The child held no doubts. He listened to what he was told to do and closed his eyes tightly. Perhaps he believed that Yoon-seok was a spirit who came after hearing his prayer. However, whatever the reason.
“One…”
The child, eyes covered with both hands, began to count. At the same time, the hearts of hundreds of people in the plaza began to beat fast.
“Two…”
Each time the child’s innocent voice resonated through the bloody plaza, death gradually encircled them like a snake.
“Three…”
When the child shouted three, Yoon-seok took off the hood that was covering his face. When the mask hidden inside was revealed, the guards and citizens looked like they thought he and the raiders were on the same team.
Well, he wasn’t one of them, but the results wouldn’t be any different.
“Four…”
On the count of four, Yoon-seok stepped forward toward the head of the guard. Watching Yoon-seok approach, the man struggled to open his mouth.
“W-wait… it, it’s not me.”
He laughed as soon as he heard it. He appreciated his effort in using all his magic powers to convey a few words, but it was hard to understand what he was going to say. Yoon-seok hadn’t said anything yet, so what was this man trying to explain?
Whoooooosh-!
As the concentration of magic increased a notch, the plaza grew quiet again. The child, who stopped a moment due to the unfamiliar voice, continued.
“Five…”
It was different from the past when he asked everyone for their sins. Yoon-seok didn’t ask them anything. There was no need for that. He’d already seen it and made his judgment. So no matter what anyone said, what would happen in this city today wouldn’t change.
However, he was a little curious.
Crack-!
Yoon-seok, approaching the guard captain, destroyed his well-managed sword.
「You destroyed something precious.」
「Acquired 0.05WP.」
0.05 WP. It was valuable, but it didn’t seem that cherished. Then, what did he cherish? For confirmation, Yoon-seok tried to break everything he had.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Bracelets, rings, helmet, armor. The items he was wearing were broken one after another.
「You destroyed something precious.」
「Acquired 0.04WP.」
「Acquired 0.03WP.」
「Acquired 0.08WP.」
The total was less than 1 WP, but Yoon-seok quickly found one commonality. The higher the monetary value, the higher the points given. So, Yoon-seok took the money bag from his pocket and crushed it without opening it.
「Acquired 15WP.」
Yoon-seok smiled. At this point, he wondered if there was anything that this man truly cherished.
“Six…”
Seeing how he couldn’t even breathe, he knew what this man cherished the most. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an object.
“S-save me…”
The moment when Yoon-seok released his magic, those frozen collapsed to the floor. Even in that state, the guard captain quickly begged Yoon-seok to spare him. Suddenly, he wondered. Perhaps the precious thing referred to by b Heart of the Destructive Monarch} depended on if it was worth risking their lives.
If that assumption was correct, what Yoon-seok could get in this city might be extremely insignificant. However…
“Seven…”
It was time to end this. He wanted to avoid showing ugly things to a child when they hadn’t even seen much of good and beautiful things.
Slash-!
No hesitation. Yoon-seok’s sword flashed through space once. With the sound of cutting air and a moment later a gust of wind, the bodies of the hundreds in the plaza were split into two.
「You killed civilians of a different dimension.」
「Acquired 5,500 APs in total.」
The Pioneer effect of New Human activated. 10 AP per civilian, so 550 people just died. However, no emotion crossed Yoon-seok’s eyes while he was observing the carnage.
“Eight.”
Those who gathered there to buy slaves or the guards gathered to protect them. After all, it was the same. They were born as people, but they chose to live like beasts. They trampled on and violated the weak following the law that the strong preyed upon the weak. So even if they were unfortunately eaten by a stronger predator today, they couldn’t complain.
They reaped what they sowed.
“Nine…”
It was almost time. Yoon-seok used Corpse Dismantlement to melt the hundreds of dead bodies all at once.
“Ten…”
Swaaaaaaaa-.
The moment the child finished counting and opened his eyes, a violent wind blew past, carrying away dust and ash.
“Pretty…”
The child raised his head and looked up to the sky until all the shiny particles were blown away, and the reflection of light disappeared.
