Ch.256256. Seoul Alliance (3)

Team Liquid’s captain Kim Su-ho thought it was at least fortunate that Silla had sent reinforcements in time.

However, the reinforcements consisted of only five Hwarang warriors and one mysterious girl.

Of course, Hwarang warriors were powerful Awakened who could each fight like a hundred men, but they weren’t particularly helpful when they needed to cover such a wide front.

Nevertheless, Kim Su-ho believed in Silla’s trump card, but…

“Now, everyone, Seoul will no longer be a land abandoned by God.”

“Ahem.”

The problem was that Silla’s arrival didn’t involve building defensive lines, but rather proselytizing.

Yes, they were focusing solely on missionary activities without paying attention to the enemy right in front of them. For refugees exhausted from long evacuation, this provided a small sanctuary.

The name “Balhut Cult” began to spread among the refugees. At first, they expressed doubt, but Yu-na’s appearance, her subtle composure, the powerful aura unique to high-level Awakened, and…

“I will heal you.”

“Th-thank you.”

The overwhelming healing power that Choi Yu-na demonstrated.

Since her arrival at Namhansanseong, tens of thousands of refugees had been treated.

For refugees temporarily staying at Namhansanseong for safety after others had already departed for Gwangju, Yu-na’s healing power revitalized their tired bodies. Even old wounds or disabilities acquired during the apocalypse were no obstacle for her.

Refugees who had lost arms or legs and barely made it to Namhansanseong would either proclaim it a miracle when Yu-na regenerated their new limbs, or join the Balhut Cult without hesitation. In less than a day, the Balhut Cult had become an indispensable presence in Namhansanseong.

‘Should I stop this? Or should I leave it alone? That is the question.’

In this situation, even Team Liquid’s captain Kim Su-ho couldn’t dare restrain Yu-na’s nearly arbitrary actions.

If it were detrimental to Namhansanseong, he would have boldly confronted Yu-na for the honor of the lord he served, despite their difference in status.

But look at this scene.

Refugees who had lost arms or legs could regenerate new limbs, and team members with disabilities or old wounds were restored to their original state after receiving Yu-na’s treatment.

Soldiers who had been assigned to rear duties at Namhansanseong due to disabilities acquired from continuous fighting could now return to the front lines after Yu-na’s treatment. Her presence alone significantly increased Namhansanseong’s fighting power.

It seemed her confidence wasn’t unfounded, but…

“Isn’t this going too far?”

Conversely, the speed of proselytizing was so tremendous that even he, as the field commander, felt a sense of crisis.

What had started with just dozens of members quickly grew until nearly half of Namhansanseong had joined the Balhut Cult, making him question dozens of times whether Silla was truly a reliable ally.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to suppress the Balhut Cult or summon Yu-na to warn her.

After all, the refugees weren’t the only ones benefiting from this proselytizing.

“We’ve received plenty of grace too.”

Thanks to Yu-na, soldiers who had withdrawn from the front lines could return to battle.

This was also why Kim Su-ho could maintain his composure without falling into despair, even as dark clouds gathered over Namhansanseong.

Indeed, with power like that, she would be especially valuable in a prolonged siege battle.

Troops that were virtually immortal—if wounded but not fatally, they could be immediately treated and sent back to the front line.

He thought that if his lord had such forces instead of him, Seoul would have already been recaptured, as he checked the movements of the Cult of Immortality through his telescope.

“Is that really the Seoul we once knew?”

“Yes, Captain. I mean, sir.”

Seoul, which had maintained some semblance of civilization until the Han River defense line collapsed, now presented an ominous atmosphere that filled opponents with despair.

Between the ruined buildings of Seoul were unidentifiable, disgusting undead monsters, and the undead giants positioned at intervals were imposing enough to mercilessly block anyone attacking Seoul.

Yes, the majestic Seoul that once represented South Korea was nowhere to be seen.

“They’re swarming everywhere.”

The sight of Seoul through the telescope weighed heavily on Kim Su-ho’s heart.

The one fortunate thing was that those swarming undead monsters weren’t all attacking Namhansanseong at once.

The path to Namhansanseong was being blocked by the hero of Seoul whom he served, and another direction was also the hero’s territory.

In other words, if they could block the undead coming from Gwangju and Hanam City, the defense would be successful.

