Ch.310# 310. Adjustment (3)

Prime Minister Park Cheol-gon steeled his resolve as he greeted the morning in Seoul, which was growing increasingly chilly with the changing weather.

To Park Cheol-gon, this chill felt like the calm before a storm, and that day, the cabinet meeting began in unprecedented silence, indicating that the cabinet ministers were also carefully focused on the current situation in Serabal.

After a period of silence, the numerous ministers attending the cabinet meeting found a single agenda item placed on their desks, titled “Implementation Plan for the Artificial Awakened Project.”

The content was simple.

It proposed rebuilding the Gyeongbokgung Palace area, which had been designated as land for temple construction, into a Bahamut Temple. This was a major project that even former Prime Minister Hwang Geun-chul had known about during the Dragon God Association era.

It could be considered a campaign promise that Bahamut had made to the citizens of Seoul, and since it was a kind of national integration policy aimed at narrowing the gap between the Awakened and ordinary people, the ministers gathered here wore even more serious expressions, as if they knew this day would come.

“The conflict has reached an unbearable level. Now that the major event of the general election is over, social issues that have been ignored until now are erupting.”

With those words, Jeong Dong-geon, who had been appointed as the first Minister of National Defense, sighed and opened the discussion.

“Civil society is currently divided. There’s a disconnect between the Awakened and ordinary people, and extremist forces are hiding in that gap.”

“Is there any movement from the Cult of Immortality?”

“No. According to the National Intelligence Service’s report, the Cult of Immortality seems to be more focused on taking control of North Korea right now.”

Civil society was dividing, and the disconnect between the Awakened and ordinary people was becoming a threat to Serabal, with forces looking to exploit this gap issuing grave warnings to the government.

The one fortunate point was that Serabal’s archenemy, the Cult of Immortality, was currently busy taking control of North Korea and had no capacity to interfere in Serabal’s internal affairs.

Despite having several opportunities to exploit the situation, no movement from the Cult of Immortality had been detected by Serabal’s intelligence network.

Park Cheol-gon breathed a sigh of relief at this good news from Jeong Dong-geon, showing an expression of genuine relief.

“Ministers, there’s no need to be tense. Isn’t the construction of the Bahamut Temple in the Gyeongbokgung area already a planned event? We’re just moving it forward.”

“But Prime Minister, with Seoul’s reconstruction underway now, is it possible to allocate additional budget for temple construction? Currently, there are no financial institutions in the country that can lend such capital.”

“Foreign investors aren’t particularly interested in the Bahamut Temple either. Of course, if they knew its function, that would be a different story.”

Even before the general election, Bahamut had declared that he would build his temple on the site of the old Gyeongbokgung Palace, and it was indeed a necessary project to demonstrate not only the dignity of Serabal’s government but also to announce Serabal’s status to the world.

And considering the special effect the temple would have, the Bahamut Temple could be considered one of the most important buildings in this apocalyptic era, requiring planning and design to begin within a year.

After all, the Artificial Awakened Project that the ministers were reviewing was only possible with the Bahamut Temple.

“The problem is that if the government designs a building that looks like a religious structure less than a month after the general election, many people will oppose it.”

But the issue here was that there were more people who didn’t know this than those who did.

Of course, before this project was activated, the Artificial Awakened Project had been ongoing, and many non-Awakened in Seoul had benefited from it and awakened as Awakened.

However, to receive this benefit, they had to travel from Seoul to Gyeongju every week, and considering the substantial cost of travel, it essentially meant that non-Awakened without money couldn’t become Awakened.

“Indeed. Bahamut also kept that in mind and delayed the project for a while. To those who don’t understand, temple construction could be seen as Serabal’s tyranny.”

Gyeongbokgung Palace was a symbol of old Seoul and could be considered a place where the identity and memories of the fallen nation were concentrated.

If a Bahamut Temple, unfamiliar to Seoul citizens, were to be built on the site of the old Gyeongbokgung Palace, those who claimed that South Korea had not yet disappeared would naturally denounce it as tyranny, and extremist groups would eagerly label the Constitutional Democratic Party as traitors who had insulted the spirit of Seoul.

Therefore, despite the existence of the Artificial Awakened Project, this policy had been postponed as much as possible.

“But we can’t delay any longer. After escaping the crisis of the apocalypse, you ministers know that discrimination and differences between the Awakened and ordinary people are making Serabal society sick.”

“I agree.”

The recent signs of division among the moderate faction and the debate over the gap between the Awakened and ordinary people were no longer giving the government time to wait.

