Chapter 326

Warning: Suicide mentioned in this chapter

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No one had any idea how he knew the location of the underground prison, which not even active clergymen knew.

However, what mattered was that Sun-Woo had attacked the underground prison.

Due to the director of the Central Paladin Order dying in the underground prison and Jun-Hyuk escaping, the management and security of the underground prison became even stronger than before.

In the past, the underground prison used to be guarded by only a few individuals, but recently, about a dozen elite clergymen were stationed there to prevent outsiders from entering and criminals from escaping. Such a heavily guarded underground prison had been attacked and infiltrated by Sun-Woo alone. All the elite clergymen present had lost their consciousness due to Sun-Woo.

"Ah, so... erm... the Cult Leader... the Cult Leader came to the underground prison. And then, and then..."

All the clergymen in the underground prison at the time survived. They could not understand why Sun-Woo had spared them.

The clergymen from the underground prison explained the situation to other clergymen from other regions and journalists. Other clergymen and journalists had to ask them to explain what had happened, while others explained what had happened even without being asked.

"So-some sort of purple smoke spread out... and then my memory..."

"He didn't have an arm. No, rather than not having an arm, it looked like he couldn’t use his arm... Yeah, it had atrophied! It felt like one of his arms had atrophied. Was it the left arm? No, was it the right arm?"

"He was holding a cane. About this size."

"I didn't see a cane. I think he had an arm as well..."

They could hardly remember what had happened after Sun-Woo appeared. So, their testimonies were all different. However, only one testimony remained consistent.

"He took us to a place called the Crossroads..."

All the clergymen in the underground prison went into and left a place called the Crossroads. At the Crossroads, Sun-Woo gathered the clergymen and warned them.

—I came here to find my mother's remains.

According to the clergymen who visited the Crossroads, Sun-Woo's voice sounded terribly distorted, like a voice altered by a machine.

—After recovering her remains and releasing all the Voodoo Cult members here, I will leave. I will not harm any of you.

Some of the clergymen attempted to attack Sun-Woo at the Crossroads. However, they said that it was impossible to even lay a hand on him.

—We will live without causing any harm. So, do not do anything to us.

There were differing testimonies about Sun-Woo's appearance at the Crossroads. Some said he was smiling, some said he was crying, and some said he looked angry.

—But if you show even a slightly threatening attitude toward us, then I will not stay quiet either.

After Sun-Woo said that, the clergymen finally left the Crossroads. By the time they regained consciousness, the underground prison had already been reduced to rubble. Those who were either Satanists or Voodoo Cultists whose condition had deteriorated beyond the possibility of recovery due to torture had all died.

All other prisoners who were in good health had disappeared. They speculated that they must have escaped with Sun-Woo's help. The clergymen all testified that Sun-Woo's final words were not in a conciliatory tone. They said it was more like a threat or a warning rather than a request or negotiation.

"We-we must listen to him. He said he would stay quiet, didn't he? We must accept his proposal. For our sake, please..."

"It really seems like I returned after recovering his mother’s remains. Not a single one of us died. We must listen to his words. That’s what I believe is the right move."

"His tone was close to a warning, but... even so, it’s the Voodoo Cult that’s being lenient with us. They are saying that they want to live peacefully. Is there any reason not to listen?"

The clergymen consistently argued whether they should accept Sun-Woo's proposal at the Crossroads. Some people agreed. If they accepted Sun-Woo's proposal, the world could still be at peace. Therefore, accepting Sun-Woo's proposal and living peacefully without clashing with each other was the best move.

"Those guys are clearly under the control of a spell!"

"How dare a cultist warn us!"

"If we don't stay quiet, what are you going to do to us?"

However, most people, especially the radical organization called the 'Levi Order' of the Romanican Church and other societies, insisted that they had to completely eradicate the Voodoo Cult this time.

No matter what anyone said, the Romanican Church was the center of the world. However, the Voodoo Cult, which was nothing more than a measly cult, dared to warn the Romanican Church.

The Holy See expressed that they would not show any mercy to the Voodoo Cult. They ordered the Holy Army and elite clergymen to locate the whereabouts of the Voodoo Cult. They also arrested and punished individuals or groups who showed support for the Voodoo Cult.

For a while, many different organizations spread propaganda and aggressively acted to attack the Voodoo Cult. However, the Voodoo Cult did nothing. Their words about not staying quiet seemed like all talk and no bite.