There were now three people left in the once crowded plaza. Yoon-seok and the child looking up at the fluttering crystals and the mysterious man wearing a mask.
“How did you know that I wouldn’t kill you?”
“I wasn’t sure.”
When Yoon-seok asked, the man replied. Even though he survived, he showed no signs of relief or fear toward Yoon-seok. No, rather, he continued with a voice filled with endless joy.
“Rather, the one who should die are dead, and the one who should live are still alive.”
Yoon-seok squinted as if he had read his thoughts.
[Good: 280,741]
[Evil: 98,871]
This man’s number of bad deeds was the highest in the plaza, but the number of good deeds was even higher. It wasn’t hard to guess why. Wasn’t his first impression of the man jumping in to save the slaves? Yoon-seok guessed he must’ve had no choice but to get blood on his hands.
‘But he’s still suspicious.’
At first, he thought these people existed in this city, but the more he looked at him, the stranger it felt, especially when his eyes were full of joy. Originally, he planned to leave the child to him and head straight into the city, but at this point, he was curious about the man’s identity.
“Who are you?”
When Yoon-seok asked, the man took off his mask and saluted.
“I’m Rein Carvette, the 16th Leader of the Bloodseeker Sect.”
Bloodseeker Sect? Rein Carvette? The group name was Moorim-esque, but anyone could see he was from Seheranbad. The fairy race with their sharp ears could only be found here. However, it was a moment of dissonance.
“Bloodseeker Sect?”
It was a name he had a deep connection with. He used {Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum} as his main weapon, and he made his reputation among the challengers under the nickname Bloodseeker.
“Yes. My crew, including myself, came here to rescue the family of the believers who had just entered the sect under the order. We were also ordered to help those in pain as much as we could.”
‘The name sounds scary, but just looking at their mission, it’s like a volunteer group….’
Yoon-seok, who smiled at his tone full of pride, flinched.
‘Oh, wait a minute…’
Come to think of it, the spread of the nickname Bloodseeker was because of a challenger named Jang-Il. Living as a slave on the 6th-floor plaza, he worshipped him after being saved by Yoon-seok.
‘No, no way…?’
Suddenly, Yoon-seok felt anxious. He looked at Carvette. Why was this man wearing a mask? To hide his identity? Then, why did he answer his questions? Because he was afraid of dying? No, he didn’t think so.
Those eyes didn’t belong to one who was afraid of death.
“Why… are you answering everything I ask?”
Yoon-seok asked carefully. Carvette thought for a moment with a look of determination.
“Because I walk along the path, he shed blood on, and I cannot lie to the Blood Lord.”
Blood Lord… just as Cheon-ma was referred to as the Heavenly Lord, this title must hold a similar context. He couldn’t argue because it was their faith, but the problem was that it was used to address him. Yoon-seok felt exhausted.
“I’m that Blood Lord? Uh, aren’t you mistaken?”
He was so dumbfounded that he said it in the form of a question, but that wasn’t important now. Carvette suddenly knelt.
“Sacred ice jade mask and two swords, and the black magic that made everyone in Cheonma-dong kneel… even if my eyes are just holes, how could I be mistaken?”
Ice Jade Mask? It was the item name of the mask he bought for 5,000AP. Well, it was not sacred. It was meaningless to deny that it wasn’t him anymore, though. He didn’t know how he found out, but he even knew exactly what happened in Cheonma-dong.
It was impossible that he was being mistaken for another person.
“…Is Jang-Il the leader?”
Carvette freaked out at Yoon-seok’s question.
“How could you say that! Although the believers trust and rely on Elder Jang-Il a lot, we only follow the Blood Lord!”
Holding back the sigh that he almost breathed out, Yoon-seok asked another question.
“Then why did you try to hide it earlier?”
“…Please forgive me. There is a reason why I couldn’t greet you immediately.”
“Reason?”
“It was because Elder Jang-Il issued a strict order. Don’t go to the Blood Lord or even let him find out about our existence. He said he will go to you in person and kneel when he has the power not to feel ashamed.”
Looking at Carvette’s loyalty (?), it appeared that Jang-Il wasn’t using this name for his gain. But did he think Yoon-seok would praise him for his good work if he showed up abruptly after gaining power? To be honest, he was flabbergasted.
