episode_0030

“Zombies… cured…?”

“T-Thank you!”

“This is amazing!”

Wow!

Everyone would have cheered for this situation, except for Cheonsang-il, who was the one receiving the cheers. Excluding unknown entities, no one else would have known.

“Hahaha….”

Cheonsang-il, feeling embarrassed by everyone’s cheers, awkwardly smiled while touching the back of his head, calculating his gains with a crude smile on his face.

For now, everyone’s faith level had surpassed 10.

Since this was something he had expected, there was no particular excitement.

However, as he slowly concentrated on curing the mysterious being who had turned into a zombie, he began to feel a new sensation that he had never experienced before.

To not forget this feeling, he repeated it hundreds and thousands of times in his mind.

At the entrance of the department store, he introduced himself to the group who had brought in the infected individual and those who had come to cure the infected.

“Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before today.”

“Yes, I’m Cheonsang-il. As you can see, I’m an Awakened One.”

“My name is Lee Sang-hyeon. I look forward to working with you.”

After their conversation, they all engraved in their minds that Cheonsang-il was a good person.

“Do you happen to know someone named Lee Da-woon?”

“Oh, Da-woon was with us until recently, going out with us.”

He didn’t miss asking about Lee Da-woon and Bae Yeong-chil during the conversation.

Finding the culprit wasn’t important, but there was a need to find and deal with the culprit for reasons that everyone could understand. So, he quickly turned his mind, checked and adjusted his plans, and set them in motion.

“It will be interesting.”

As he thought to himself, slowly infecting the people around him and turning them into his followers, the protagonist’s appearance seemed more malicious than someone who wanted the world’s destruction.

If a great evil is visible, most people will join forces, and heroes will emerge from within it. But what if something that not everyone perceives as evil slowly corrodes the world?

Without even knowing what path they are taking, they slowly walk the path of destruction.

“But…”

If forcibly changing someone’s heart to give them happiness and living in a world created by that happiness is joyful and fulfilling, are those people truly unhappy?

Can we judge someone who acts in such a way as evil?

“What does it matter?”

I act for my own benefit. Whether it is a good deed or a bad deed is not important.

As long as everyone’s faith is concentrated on me by making them think I am a good person, a hero, a savior, that’s all that matters.

If it benefits me, I will not hesitate to do good deeds. Even if the motivation is evil, people will call me a good person, a hero, a savior.

“I live for myself.”

Recalling the words he had sworn countless times not to distort, he regained his composure.

“Why did you happen to come here?”

“Well, we thought there were no other people left around us.”

“Did you come from another group?”

As the topic of another group came up, they showed a slight tension.

If he had come from another group, he needed to stop them to prevent the group from being disrupted.

But who could stop a man who could control everyone’s movements like before?

✱✱✱

“Come to think of it, he also smoothly passed by earlier….”

If he was indeed someone who had crossed over from another group?

If he had deliberately performed good deeds to induce relief?

“It seemed too genuine to be an act….”

When he first met him and saw his smile, he had never seen such a beautiful smile in his life.

And as they conversed with that smile, he happily engaged with others, performing acts of kindness for himself and others without hesitation.

Even as he performed acts of kindness, his smile never faded from his face, and he truly seemed happy.

“Oppa is a truthful person.”

Until the world became like this, I have lived confidently, feeling and dealing with the subtle flow of emotions between people.

“Different from those with a facade and those whose insides have become murky. Different from those whose insides have definitely changed.”

Having already surpassed Faith Level 20, she had become greatly contaminated by the Heavenly Realm, and even if she hadn’t been contaminated, she wouldn’t have thought of the Heavenly Realm’s smoke as evil.

“So, I believe in Oppa.”

But belief is always betrayed more easily than one thinks.

“Yes. I come from a different group.”

“Ready!”

“Oppa…?”

In an instant, amidst the people who had entered a defensive stance, there was nothing I could do except feel the sudden emptiness and disappointment as I looked at Oppa, who stood calmly in the center.

“I am the leader of a group.”

✱✱✱

Leader

Guiding others on the right path, giving and receiving trust

“I’m sorry, but we need to know.”

The man who faintly felt the helplessness of the Heavenly Realm forced his trembling arm up to aim the spear at him.

“What group’s leader you are, why you are here. Please explain so we can trust you.”

Swish-

Listening to the words of the calmly speaking Heavenly Realm, who had both hands raised, even in a situation where everyone was on guard, only sincerity could be seen.

“Of course, I help people who are not active in the Heavenly Realm as well. I invite people I see outside to the Heavenly Realm and cure those who have turned into zombies, inviting them to the Heavenly Realm.”

“Are you saying you will make us all part of your group?”

“Of course, if you become part of my group, I can help you more easily. However, the choice is yours.”

Despite showing a kind smile, there was no hint of black intentions in him, but the weapons aimed at him were not put away, keeping him in check in case of any unexpected situations.

“So I came here. Because I see many people in need of help.”

Good intentions.

Kind acts of helping patients.

Displaying his kindness confidently even amidst everyone’s guard.

There is not a single doubt, but that’s why it’s even more suspicious.

Too kind and strong like the protagonist of a novel,

But among the people present, there was not a single person left to make a rational judgment.

Without even realizing that everyone might be slightly contaminated by the Heavenly Realm,

“Lower your weapons.”

As the weapons aimed at the Heavenly Realm were lowered, the people who had aimed their weapons looked sheepish.

“We couldn’t easily believe a stranger who came from a different group.”

“I apologize for doubting even though you treated my beloved younger sibling.”

What could be considered a crisis situation left a lot for the Heavenly Realm.

People, feeling apologetic, start to treat the other person better, turning that into favor towards the Heavenly Realm.

“No, I also think it is right to act defensively as a leader of a group.”

“I am truly grateful for your understanding.”

“I am truly sorry for not mentioning it earlier.”

And so, the situation ended warmly, increasing the favor towards the Heavenly Realm even more.

“Ability to move to a completely different world from Earth?”

“Taking a few people from this group could impact this group, so until the day after tomorrow, please discuss with Baeyeongchilssi and decide whether everyone will move to my group or stay here to receive my support.”

“It would be great if we all moved there.”

“Haha. I hope so too.”

As we shared stories and returned to the department store, we formed intimacy with the injured people, helping them recover.

Going outside to hunt zombies and further develop the group, awakening individuals expressed their desire to join me, leaving Baek Yeong-chil with no choice but to reluctantly follow me.

“Now, let’s take a break.”

All the awakening individuals who had gone outside came back into the department store, and we took turns going up to the residential floor.

“I have something to discuss with Mr. Baek Yeong-chil, so I will go up further.”

As I received everyone’s farewell, I went up to the 9th floor and saw Baek Yeong-chil sitting with a serious expression among the bystanders.

“Mr. Baek Yeong-chil, did you rest well?”

“Uh… I rested well. It seemed like Mr. Cheonsang-il was quite busy…”

“I also rested well. I always enjoy talking and interacting with new people.”

“Is that so…”

Furrowing his eyebrows and biting his lip, Baek Yeong-chil spoke with a serious tone amidst the somber atmosphere.