“There have even been attempted terrorist attacks against Serabal, though they were either unsuccessful or blocked by the Hwarang. If such attacks were carried out by Awakened rather than ordinary people, many could die or be injured. If we don’t make a decision now, tomorrow won’t bring conflict but war.”

The meeting room grew cold at these grim words.

Yes, there was definitely a social conflict with clashes between the Awakened and ordinary people.

Moreover, the apocalypse continued worldwide, and it was a reality that violence took precedence over words in resolving issues in this apocalypse.

Of course, the Awakened who harbored discontent were not high-level but mid- or low-level Awakened, but if such Awakened were to start a riot, it would be serious enough for Serabal to seriously discuss suppression.

So all the ministers began to gather their resolve at Park Cheol-gon’s grim warning, but…

“However, citizens who oppose the temple construction will inevitably appear. The government’s administrative power will be consumed uncontrollably to suppress them. If we don’t quickly prove its effectiveness, the direction could shift from a civilian issue to a government problem.”

However, he warned that rushing forward could naturally backfire.

The point that if approached incorrectly, the anger directed at each other could turn toward the government was valid, and the cabinet ministers nodded in agreement with this opinion.

Seeing the cabinet’s reaction, Park Cheol-gon brought out his trump card to persuade them.

“Fortunately, Dragon God Bahamut said he has a plan.”

“Bahamut himself?”

It was none other than Dragon God Bahamut who had confidently stated he had a plan.

At this news, all the ministers’ expressions brightened, believing that if they could use Dragon God Bahamut’s wisdom, they could overcome this crisis.

After all, hadn’t they overcome crises several times with his wisdom, even turning crises into opportunities?

Once again, they thought that the dragon god’s profound strategy, unfathomable to human wisdom, would save Serabal from crisis.

“Yes, Bahamut knows this, which is why he said he would build his temple at Gyeongbokgung in just one day.”

If the temple could indeed be completed in a day, it would prevent the numerous protests that would occur during construction.

The question was whether a temple befitting Serabal’s dignity could be built in just one day.

“Well, there are records that he gifted an impressive building with a snap of his fingers for the religious community, but was that actually true? Not an exaggeration?”

At least there were official records of Bahamut completing a magnificent building in a day, so they didn’t express much doubt.

In fact, some of the assembled ministers knew that Bahamut had snapped his fingers and completed brick-paved roads and even several buildings instantly, so they firmly believed that Bahamut’s proposal was not empty boasting but something genuinely possible.

“Yes, he said it’s entirely possible with magic. Bahamut explained it simply as a technique where pre-made components are magically stacked one by one and instantly assembled into a building.”

“Similar technology exists in modern times too, but the issue is those components…”

The technique Bahamut used actually exists in modern times as well.

He simply used magic to assemble it at ultra-high speed, but it was a construction technique entirely possible with human technology.

The problem was procuring the internal components needed to assemble the Bahamut Temple.

“He said he has them. Though he worried that while the exterior would be majestic, the interior would be empty.”

“That doesn’t matter. What we need now is not the interior appearance but the exterior that people see.”

At Park Cheol-gon’s words, all the ministers nodded and accepted the proposal.

Thus, the Artificial Awakened Project was stamped with the Prime Minister’s seal, and news of the project’s activation was announced throughout Serabal.

“The Serabal government hereby orders the commencement of the Awakened Awakening Project. The temple will be built on the site of the old Gyeongbokgung Palace.”

The next day after the decision was made, the government began to officially announce in the name of the government that Bahamut’s promise would finally be fulfilled, and that the Bahamut Temple would be built on the site of the old Gyeongbokgung Palace.

As news spread that a temple for the Dragon God would be built during a time of social conflict, Serabal became engulfed in a debate of pros and cons. Citizens who supported the temple construction:

“Now an era is opening where ordinary people can become Awakened too.”

“If we can share mana and technology, the gap will surely narrow.”

“It’s late, but it’s the right path.”

They showed favorable reactions, expecting the effects the Bahamut Temple would bring.

Awakened who had actually received these benefits strongly supported this proclamation, and especially heads of households who were looking for safe means for their families to awaken considered this policy an essential task that Serabal must pass.

In this apocalypse, means to protect oneself were necessary, and the fastest way to obtain that was… to become an Awakened who could use magical power.

“Oppose the Bahamut Temple construction! The government has railroaded this bill!”

However, there was also significant opposition.

Most were citizens who still believed that South Korea had not yet disappeared, forces that denied Serabal’s system, and revolutionaries who firmly believed that Serabal was not a democratic state.

