Chapter 70: Butterfly effect is crazy

    –Piiiiiip!

    The central conference room of Dawn’s Light, monitoring the live broadcast, was currently a scene of utter chaos.

    “What was that just now?! Was it a Cryptid’s doing?”

    “Our detection radar didn’t pick up anything! This isn’t a Cryptid.”

    “What?! If it’s not a Cryptid, then what in the world was that red text?!”

    [Divine punishment upon the worms who know not their place.]

    The red text appeared in enormous letters on the broadcast, which tens of thousands of people were watching simultaneously on both terrestrial TV and YouTube.

    As soon as that sentence appeared, the scene of the host, Producer Park Jincheol, and broadcast staff twisting their bodies and dying cruelly was broadcast live on camera.

    –Kwaddeuk!!

    –Ujijik!!

    The brutal scene, with the sound of bones twisting and breaking, and blood splattering everywhere, was broadcast without any filter.

    ‘The cast members are dead or have fled, there’s no one to stop the broadcast…!’

    Dojin sprang from his seat and quickly issued orders.

    “The investigation team will move to the broadcasting station with me right now. The remaining agents are to check if there are any victims outside the broadcasting station!”

    “M-Master! The National Assembly contacted us…! Several congressmen and ministers… have reportedly died with their bodies twisted…!”

    “Furthermore, it happened during a cabinet meeting. They weren’t even watching the broadcast, but people suddenly crumpled and died as if crushed…!”

    “What in the world is this…! For now, continue assessing the damage. I will go to the scene!”

    –Kwang!

    After Dojin quickly pushed off the ground and ran, Victoria, who had been carefully observing the situation, asked Elissa to follow Dojin to the broadcasting station.

    “Elissa, we need to get to the scene quickly too. There’s a clue we absolutely must check.”

    “Unnie, is there something bothering you?”

    “Rather than bothering me… a question has arisen. I want you to find out if there are any emotions contained within that red text, and if so, what kind of emotions they are.”

    “If Unnie is curious, I can’t help it… but you shouldn’t wander around as you please like last time when you got lost, okay? If Mr. Sihyun hadn’t been there then, it would have been a really big problem.”

    “Th-that man’s topic is forbidden for now, forbidden! Don’t say strange things and let’s go quickly!”

    As soon as she heard Sihyun’s name, Victoria struggled and resisted in her arms.

    Elissa found Victoria’s reaction cute, poked her cheeks, and then departed for the broadcasting station.

    “Hehe, hold on tight so you don’t fall.

    ****

    Shina merely stood blankly amidst people dying haphazardly.

    –Kwaddeuk.

    What in the world happened?

    Immediately after the red text appeared, not only the damned producer but even the actor mimicking Phantom died with their bodies twisted.

    Without any sign. Without any warning.

    Yes, it was as if…

    “It’s like… divine judgment.”

    –Udeudeuk.

    The sin of daring to use Phantom.

    The sin of trying to insult the savior personally sent for you.

    “That sin shall be repaid with death…”

    The red text declared it would inflict divine punishment upon them.

    Literally, punishment bestowed by a god upon humans.

    A judgment that humans who have sinned can never escape, no matter where they are, what they do, or even if they hide.

    That judgment has now fallen upon those who mocked Phantom.

    ‘Could this truly be a coincidence…?’

    –Kkwaak!

    Shina shook her head once and clenched her fist tightly.

    “That can’t be.”

    They had received rightful punishment.

    Those who dared not to believe in Phantom, even in front of the girl chosen by the savior and the girl whose tears he personally wiped, merely received the punishment they deserved.

    “It was trash not even worth pitying who died.”

    –Jiiing.

    In the silent space where the survivors had left and the dead lay still, the camera was still filming Shina and Yeonwoo.

    The girl thought this was the perfect opportunity. An opportunity to announce that Phantom was not a Cryptid but a savior sent by God!

    “Everyone, you all saw it, didn’t you? The divine punishment inflicted upon those scoundrels who dared to impersonate Phantom by putting forward a fake! All those shameless individuals who tried to deceive and use the savior sent by God to save us died with their bodies twisted.”

    Shina stood proudly in front of the camera, bloodstains on her face, and began her speech.

    “When the red text first appeared, I thought a Cryptid had emerged. I thought Phantom was going to kill everyone caught on camera. But… that wasn’t it. Producer Park Jincheol, who planned the broadcast, and the panelists and host who criticized Phantom all died, but Shina and I are perfectly fine like this. We weren’t hurt anywhere, nor were we harmed. Right, Yeonwoo?”

    “Ugh… uh-huh…! A-at first, when people were dying, it was so sc-scary, but Shina and I were p-perfectly fine…! Rather, it felt like we were being protected from the b-bad people…!!”

    Trembling.

    Yeonwoo trembled her legs but still conveyed exactly what she felt to the people.

    The sight of the small girl, who couldn’t properly express her opinions throughout the broadcast, standing firm despite trembling with fear, began to sway the hearts of those watching the broadcast.

    ‘How could anyone ignore Yeonwoo, a delicate beautiful girl with a bloodied face and downcast eyes? With this, people will have no choice but to keep focusing on the screen.’

    Shina actively utilized the opportunity Yeonwoo had provided.

    “To those who showed faith, rewards were given, and to those who went beyond not believing him to slander and exploit him, punishment was inflicted. This is the realization of ‘Reward the faithful, punish the wicked’ right here! Everyone, it’s fine to think of Phantom as an anomalous being, like a Cryptid. It’s fine to think of him as a savior. Because faith is not something that can be created through forced coercion. However—”

    –Thud!