“Everyone, with faith in God, there will be no more problems. Our Balhut Cult will not retreat for the sake of our compatriots!”

‘Should I stop this or leave it alone? That is the question.’

In this situation, Kim Su-ho couldn’t help but feel that all the refugees would convert to the Balhut Cult before the hero could make his move.

Yet he couldn’t blame the refugees who had fallen into religion, and he could fully understand their feelings.

‘It’s too uncertain to rely solely on one hero. Moreover, the hero they believe in and follow isn’t even the real hero but a stand-in. But is Silla’s alliance really the right thing?’

The reality experienced by the refugees was so cruel that the Balhut Cult’s claims were truly like a drug.

The reason Kim Su-ho, who knew how dangerous religious fanaticism could be, didn’t stop this was quite simple.

‘I can’t give the citizens faith. Unlike my lord, I’m just an ordinary person.’

He couldn’t stop that madness.

If the hero of Seoul were here, things might have been different.

But Team Liquid’s captain Kim Su-ho lacked the capacity, skill, and wisdom of his lord.

As little more than a steadfast soldier, all he could do was allow the Balhut Cult’s proselytizing for the citizens’ peace of mind and actively support Choi Yu-na’s service.

The ordinary man’s anguish deepened, but each time, the answer remained the same: even if Silla couldn’t be trusted, he had to endure for the sake of the refugees.

It was an unremarkably ordinary answer for a warrior who followed a hero, but there was no choice.

‘Right. I’m not my lord.’

He wasn’t a true hero.

“You seem worried.”

And the source of the problem appeared before Kim Su-ho, smiling brightly.

When this troublemaker appeared before him, Kim Su-ho quickly stepped back and assumed a defensive posture, while Yu-na looked at him with a relaxed expression.

Kim Su-ho tensed as he saw Yu-na’s eyes, which seemed to see through everything, but nevertheless, he played the role of a hero, as if to show that even ordinary people have their pride.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“It’s simple. As long as we walk with Him, we have no enemies.”

“That’s too…”

Seeing her declare victory so easily, Kim Su-ho was about to say something to the complacent Yu-na.

If religious fanaticism could bring victory, they would have achieved it long ago.

But knowing that faith alone couldn’t secure victory, he needed concrete evidence that they could win.

In his current state, he wanted to blurt out a few harsh words, but when his subordinate quietly mentioned that she was from Silla, his inability to speak revealed his current reality.

“…If you can win by believing in your god, show us the evidence.”

The final thing he could say was to ask what victory meant to them.

To tell them the basis for their confidence in victory.

“Ah, I see. Are you asking for proof to believe? Ah, if you had told me earlier, we wouldn’t have had this trouble.”

Yu-na finally spoke with a sharp smile, different from the saintly appearance she showed to the public, as if to say “at last.”

From her perspective, the faith Kim Su-ho demanded was something she could easily prove.

Kim Su-ho momentarily thought he had misheard her because of her extremely calm voice.

“I’ll prove it to you.”

“……”

Where did that confidence come from?

But soon after, when news struck Namhansanseong that an undead army was advancing through Hanam City toward them, he could discover the source of Yu-na’s confidence.

“Come here. Dragon deity of our Balhut Cult! Bahamut, most valiant and benevolent dragon deity!”

At first, people only cast suspicious glances.

However, with Yu-na’s declaration, a massive magic circle began to form in the sky.

“What is that? It’s scary.”

It was an intricate, three-dimensional magic circle drawn with such detail and density that it captured the attention of everyone in Namhansanseong looking at the sky.

The meticulously drawn magic circle, which obscured even the darkened clouds covering Seoul’s sky, soon reached a critical point and began to illuminate Seoul with a bang.

To ordinary refugees who hadn’t yet Awakened, it was nothing more than an ominous sign, but…

‘My eyes are burning! It’s like having the hot sun right in front of me!’

The moment he gazed at the magic circle, Kim Su-ho felt a heat as if the sun were right before his eyes.

This sensation was felt by all Awakened in Namhansanseong, and the immense magical power perceived through their senses suggested that this was no ordinary event.

A magical power like violence, never felt before.

As a member of Team Liquid’s executive team, Kim Su-ho knew he had several superhumans above level 20 under his command, including mages, and he had witnessed the power mages could exert firsthand. But he had never felt as if the sun were right in front of him just by looking.