"..."

"What is that..."

The Voodoo Cult made a move seven days after the Holy See announced its stance. More precisely, they were

forced

to move.

"Ugh. Ugh, uweaek!"

"Unbelievable..."

During the weekday afternoon, the street where people gathered the most was a park in front of the cathedral belonging to the Central Priesthood. In the center of the park, there was a giant tree. Dozens of clergymen were found hanging from the tree.

All those priests had been in the underground prison at the time of the attack, or they were the torturers who had tortured the prisoners in the underground prison. Inquisitors, torturers, and many other prelates were found hanging dead in one place.

It was not a murder disguised as suicide. There was no evidence that any of the victims had received threats from the leader of the Voodoo Cult. They had all chosen to hang themselves willingly.

The Voodoo Cult was warning the Holy See through the deaths of many clergymen about what would happen if they did not stay quiet. People trembled in fear. Some were angered and advocated for the necessity of a second Holy War. The Holy See began to mobilize the Holy Army in preparation for a Holy War and issued orders for training sessions for the clergy to prepare for war.

A Holy War.

People remembered those forgotten words once again.

***

A Holy War had not yet occurred. There was only an uncomfortable and eerie atmosphere between the Romanican Church and the Voodoo Cult.

People went around saying ‘It wouldn't be strange if a war broke out anytime soon.’

The area that the Voodoo Cult had chosen as their base was soon revealed. It was the Taebaek Mountain region, known among the clergymen of the Romanican Church as the 'Mountain of Death' due to the spell from the Voodoo Cult's Second Cult Leader.

Most of Gangwon Province's territory near the Taebaek Mountains and the coastal areas of Gyeongsang Province had become the Voodoo Cult's territory. The residents of that area were mostly those who had converted to the Voodoo Cult, willingly or unwillingly.

Some factions argued that the area needed to be reclaimed, but the Holy See's position was that a reclamation operation could not be hastily carried out due to the proximity of the mountains and the sea.

The mountains and the seas were a type of terrain where the power of the Cult Leader, namely the power of the Loa, could be exerted to its full extent.

Speculation arose among scholars of the Holy See and some members of the Theological Association that the unknown location of Noah's Ark would also be used as the Voodoo Cult’s stronghold. However, Sung Yu-Da was the only one who knew the exact location of Noah's Ark.

The Holy See sent people to Sung Yu-Da, who had been inactive and hiding for the past few years. They intended to find out the location of Noah's Ark from Sung Yu-Da. However, when they arrived at Sung Yu-Da's house, he had already hung himself and committed suicide.

"There's no way Sir Sung Yu-Da would do that. He's not the type to do that!"

"Yes, he must have been under a Voodoo spell! That's why he was killed! Like the clergymen who hung themselves in the park!"

There were many suspicious aspects to his death. It seemed like he had committed suicide because he did not want to reveal the location of Noah's Ark to the Holy See. In other words, it appeared as if he had died to help the Voodoo Cult.

People believed that Sung Yu-Da had committed suicide due to succumbing to a spell. It was inconceivable that he, a respected figure in the Romanican Church, would have died so senselessly, and it was even more inconceivable that he would die to help the Voodoo Cult.

However, Sung Yu-Da was a member of the purification clan, so he was not influenced by Voodoo spells. Some questioned whether Sung Yu-Da had betrayed his faith and sided with the Voodoo Cult.

There were suspicions that he had committed suicide to repent for killing his friend, the Second Cult Leader of the Voodoo Cult, Do Myung-Jun, during the Holy War. However, these were just speculations. No one could accurately explain the reason for his death.

Ha-Yeon had been building her reputation through various studies related to blessings and divine powers, but she stopped her activities.

There was tension between the Romanican Church and the Voodoo Cult, and with Sung Yu-Da's death, the possibility of a second Holy War was gradually increasing.

The clergymen had already started training sessions in preparation for the Holy War. The Northern Crusader Order, to which Jin-Seo belonged, also did the same.

As usual, Jin-Seo was alone in a training session when Simon approached her.

“Deputy director.”

Simon usually didn't carry a sword let alone wear armor, but he had a sword at his waist and was fully armed for some reason. Jin-Seo sheathed her sword and turned her head toward Simon.

"What is it?"

"I want to request a duel. I also have something to say."