“A temple at Gyeongbokgung? Isn’t that desecrating history?”

“Is governance that puts a god first democracy?”

“Is this really for humans?”

As Bahamut and the government had worried, extremist groups were greatly angered by the fact that the Bahamut Temple would be built at Gyeongbokgung.

And their justification was quite appropriate to serve as the basis for citizen opposition:

“Now they’re even desecrating Gyeongbokgung Palace!”

“It’s not a temple, it’s the starting point of theocratic dictatorship!”

Like it or not, the site where the Bahamut Temple was to be built was Gyeongbokgung Palace, which could be considered a historical cultural heritage.

It could easily be argued that this was trampling on the pride of the Korean people, but on the other hand…

“Now is the time to pursue means for humanity to survive rather than cultural heritage!”

“Aren’t those opposing the temple construction the privileged class? Isn’t temple construction an opportunity to break down the discrimination and division trying to take root in Serabal?”

Many believed that temple construction was not just essential but inevitable to overcome the hardships of this apocalypse.

After all, with the announcement of the temple construction, the effects of the Bahamut Temple were also disclosed to the public: it was a temple that could absorb magical power inside the temple into one’s body and create artificial Awakened by promoting artificial awakening.

In other words, it was a temple that could gradually transform ordinary people into Awakened, breaking down the boundary between Awakened and ordinary people. Intellectuals who feared the solidification of this boundary called those opposing the temple construction the privileged class of Awakened, claiming they were preserving their values.

“Temple construction is blasphemy!”

However, it wasn’t just extremist groups opposing Serabal’s system who were against the temple construction.

Religious communities also strongly opposed this decision, with all religious groups gathering in one place to claim that this matter had greatly crossed a line.

Though they worshipped different gods, they spoke with one voice:

“We deny Dragon God Bahamut!”

Since Dragon God Bahamut had guaranteed freedom of religion, the government had no right to suppress them, and rather left them alone as if daring them to act recklessly. Thus, the religious community began to declare protests against the temple at Gwanghwamun Square.

Yes, had Dragon God Bahamut not directly descended before them, they would have unhesitatingly joined forces with extremist groups to obstruct the temple construction.

“Today, on this land, I will complete the temple where I will stay.”

Dragon God Bahamut was summoned to the sky above Gyeongbokgung under the guidance of the Dragon Priestess, and thus summoned, Bahamut deliberately made the sound of his finger snap resound like thunder to draw public attention.

Then, as if the sky were being torn apart, silver architectural fragments from all four directions began to reveal themselves one by one.

Massive pillars of blue jade slowly descended toward the ground, and a dome roof shaped like a dragon rotated like lightning before settling in the center.

Gwanghwamun, the main gate leading to Gyeongbokgung, was automatically fitted with new walls engraved with magical circuits and a silver gate decorated with dragon patterns, while 12 floating stone towers that rose near Bahamut took their positions as if guarding Bahamut’s temple.

“What is that?”

It was a scene that could only be described as a mythological spectacle brought to reality.

Thousands of people—crowds, journalists, clergy, Awakened, citizens—all were speechless. Any objection, any disbelief simply vanished into thin air before this overwhelming scene.

To the onlookers, it seemed as if with just a snap of his fingers, an unprecedented miraculous temple in human history had been completed, and one Christian pastor who had denied Bahamut more than anyone finally fell to his knees.

“…This is divine. This is… real.”

After that day, many religious communities that had denied Dragon God Bahamut fell silent, and some even began to argue that Dragon God Bahamut was no different from the god they had been speaking of.

‘W-wow… that was close. My bluff wasn’t exposed! Thank goodness!’

Of course, looking at the inside story, it was staged to inspire awe in everyone, but frankly, only the exterior was splendidly decorated while the interior remained completely empty.

The temple had no areas for people to stay, no rooms, and was literally just a temple with a magnificent exterior appearance. Even Gwanghwamun leading to the temple was merely engraved with complex magical circuits but was just an experimental piece that hadn’t even tested defensive magic yet.

Naturally, due to its dangerous nature, Bahamut had only decorated it and adjusted it with safety devices so that the gate’s defensive magic couldn’t be activated. The 12 floating stone towers were literally just decorative items that could only float to enhance the temple’s dignity, with no actual effect.

“So that’s Dragon God Bahamut’s temple. The new Gyeongbokgung!”

Nevertheless, its exterior appearance could be called a symbol of the newly reconstructed Seoul, and Seoul citizens began to recognize the Bahamut Temple as Seoul’s new Gyeongbokgung Palace.