    Shina knelt in front of the camera and clasped her hands as if in prayer.

    “I am not a foolish girl who ignores the miracle happening before her eyes. I have no doubt that Phantom judged the sinners to save me and my friend. His appearance when he didn’t ignore the crying girl in the small convenience store… when people were sacrificing themselves to powerful Cryptids, he always appeared. Can you truly not see it even after witnessing him…?”

    Trickle.

    A small tear fell from Shina’s sky-blue eyes.

    “The reason he appeared wearing a mask he had never worn before… he must have been injured while stopping the apocalypse-level Cryptid collector. He must have covered that injury, fearing that we would worry if we saw it. Everyone… does he truly look like a Cryptid, sacrificing himself so much for us…? Even after seeing his back, silently walking a thorny path, forcing his tired legs to protect everyone, do you still not understand…!!”

    The sight of the girl, covered in blood, appealing with tears.

    In some ways, her appearance might have seemed untidy and simply messy, but the moment it met Shina’s outstanding beauty,

    it instead made the girl seem to overlap with a saintess who steadfastly preaches faith amidst all sorts of hardships and adversities.

    “I dare to say it. Phantom is not a Cryptid…! The one and only adversary sent by God to save us from disgusting monsters is Phantom’s true form! And here, I declare: I will establish a guild, gathering those who believe in Phantom as a savior. A guild solely for those who believe in and follow him… its name is—”

    At that moment, Shina’s sky-blue eyes, looking into the camera, began to burn like flickering blue flames.

    “The Sanctuary of Obscura.”

    ****

    By the time the Cryptid Countermeasures Headquarters and Dawn’s Light agents arrived at the broadcasting station, everything was already over.

    The only two surviving girls, Yoo Shina and Lee Yeonwoo.

    Among them, the speech Shina delivered live in front of the camera caused such a huge stir that no one was unaware of it.

    An unparalleled viewership rating of 57.3%, far exceeding the 20% target viewership that Producer Park Jincheol, who died agonizingly with his body twisted, had cried out for, along with 240,000 live viewers on YouTube.

    An enormous number of people all began to praise Shina and Yeonwoo in unison.

    “Hey, did you see the broadcast earlier? I initially thought Phantom got pissed and activated his abilities to kill everyone, but it wasn’t like that, was it?”

    “Of course not! He completely spared the two girls who believed in him and instantly gave a ‘pow!’ of true education to only those who tried to use him. Honestly, it was cruel, but I think it was necessary to set an example.”

    “Indeed, if they had just stayed quiet, they would have been fine, but it was a broadcast specifically made to disparage Phantom. If Phantom had endured that, he’d be a saint.”

    Not only in reality, but online, chaos was erupting.

    ==========

    [Title] I just imagined getting praised by the Saintess, is that normal?

    If I rush to join The Sanctuary of Obscura as the first member as soon as it’s created, can I get head pats from the Saintesses?

    – LOL, no way, it hasn’t even been that long since the broadcast, and a gallery’s already been made, haha. That’s f*cking amazing.

    – The original poster seems more interested in the perks than the actual cause.

    – F*cking simp, disgusting, lol.

    – But seriously, why “Saintess”? It’s a guild, not a f*cking church, is it?

    – If it’s a group of people who believe in Phantom, then it’s a church, you f*cker, lol. What are you even arguing about?

    – So we have two Saintesses? There’s a super pretty Saintess, so f*ck it, I’m joining right away, lol.

    – The sky-blue haired Saintess is really hot, seriously.

    – This guy knows nothing about what’s hot. The Saintess with the downcast eyes and big boobs is the best, you idiot, lol.

    ==========

    Just a few hours after the broadcast ended, the keyword ‘The Sanctuary of Obscura’ began to rank as the most searched term.

    As if Shina had foreseen this situation, even while being protected and investigated by the countermeasures headquarters, she calculated the human resources and costs required for guild establishment, waiting for the opportune moment.

    So that ‘The Sanctuary of Obscura’ could be established at any time.

    “Ah… just a little, please wait just a little longer…! Phantom, I will create a sanctuary just for you…! Please trust and wait for the girl you uniquely chose…!”

    ****

    Shivers!

    “Huh? I’m eating warm walnut cakes at the rest stop, why am I getting goosebumps?”

    Sihyun, who was taking a short break at a highway rest stop, felt an inexplicable chill brush against the back of his neck.

    A premonition that an immense storm of delusion was brewing somewhere he didn’t know.

    Dding!

    [Poo-woo! (-3-) You’re feeling guilty because you’re eating delicious things without me!]

    “Can you eat snacks? You should have told me earlier.”

    [I can’t eat them, but you should at least offer them with an ‘aah~’! Humph!]

    “You’re saying strange things again. If you keep doing that, I’ll only kiss Luna and not you, okay?”

    [Y-you’re so m-mean!! I did something really good for Sihyun-nim! If you knew what it was, you’d regret saying that to me, huh?! Hehe!!]

    [( `ε´ )]

    What exactly was the “good deed” the Notification Window was talking about?

    ‘Whenever it does something on its own, it always ends badly…’

    Sihyun was momentarily worried, but he decided to trust the Notification Window, which claimed it had worked hard for him.

    ‘Surely nothing weird will happen again? Haha.’

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