Jin-Seo nodded. She had already faced off against Simon a few times. As a crusader, Simon wielded a sword like Jin-Seo, and he was not a bad fighter. Although Simon had never defeated Jin-Seo, he managed to push Jin-Seo to her limits sometimes during their duels.

"The world seems to be in turmoil these days because of the Voodoo Cult or whatever it’s called," Simon said as they headed toward the training ground of the Northern Crusader Order where the dueling cage was located.

Jin-Seo did not respond. She seemed to be lost in thought, walking silently with her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Honestly, I don't quite feel the reality of it. I heard that the deputy director lived in a period of turmoil, but I’ve hardly even seen any demonic beasts or demons myself.”

"..."

"So when they mention the Voodoo Cult, it feels like... some kind of ancient religion? Or something like that," Simon said.

Jin-Seo still did not respond.

Simon, feeling a bit uneasy, smiled and said, "To be honest, it seems like they’re all overreacting. It feels like the deputy director would probably be able to handle something like the Voodoo Cult by yourself."

Jin-Seo had been keeping her mouth shut, but she chuckled and repeated Simon’s words. "Overreacting."

Jin-Seo looked at Simon with a clear expression of disdain and mockery on her face. Simon felt his heart racing. Although scary, Jin-Seo's smiling face looked too beautiful. She did not smile out of goodwill—she was sneering.

The two arrived at the training cage. Jin-Seo climbed into the cage first and said, "Come up."

Simon nodded and climbed up onto the cage. He drew out a training sword. Then, he pointed the blunt edge of the sword at Kim Jin-Seo.

"I won't go easy on you this time. Last time, I went easy on you, but this time―!"

Smack!

Simon was unable to finish his sentence as Jin-Seo did not give him a chance to speak. Holding a practice sword, she immediately rushed in and struck Simon. The sword accurately hit Simon in the side. It hurt so much that it felt like he had been hit by a real sword.

The thought crossed his mind that if the practice sword had hit his head instead of his side, he might have died.

“...”

The match was over in an instant. Jin-Seo brought the practice sword to Simon's neck as he fell. Jin-Seo defeated him and he wasn’t even able to resist.

"I don’t think you're skilled enough to call it an overreaction,” Jin-Seo muttered.

Simon looked at her with a bewildered expression. Jin-Seo was strong. In the previous matches, Simon had been almost evenly matched with Jin-Seo. Even if he lost, he lost by a hair's breadth. However, Jin-Seo completely defeated Simon in the current match.

“...”

He finally realized that Jin-Seo had been going easy on him.

***

Jin-Seo finished work and returned home. Due to the conflict with the Voodoo Cult and the Second Holy War, not only was there an increase in training sessions, but there was also an increase in miscellaneous tasks. Thus, Jin-Seo was extremely tired. As soon as she got home, she flopped onto the bed.

Tap, tap...

It was raining outside. Inside Jin-Seo's room, which was quiet due to no one else living inside her house, the sound of raindrops hitting the window softly echoed. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound. Then, she remembered the sparring session with Simon earlier.

"..."

Jin-Seo had always been lenient with Simon. She never fully went against him as there was no need to. But for some reason, she didn’t feel like going easy on him. She was angry.

Why was she angry? Was it because he had grown up in a relatively peaceful era without the threat of demons and demonic beasts and casually mentioned the Holy War? Or was it because he had underestimated the Voodoo Cult?

She couldn't tell. She had been feeling increasingly angry for the past few days, specifically since the day the Voodoo Cult's leader, Sun-Woo, had attacked the underground prison. Unable to understand why she was angry, she became even more upset. She felt suffocated.

"Without even a word."

Was it because he left without a word? Or because he returned without a word? Or was it because he didn't tell her that he was the leader of the Voodoo Cult? Jin-Seo couldn't figure out the cause of the suffocating feeling.

If he were here right now... If she could have a tiny conversation with him... Just that would relieve the suffocating feeling a little. That was what she thought.

Tap tap.

Raindrops continued tapping on the window. Jin-Seo listened to the sound.

Tap, tap, tap tap, tap tap tap...

The sound continued to echo. Perhaps the raindrops had become heavier since the sound of raindrops gradually became clearer.

No, that wasn't the sound of raindrops. Jin-Seo turned her head and looked out the window.

The window opened, and

he

entered Jin-Seo's room. He was in front of Jin-Seo.

Sun-Woo.

He so drenched that he looked like a rat soaked in water.

"..."

Jin-Seo stared blankly at him. He smelled like rain.