“A meteor?”

Soon after, a massive object fell through the magic circle covering the sky, plummeting toward the ground.

Many refugees called it a meteor, but Kim Su-ho managed to wipe away the hot tears flowing from his eyes and confirm the true identity of the falling “meteor” through his telescope.

What many thought was a meteor was actually a creature with folded wings, and this creature spread its wings wide as it landed near Namhansanseong.

With a thunderous boom, a massive weight and shockwave hit his ears and body, but Kim Su-ho had no time to pay attention to that.

“What is that…?”

Even a battle-hardened warrior who had fought alongside the hero of Seoul through the Han River defense line and various battlefields had never seen such a massive creature before.

A huge body easily exceeding 50 meters, massive wings mixed with gold and red, a solid-looking body covered in navy and golden scales.

What had appeared was a being commonly called a dragon.

“Behold! This is our god! The valiant and benevolent dragon deity. His name is Bahamut! Witness His power!”

‘Was that information true…!?’

The only voice that could be heard was that of the dragon priestess praising the dragon deity, but no one could pay attention to her voice.

It wasn’t that they were ignoring the dragon priestess’s words.

Rather, everyone was overwhelmed by the dragon before their eyes.

“UOOOOOOOOOH!”

The shattered magic circle fell slowly like glass fragments, adding to the dragon’s mystique.

The dragon roared majestically toward the sky for the crowd, then slowly turned its gaze toward the evil horde approaching Namhansanseong.

The sight of the dragon deity, who looked reliable and reassuring just by appearance, began to instill hope in the hearts of the survivors who had fled to Namhansanseong.

“That’s…!?”

“Look well! And feel reverence! The divine glory! The power of God!”

Then Bahamut leaped from the ground into the sky and gazed down at the earth from the high firmament.

Then it opened its massive mouth toward the ground, and Kim Su-ho stared at the dragon with astonishment at the immense flow of magical power generated by that action, while the dragon priestess incited the crowd with a voice full of joy, as if familiar with the sight.

Seeing the dragon opening its mouth toward the ground, all the refugees in Namhansanseong began to kneel and pray.

‘That is.’

“That light will bring us victory!”

Blue particles began to gather in the mouth of the dragon that had leaped into the sky, and that light began to illuminate the sky over Seoul, including Namhansanseong, like the sun.

Kim Su-ho was astonished by the immense power felt from the gathering light, but the dragon priestess rather said it was good and anticipated what would happen next.

The gathering light soon disappeared, and a sphere formed in the dragon’s mouth as if the sun were being born.

Then, a sun-like sphere was fired from the dragon’s mouth toward the ground.

A massive explosion and dust hit Namhansanseong with a boom, as if a nuclear bomb had detonated.

A huge flash spread throughout the dark Seoul as if the sun were blazing on the ground, and Kim Su-ho had to close his eyes against the intense light.

And a few seconds later.

As the explosion gradually subsided and the flash that had spread throughout Seoul disappeared, only silence remained in Namhansanseong.

There was no small talk or whispers—just literal silence.

Kim Su-ho, who opened his eyes again, also lost his words after witnessing the shocking scene before him.

‘What? So that rumor was true?’

The army that the Cult of Immortality had boasted about, which was about to attack Namhansanseong, had vanished.

They were completely gone without a trace, and all that could be seen was the ground burning blue, evidence that a massive power had swept through.

Only molten rock from the heat and trees turned to ash were visible.

“They’re gone.”

As someone said, the horde of disgusting monsters that had felt like an endless black wave had disappeared without a trace in a single strike.

Flames burning on the ground were carried by the wind, confirming that no undead remained on the desolate earth.

The only one who could shout at this sight was just one person:

“Ahahahahahaha!”

Only the dragon priestess who had summoned the great dragon deity here.

“How is it? The power of the great dragon deity Bahamut!”

How is it?

What is she saying now?

“Oh? Are you feeling unwell? Should I cast a recovery spell on you? Are you alright?”

Am I alright?

No, I’m not.

Kim Su-ho couldn’t open his mouth due to the overwhelming thrill and power flowing through his entire body.

This wasn’t the heroic appearance he was supposed to be playing, but believing that even his lord would forgive him this once, Kim Su-ho bowed his head in reverence as he watched the dragon deity gradually disappearing into light.