“Blood Lord! Please issue your order.”
Since his identity was revealed, Carvette knelt and bowed his head. He could feel his spirit such that if he asked him to die, he would happily do so. He did have a favor to ask, but it grew difficult now that his identity was exposed. Should he say it felt like he would get more tangled up?
‘What should I do?’
As he was contemplating, he sensed more guards approaching. Yoon-seok, feeling a new headache forming, decided to postpone the problem at hand.
“…Take this kid and leave.”
“Roger!”
Carvette, who shouted at Yoon-seok’s command, left the plaza with the child. Yoon-seok, staying behind, grabbed his throbbing head. The messiah of Guwon-gyo, the Co-Sect Leader of the Demon Cult, and now the Leader of the Bloodseeker Sect. The number of unwanted titles kept increasing…
He would have to ask Cheon-ma about this when they next met. Was it possible to serve concurrently under the Demon Cult’s rules?
Within those hellish days, the man who suddenly appeared and saved the 6th-floor plaza said:
—I don’t want anything since I can take whatever I want. Break the chains of evil and free yourself.
Throw away your resentment against other trial challengers. Rest if there’s anyone who wants to rest and anyone who wants to ascend, help them as much as possible.
—If you want to stay, stay; if you want to leave, leave. No more, no less.
Following his words, Jang-Il remained on the 6th-floor plaza. Many challengers passed by and spread his name on his behalf. Some were deeply fascinated by his achievements and ideas, so Jang-Il gathered those people to create the Bloodseeker Sect. It was to add strength to His lonely journey someday.
However, the limit was evident in the 6th-floor plaza. Therefore, Jang-Il entrusted the 6th-floor plaza to those he trusted and ascended the Tower with the other believers. At the same time, he continued to document His actions in scripture.
—Eyes containing only the truth that sees through everything. Don’t be afraid of the sky, false ones. The Judgment Sword is made up of red, human blood.
The incident at Hanguk Hospital.
—If the red thunder made of blood dictates to the world, all those holding dead hearts will be destroyed.
The Judgment of the Destructive Monarch that descended into the Pacific Ocean. Using {Demonify} to fight hundreds of thousands of troops in the mission, and more. Jang-Il, who obtained b Yearning} as his special Unique Skill, wrote the scriptures by excluding self-interest and writing down what he saw honestly (?).
—Even 10,000 deaths cannot break His will; the one true death will penetrate the darkness.
So today, he was writing down a new part in the latest chapter.
Knock, knock.
“…Brother Carvette?”
Rein Carvette. His untimely visitor was the 15th-floor mission challenger, the 16th Commander, dispatched to Geronian to rescue slaves. Jang-Il’s eyes showed his concern.
“How can you already…? Did you fail?”
“No. Elder, but I was rude because I had something to deliver urgently.”
“What do you mean by rude? My quarters are always open to all brothers. What’s the matter?”
Carvette recited what happened in Geronian as quickly as he could. Jang-Il, listening quietly, soon clenched his fists. This was an issue worth returning over, even if the mission was set aside.
“He… gave you an order?”
“Yes. He ordered me to take the child we couldn’t rescue.”
“Then how did you make your way back?”
“The child is currently being guarded by the crew. But when I realized the hidden meaning in His order, I had no choice but to run back here.”
“Hidden meaning?”
Jang-Il tilted his head as if he didn’t understand. Then, Carvette respectfully voiced his interpretation.
“Yes. How could He say that when He pursued the freedom of all people with blood? In front of Him, we are all his children.”
“…!”
Jang-Il was amazed by the interpretation.
“You managed to interpret his words.”
“It’s because I’ve heard about His daily life through the scripture recorded by you, Elder.”
They praised each other in that heartwarming atmosphere. However, it disappeared soon, and a solemn air filled the room.
“That’s the first order given to the servants by Him. The preparations should be perfect. Hurry up and deliver his words to all believers.”
“…”
“From today on, our sect will do its best to annihilate Geronian, the Demon Kingdom, and liberate all children struggling with their freedom.”
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