!!!"

"I DON'T FEEL THE PAIN OR SADNESS!!!"

"THIS LIGHT IS WHAT WILL GUIDE US TO SALVATION!!!"

As Kang-Woo thought, the golden light made the people temporarily forget their hunger and pain.

'It's not mass hypnosis but mass drugging.'

Kang-Woo's work was done now that he figured out what effect the light held.

"E-Everyone! Please calm down!" shouted hurriedly the young man on the stage. He seemed panicked as he witnessed the chaos that could no longer be called a prayer. "There is no need for you to do this. The light of radiance will guide you all to salv—"

Kang-Woo interjected the young man and shouted, "EVERYONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! LET US SCREAM AND SHOUT—!!! SET YOUR SOUL ABLAZE AND PRAY FOR THE LIGHT'S SALVATIOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

"O RADIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!!!"

"PLEASE GRANT US SALVATIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!"

Kang-Woo raised his arms high in the peak of madness.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"

"W-WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!"

"GYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH!!!"

"SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH!!!"

The young man's expression paled as he witnessed the peak of delirium.

He shouted, "E-Everyone, p-please calm down...!"

However, his voice was drowned by the crazed screams.